Cyril Frank Uwins OBE AFC 1896-1972

Cyril Uwins signature 5th from top on r/h side of menu

Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Bulldog

Cyril Uwins was born in 1896,and was educated at Whitgift School,Croydon. After active service in France with the London Irish Rifles he joined the Royal Flying Corps in the spring of 1916 and served with No43 and No54 Sqn's before being posted in 1917 to Farnborough for duty as a ferry pilot. Six months afterwards he formed a new flying school at Lake Down on Salisbury Plain,and later moved to No5 Aircraft Acceptance Park,which was stationed at Filton.

In August 1918 he joined the British Colonial Aeroplane Co Ltd (later to become the Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd) as a test pilot,becoming Chief test pilot on his demobilisation from the RAF in 1919. He remained Chief pilot until the beginning of 1947 when he was appointed as assistant managing director of the Aircraft Division.

He was responsible for the testing of every Bristol aircraft to fly during the period from the Bristol Scout to the Type 170 Freighter in 1945,in all,he made 54 first flights. He became deputy chairman of the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1957 and was also President of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors for 1956-57.