COMBAT AND COMPETITION.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
FRONTIERS OF WHAT?
Starting in Europe there was more than enough to do. But where to
begin? Sweden seemed a good idea. Their new Viggen project was just
at the right stage and, much to our surprise, the local Elliott
Automation subsidiary was reasonably well plugged in to the Swedish
Air Board. At Saab UK, Roly Moore, Managing Director, and Gerry
Alford, his number two, both ex RAF types, helped with the initial
contacts at Linkoping, and at Jonkoping which seemed to be more
concerned with avionic systems and missiles.
But Sweden was not easy - as was brought home sharply during our
very first presentation to the Air Board. At the opening session, giving
a rundown on Elliotts, it was unnerving to be faced with an audience
which showed no emotion. There was no feel, no feedback at all. It
went on like that all day, even the questions were deadpan, but they
were shrewd and carefully thought out. One thing at least was clear.
They were out to pick our brains.
In the late afternoon we took a select few of them out for a drink.
After a time they became animated and 'informal' - exchanging
Christian names - and at long last we realised that we had actually
made an impact.
There were high hopes for the Viggen. Elliott was a natural
supplier with it's Lightning and Buccaneer experience. Yet in the end
we had to be content with the automatic test equipment alone. Even so,
after we had delivered the prototype, they leaned heavily on the terms
of the contract, and the production order went to a Swedish company.
Disappointing, but at least a start, a first step on the long export
learning curve.
Harry Cook, a keen glider pilot, who had broken new ground with
a minature high performance compass and more recently with an
electronic variometer, was Manager of the Automatic Test Equipment
Division. Harry carried the main responsibility for our first Swedish
project. An outspoken and forceful individual, he was in some
difficulty dealing with the pedantic Swedes. When it came to contract
negotiations they ground exceedingly small. Once, in an exasperated
aside, he muttered to me:
"The trouble with these characters is that they haven't had a decent
war for ages. It's given them far too much time to think, and be
introspective, and work out how to trip us up!"
Before Harry appeared on the scene Bill Alexander and I made a
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