Peter Calder

Peter Henry Calder OBE FREng (25 February 1926^[1] - 31 August 2013) was a British mechanical engineer; he was head of the development of the engine programme for Concorde.

Early life

He was born in Switzerland.^[2] He attended Imperial College London.

Career

De Havilland Engines

He worked for the de Havilland Engine Company,^[3] working at their Gas Dynamics Laboratory in Hertfordshire.

Rolls-Royce

Olympus 593 engine; Concorde's engines had to operate with subsonic airflow, known as supercruise

Bristol-Siddeley had been formed on 1 February 1959, when Bristol Aero-Engines Ltd merged. On 1 April 1962, Bristol Siddeley took the assets of De Havilland Engine Company Ltd. Rolls-Royce in the 1950s or early 1960s had not, by contrast, similarly acquired smaller companies.

In the late 1970s he was Project Director for the Rolls-Royce RB.2211-22B.^[4]

Concorde

By 1965 he was assistant chief engineer of the Olympus 593 project,^[5] later becoming chief engineer.^[6] He was technical director of Rolls-Royce at Filton (Bristol Siddeley until 1968), when the engines (Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 twin-spool turbojet) for the BAC Concorde were being developed.^[7] Brian Calvert was Concorde's flight manager, with whom he worked closely.

Personal life

He was awarded the OBE in the 1976 New Year Honours.^[8] He married Mary, who died on 29 December 2015. He lived in Portishead, North Somerset. He died 31 August 2013 after a long illness aged 87.^[2]