Clive Gallop
| Reginald Clive Gallop | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
Gallop at the 1922 French Grand Prix
|
|
| Born |
4 February 1892 Cairo, Egypt |
| Died | 7 September 1960 (aged 68) Leatherhead, Surrey, England |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | No. 56 Squadron |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Other work | Race driver and Engineer |
Colonel Reginald Clive Gallop (4 February 1892 - 7 September 1960) was an engineer, racing driver and World War I pilot. He was one of the team which developed their first engine for Bentley Motors.
Clive Gallop joined the Royal Flying Corps, flying aeroplanes over the Western Front. He commanded a number of flights, including No. 56 Squadron.
London racing driver, motor vehicle dealer and engineer W. O. Bentley had suggested aluminium pistons to his car supplier Doriot, Flandrin & Parant and had them installed in those cars he imported. Following commissioning on the outbreak of war as an engineer by the Royal Naval Air Service Bentley was sent to Gwynnes pumps workshops in Chiswick which were making French Clerget engines under licence. Part of Bentley's duties was to liaise between the squadrons in the field in France and the factory's engineering staff which is how he came to meet Gallop. Clerget were very unwilling to act on Bentley's more important suggestions so the Royal Navy sent Bentley to Humber Limited in Coventry.
At Humber Bentley was given a team to design his own aero-engine. The resulting engine, fundamentally different from the Clerget though—for ease of production—alike in the design of the cam mechanism, was running in prototype by early summer 1916. This was the BR1, Bentley Rotary 1, with the bigger BR2 followed in early 1918. Gallop helped Bentley bring both into service with the Royal Flying Corps.
At the end of hostilities and leaving his commission with the Royal Flying Squadron, Gallop joined the Royal Aero Club.
In 1919 a group was formed in Cricklewood by W O Bentley, a motor vehicles engine designer, pioneer of aluminium pistons who had turned in wartime to aero engines, to build his own cars. With a group including Frederick Tasker Burgess formerly of Humber and Harry Varley formerly of Vauxhall he set about designing a high quality sporting tourer copying a Humber chassis brought there for the purpose.
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Wikipedia