On May 30, 1949, in the heart of Britain, Armstrong Whitworth's deputy chief test pilot, John Oliver Lancaster, better known as "Jo,” took the reins of the first Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52 prototype, TS 363.

The weather that day was near perfect, with imposing cumulus clouds providing intermittent shelter. Strapped into an ejection seat, a new and untested innovation, Lancaster contemplated the risks ahead. Many doubted the efficacy of these seats in emergencies, but he forged ahead.

Lancaster meticulously executed his series of tests, primarily in the speed range of 270350 miles per hour at an altitude of 10,000 feet. As he initiated a shallow dive and approached 5,000 feet, turbulence unexpectedly engulfed the aircraft. Violent pitching and escalating oscillations rocked the cockpit, pushing Lancaster to the brink. With seconds that felt like an eternity, he made a critical decision—to activate the ejection seat and abandon the aircraft.

No one had ever done so successfully in Britain…


Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, topsecret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.