Frederick Howard Buller
Frederick Howard Buller | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 May 1914 |
| Died | June 7, 1994 (aged 80) |
| Occupation | Aeronautical engineer |
Frederick Howard Buller, an aeronautical engineer, was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on May 25, 1914.
Early career
Buller began with an interest in sailboat design. He attended University of British Columbia from 1932 to 1935. Thereafter, he spent several years studying naval architecture in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1937, he switched his focus to aeronautical engineering, moving to Oakland, California to enroll in the Boeing School of Aeronautics. In 1939, he moved to Edmonton, Alberta and began working in the field with Aircraft Repair (later Northwest Industries). In 1943, he relocated to London, Ontario, assisting in the war efforts at Central Aircraft, a subsidiary of de Havilland. In September of 1944, he settled in Downsview at de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd (DHC), where he would remain for 35 years.
Later career
At de Havilland, Buller, who became its Chief Designer, worked on the designs of a number of notable aircraft, including the Chipmunk and the de Havilland STOL Beaver. The Chipmunk was extensively used in training RAF and RCAF pilots. The Beaver, registered by then de Havilland president P.C. Garratt as ‘CF-FHB’ in honor of its designer, is on display in the Canadian National Aviation Museum in Ottawa. Buller was also involved in or oversaw the design of the DHC-3 Otter (1951), DHC-4 Caribou (1958), DHC-5 Buffalo (1964), DHC-6 Twin Otter (1965), and DHC-7 Dash 7 (1975). He was a consultant on the HMCS Bras D’or, a hydrofoil commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy.
In 1955, Buller became one of the founding members, and a Fellow, of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute. Frederick Buller died on June 7, 1994 at White Rock, British Columbia.
Honors
In 1971, the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute award Buller its McCurdy Award for his major contributions to the de Havilland family of STOL aircraft. The Engineering Centennial Board named the DHC-2 Beaver as among the ten best engineering accomplishments in Canada in 1987. In 1997 he was inducted into the de Havilland Hall of Fame, and in 1999 he was inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.
References
- Oswald, Mary, They Led the Way, Wetaskiwin: Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, 1999. ISBN 0-9684843-0-1