Campbell Mackenzie-Richards (6 January 1900 – 9 November 1927) was a pioneer English aviator, Royal Air Force test pilot, and air race contestant, who was killed testing experimental equipment in November 1927.
Early life
Campbell MacKenzie-Richards was born on 6 January 1900 in Streatham, London, the grandson of Peter Felix Richards (born 1808 in Edinburgh, Scotland; died 14 November 1868 in Shanghai, China), the founder of the Astor House, Shanghai; and the son of Peter Felix Mackenzie-Richards (born about 1863 in Shanghai; died 18 December 1920 in Colchester, Essex), a civil engineer, and Mary Edith "Mollie" MacRae (born 1 July 1869 in Brighton, Sussex; died 7 December 1954 at Heigham Hall, a private mental hospital in Norwich, Norfolk), who had married on 4 September 1893 at St. Leonard's Church, Upper Deal, Kent. MacKenzie-Richards was baptised on 1 March 1900 at the Holy Trinity Church at Upper Tooting. MacKenzie-Richards was the brother of Kenneth (born 1894 in Kensington; died 26 December 1980); Ursula (born 13 November 1902; died 11 December 1995); and Mary (born 1907 in Woodbridge, Suffolk; died 1983). Campbell MacKenzie-Richards was educated at the Woodbridge School in Suffolk.
Career
During World War I MacKenzie-Richards served in the British Merchant Navy and was decorated twice.
Around 1923 MacKenzie-Richards joined the Royal Air Force. On 24 January 1924 he was confirmed as Pilot Officer and later was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer, and was attached to the Bombing Squadron based at Martlesham Heath. After earning the reputation of being a highly skilled pilot, MacKenzie-Richards was attached to the experimental staff of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough.
As part of the Airship Development Programme, from 9 October 1925 a hook-equipped de Havilland Humming Bird (Registration G-EBQP) was used in a short series of experiments with "an obsolete underpowered type of airship", HMA R33 (known colloquially as the "Pulham Pig") in an attempt to develop an airborne aircraft carrier. On 15 October 1925 the Humming Bird flown by Squadron Leader Rollo Haig, was released from the R33, and became the first to reattach an aircraft to a rigid airship, although the propeller was damaged as he reattached and he detached again to glide to a separate landing at the aerodrome. On 4 December 1925 Flight Lieutenant Janor, flying a Humming Bird was the first to successfully hook an aeroplane onto a rigid airship and remain attached until the airship landed. Previously the Royal Air Force had modified two F.1 Sopwith Camels (serials N6622 and N6814) for trials by No. 212 Squadron RAF with airship HMA 23r, which culminated in Lt. R.E. Keys piloting one on 6 November 1918, and the first launch and recovery of an aircraft in mid-air had been performed by the US Army TC-3 blimp on 15 December 1924, with a Sperry Messenger biplane performing a sortie from and back to a "skyhook" attached to the blimp.
On Thursday 21 October 1926, MacKenzie-Richards and Flying Officer (later Air Vice-Marshal) R.L. Ragg participated in the experimental trials of launching twin parasite aircraft from retractable trapezes attached under the keel of the R33 using two Gloster Grebe fighters (J.7400 and J.7385) from Pulham aerodrome. The first Grebe, flown by MacKenzie-Richards, which was positioned aft, was released at 10.17am over Pulham at an altitude of 2,500 feet (762 metres), and, after diving for about 100 ft (30 metres), it levelled out. The Times reported the next day: "The aeroplane, with her engine running, dropped like a stone and then regaining control, MacKenzie-Richards performed a series of stunts, looping-the-loop, rolling and flying upside down", while Flight indicated that the plane "gambolled gaily in the air as if glad to be free, at last, from the maternal apron strings," before landing safely back at Pulham. After some difficulty in starting the engine, the second Grebe piloted by Ragg, which had been positioned abaft of the first Grebe, was successfully released at 11.30am from a slightly higher altitude over Cardington, Bedfordshire, and made a safe landing at Cardington.
In another experiment, the Grebes piloted by MacKenzie-Richards and Ragg were released from 2,000 feet and were able to fly and then reattach their planes to a skyhook on the airship. Despite the successful trials, the technique was never adopted.