John E Allen, RIP

[Mike Pryce]

Sad to report that John Allen, known to some authors on here, although not generally to the wider public as his work was, and still is, classified, recently passed away.

He worked on Blue Steel and on Harrier and Hawk, as well as leading the team that did much of the work on the BAe P.1216.

https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/ap20623/allen-john?_ga=2.161154751.326541448.1573384460-1034832152.1573384460

He has been described as the 'post-war Barnes Wallis'. Luckily his collection of models, including a number of Blue Steel variants, and papers have been kept by the Science Museum:

https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/search/categories/space-technology?q=John%20Allen&_ga=2.161154751.326541448.1573384460-1034832152.1573384460

He was unfailingly helpful to all who sought his help, and is another of those from the post-1945 'golden age' who will be greatly missed.

 

[gwiz]

He didn't just have great technical and communications skills, he was a thoroughly decent bloke. He was the interviewer when I got my first job, he sponsored me for RAeS membership and he helped a few years later when I wanted an internal transfer. I'll miss him.

 

[antigravite]

What a really sad news. I met him twice. Once in Brighton, for a field-propulsion related conference as he had been involved with project Greenglow. The second time was in London. Sir John E. Allen was a gentleman. As he grew older, he explained, he lost the ability to remember his most recent projects. However, he had a very good memory for any of his early years studies and projects whose details he could call up to always keep balanced criticisms. I'll remember him as the leading force behind the Harrier project.
A.