Rex Pierson
Reginald Kirshaw ‘Rex’ Pierson was born in Norfolk, England, on 9 February 1891. After completing school in Essex, young Rex wanted to become an engineer. At the age of 17, he became an apprentice at the Erith Works of Vickers, Ltd. Meanwhile, he also took evening classes and earned a degree in engineering.
Rex Pierson was then employed by Vickers’ newly founded aviation division, where he soon proved his worth. In 1913 he learned to fly and received an aviator’s certificate from the Royal Aero Club. During the following year, he became Vickers’ aircraft division’s chief technician and helped design the Vickers FB5 Gunbus fighter.
By 1917, at the age of 26, he had become the company’s chief designer. That same year, he designed the Vicker’s Vimy heavy bomber, which became world famous for its record-breaking long-distance flights. It only took Pierson six months to take the Vimy from concept to maiden flight.
Whilst working for Vickers, Pierson designed dozens of notable aircraft, such as the Vespa and Vildebeest of the interwar years. During the 1930s, Pierson worked with the famous engineer and ‘Bouncing Bomb’ inventor Sir Barnes Wallis to design aircraft such as the Wellesley and Wellington bombers. The latter played a vital role during World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945. In total, more than 11, 000 Wellington bombers were built.
After the war, Pierson was responsible for the design and development of commercial aircraft, such as the Viking and Viscount, which first flew in 1945 and 1948 respectively.
Rex Pierson was known to be professional, friendly, patient and extremely loyal. The fact that he worked for Vickers for about four decades clearly illustrated the value he placed on loyalty.
Those who knew Pierson personally have described him as being unselfish and able to take criticism. In fact, he was known to invite competing aircraft designers from other companies to see and discuss his work, as he felt he could learn more than he would lose in doing so.
Sadly, Pierson died on 10 January 1948 at the age of 56, after a long illness.