Joseph Summers
| Joseph "Mutt" Summers | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Mutt |
| Born | 10 March 1904 |
| Died | 16 March 1954 (aged 50) |
| Buried at | Weybridge |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1924–1929 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | No. 29 Fighter Squadron |
| Battles/wars | World War II test pilot |
| Awards | CBE |
Captain Joseph "Mutt" Summers, CBE (10 March 1904 – 16 March 1954), was chief test pilot at Vickers-Armstrongs and Supermarine.
During his career Summers flew numerous prototype aircraft first flights, (a record of 54 by a test pilot), from the Supermarine Spitfire, to the Vickers Valiant. He also holds the current second place record for 366 general types tested, below Eric "Winkle" Brown's 487.
Summers also holds the highest number of flying hours of any test pilot in the world; he clocked up over 5,600 flying hours. He also flew over 300 different types of aeroplane.
Captain Joseph "Mutt" Summers received his nickname "Mutt" during his early days in the RAF from his habit of urinating before take off on the small rear wheel or skid of the aircraft he was testing. This led to his being accused of christening his aircraft like a dog marking its territory. He did this because he was aware that during some crashes a full bladder could prove fatal. Paul Brickhill (in The Dam Busters) referred to the two test pilots Joseph Summers and Jeffrey Quill, as "Mutt" and "Jeff", alluding to the characters in the pioneering American comic strip created by Harry Conway "Bud" Fisher.
Summers was granted a short-service commission in the RAF at the age of 21, and learned to fly on Avro 504s and Sopwith Snipes at No. 2 F.T.S. (Flying Training School). He passed out from RAF Digby in 1924 and was posted to No. 29 Fighter Squadron, equipped with Snipes and later with Gloster Grebes.
After six months he was transferred to the single-seater flight at Martlesham Heath, where he helped to test, among other types, the Gloster Gamecock, Bristol Bulldog, Hawker Hornbill and Avro Avenger. He flew for five years at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Martlesham Heath, including periods on loan to Blackburn Aircraft and Avro. He left his post at Martlesham in May, 1929, and the following month joined Vickers Aviation Ltd, as their chief test pilot. A year later he became chief test pilot to the Supermarine Aviation Works and in that capacity flew the first Supermarine Spitfire in 1936.
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