Hugh joined Hawker Aircraft in early 1954 having been recruited from No 615 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, by Neville Duke.
He had learned to fly with the Navy during the war before taking his engineering degree in London. He kept up his flying subsequently by ferrying aircraft overseas and in the RAuxAF. At the same time he worked as an engineer in industry including a spell at Vickers with Barnes Wallace whose research department was in this very room.
On joining Hawkers at Dunsfold he applied his flying and engineering capabilities to solving problems with Fairey's first generation powered flying controls in the Hunter. He wrote two booklets and devised procedures and solutions to problems which had led to accidents. He participated in much of the development work which made the widely exported Marks 9 and 10 Hunters such outstanding aeroplanes.
An important programme of Hugh's was the Hunter erect and inverted spinning investigation, the results of which formed the basis of an Empire Test Pilots' School instructional programme which was part of the syllabus for thirty years.
Whilst carrying out a large part of the P.1127 flight development programme he also accomplished two remarkable and successful forced landings. The first was at Tangmere following a severe engine failure in XP972; the second was at Thorney Island after a transonic surge in XP984, the aircraft which now sits outside this Club House.
Both these incidents involved desperate attempts to save physical evidence and recorded data for investigation into the causes of these catastrophic failures. Thirty five years has passed; long enough to comment that Hugh might have been awarded more appropriate recognition for the skill and bravery he exhibited in these events.
There is no doubt that Hugh Merewether, a rare combination of
outstanding aeronautical engineer and skilled test pilot with excellent
communication abilities, made a substantial contribution to the
development of military jet V/STOL through the P.1127, Kestrel and the
Harrier.