Stanley Hooker was an extremely based engineer: he built a lot of cool engines for planes and was considered to be Britain's top engineer.
This short documentary about him hides this gem:
The times have changed From Hooker’s early days when it was the engineer whose world ruled. When he retired in 1978, accountants were in command.
“We used to start an engine by saying:
- Is it any damn good?
- What’s the engine got to do? That much.
- How long does it take us to draw that? That much.
- How long it takes to make the first experimental engine?
- How much testing have we got to do?
- When can they put it into production?
- How much would it cost?
Now it is the other way around:
- How much is the damn thing going to cost?
- When can we put it in production?
- How much developed do we got to have?
- How long will it take us to design it?
- Is it any damn good?
It is all going around the other way.
