Q&A · 2:15:34-2:16:21

Why two more Eric Browns would not triple testing

A personnel answer shows why exceptional individuals cannot remove equipment and workload bottlenecks by themselves.

Question

What could Britain accomplish faster if it had two additional pilots equal to Eric Brown?

Short answer

Not much testing would accelerate because Britain already had many capable test pilots and a finite number of aircraft to fly; the extra men might be more useful as combat pilots or instructors.

Notes

Eric Brown was one of the best and most prolific test pilots, but duplicating one exceptional person would not automatically triple output. Other test pilots were already working quickly, and the number of new aircraft available for evaluation limited how much extra flying could be done. Two additional Browns might therefore add more value as fighter pilots or instructors than as redundant test specialists.