Discoveries: Thurston’s diagrams of tests on a DH4 plane, 1917.

Tests on a DH4 plane; a British two-seat biplane day-bomber of the First World War.

Thurston can be celebrated as a pioneer who not only taught at the college, but was educated there too, gaining a first class degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in 1906. He describes:

‘I made many inventions , some of which were widely used, but I took no steps to protect them during the War…’

During the war he was in charge of the safety of design of British Military Aircraft, as appointed by General McInnes R.E of the Military Aeronautics Directorate, in December 1915.

These years were spent testing aircrafts and rectifying any problems,' I got sanction to test to destruction every machine which was to go into production.’

Within his papers are also diagrams of tests on the SE5, which he completed after the first two prototypes  were lost in crashes. His modifications enabled ‘many of these fine machines’ to be made ‘and flown without further trouble’.