The Association has learned of the death of Capt Michael Wallis Sylvester CBE RN on 29 June 2016.
Taken from the Daily Telegraph
Sylvester Michael Wallis, Captain CBE RN on 29th June, aged 94. Loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Funeral private.
Captain Michael W Sylvester CBE, Royal Navy
Entered the Navy in HMS Frobisher a Portsmouth as a Cadet in January 1939 then to sea in HMS Vindictive in March. On the outbreak of war in September decommissioned ship and went to RNE College Keyham until September 1942 emerging as Sub Lieutenant.
Joined HMS Nelson at Mers el Kever in Force H and remained in her during ‘Torch’ Solerno, Anzio, D Day Landings and Eastern Fleet until mid-1945. After a short Spell in HMS London returned to UK in HMS Searcher for flying training.
First Naval Squadron was 766 at Lossiemouth in January 1947 thence to Manadon for AE course.
During the post-war reduction of naval ships and squadrons he was fortunate to retain flying appointments. By March 1949 as a qualified MTP with twin and jet conversion he joined RNARY Fleetlands Test Flight and then to Culham and Anthorn as MTP.
October 1951 found him as AEO of the Naval C Squadron at AAEE Boscombe Down where he continued with the more straightforward flight testing of armament and engineering systems, as well as his normal responsibilities.
A period of nearly three years at the Directorate of Aeroengine Research and Development ended in October 1956 with appointment as Cdr(E) of Seahawk (Culdrose) through to December 1958, thence as follows:
12/58 – 1/60 Tech Asst to DGA
31/60 – 12/62 with NA2SL appointer for AEOs
1/63 – 8/63 Admiralty Interview Board
8/63 – 12/65 Asst Director DGA Repair Yards and Industry
12/65 – 12/67 Captain HMS Condor, Arbroath
1/68 – 12/68 Imperial Defence College (now RCDS)
1/69 – 2/72 Director Naval Recruiting and of the Naval Recruiting Service
Upon retirement Captain Sylvester was Asst Director of the Electronic Engineering Association for two years, then as Field Manager at AGB for Television Audience Research. In 1976 he joined General Electric USA as a manager for its Aerospace Group for business development in Europe, retiring to Cornwall on February 1986.
Memories of Maintenance Test Flying
My first appointment after qualifying at the Course at 700 Squadron was at RNARY Fleetlands in March 1949. Fleetlands task was the complete overhaul and rebuild and incorporation of modifications to Seafires XVs and XVIIs (and a 46) and Sea Furies 10 and 11. When towed out to the Test Flight Hut at the old airfield at Gosport (HMS Siskin), they looked for the world like brand new aircraft!
Many of the aircraft were recovered ‘Barrier Prangs’ and this resulted in Seafires being composed of wings, ailerons, tail units etc whose provenance were originally from any of the wartime shadow factories and not necessarily from Vickers Supermarine. The aircraft therefore had to be tested in the same way as industrial production machines.
Typical problems with Seafires was lateral trim which sometimes on take off could be quite awkward. Short of trying alternative ailerons, some trimming with a wooden mallet and block on the up floating aileron would suffice. Other problems were vibration caused by propeller, engine, engine ‘rigid/resilient’ mountings or the aux drive.
All aircraft including Fireflys had ASI failures most due to faulty pitot/static pipe connections and other from faulty calibrations or duff instruments giving rate errors. Undercarriage raising and lowering failure occurred generally requiring micro switch adjustment, or in the case of one Sea Fury10, in which I lowered the offending chassis three consecutive times by emergency means until it was discovered that the flaps and u/c had been assembled to the airframe whilst in the jig before lowering the aircraft to the deck and fitting the engine. The subsequent flexing of the centre section rendered the original micro switch settings beyond adjustment!
I had no complete engine failures at Fleetlands, but tools and debris left in the aircraft did worry me on a few occasions. A worker in the yard, in order not to be caught stealing lead washers pushed them far into an open inspection orifice. When I flew the a/c in the required inverted position, the washers jammed the bellcrank lever in the centre section and I had some difficulty getting the machine safely back on the ground!
During the last few weeks at Fleets, I was lent to RNAS Culham, a Reserve a/c Holding Unit because the early jets were planned to go there. In fact none arrived and I was left with only a few Fireflys of various marks.
After clearing the backlog at Fleetlands I was sent in 2/50 to RNAS Anthorn where there was serious business for Rear Admiral Reserve Aircrafts staff at Arbroath in bringing a/c forward pending the run-up to the Korean affair.
Anthorn had a holding of Seafire XV, XVIIs and Sea Furies 11 and 20s, the Barracuda and some Meteor 7s. Aircraft arrived from RNARYs, RN Air Stations or new from the manufacturers and various units. They were kept in storage and brought forward for routine inspections and incorporation of modifications and test flying.
Testing included installed service equipment such as gunsights and armament IFF as appropriate, but the same procedure as taught at 700 Squadron, but because most a/c had been in service, defects were of different pattern involving incipient failures of components rather than adjustments. Defects due to servicing faults were only occasional but once I lost both all coolant and oil on take-off and climb which ended in a rather hurried arrival by me at RAF Silloth! I lost a hood in Seafire 47 at 400kts and as usual debris fell into the canopy from time to time including a ratings pay book! (The individual did not go ashore that evening!)
During the latter stages of the build-up for Korea we (now with two mtps) collected new Seafires 47 from Vickers at South Marsden. The service equipment being fitted we test flew them and ferried them to Abbotsinch from where they were moved to HMS Centaur in the Clyde.
After two years at Anthorn I got my half stripe and went to A and AEE Boscombe Down as AEO of C squadron.