S. Venkatasubba Setty: The Forgotten Aviator

When you hear the word 'Aviator', you imagine a dashing pilot with black sunglasses, a slick haircut and overalls. But this is the story of the turban-wearing and dhoti-clad desi Aviator. This is the tale of an inventor and genius who shaped a generation of minds that continue to make India proud. But the truth is you may not have heard about him. This is the forgotten legend of Sriram Venkata Subba Setty.

S. V. Setty was India's first aircraft engineer. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

There are numerous aspects of Indian history that many Indians are unaware of; in most cases, these truths have been omitted to uphold the superiority of the British and portray India as a backward nation. However, this is frequently due to the underrepresentation of Indian achievements in the media. Sri Ram Venkata Subba Setty is one of the many Indians whose outstanding accomplishments have been forgotten and who are now lost to history. This is the story of India's first aviator who took the nation to the skies.

The aeronautical wizard was born on December 28, 1879, in Mysore to a lowly family. He developed an interest in applied sciences from a young age. He attended Engineering College in Guindy after earning his B.A. at Maharaja's College, and then Thompson College in Roorkee. His skill earned him a highly sought-after position as an assistant engineer in the Mysore Public Works Department, where he worked until 1909 and acquired practical mechanical engineering experience. But a stable job didn't quench his thirst for knowledge, so he applied for a scholarship from the Mysore government. He won the scholarship and went to Faraday House, London to study diploma in electrical engineering. Apart from theoretical knowledge he also worked as a mechanical engineer at M/s Willams & Robinson in Rugby, for nine months at M/s Electrical Construction business in Wolverhampton, and for six months at M/s Charing cross west end & city power supply company in London for one year.

He became interested in aircraft, a technical marvel, out of curiosity and a desire to take on more difficult challenges in the globe. He wanted to join AVRO since it was the only publicly known manufacturer of aeroplanes. He made his intentions known to the business when he approached it. They couldn't possibly reject his intentions after balancing his technical prowess and contemplating his intentions. He accepted their offer of employment and joined the group on August 5, 1911. Even though he was facing financial difficulties, he enrolled in aviation school to experience piloting an aircraft.

John Robertson Duigan an Australian aviator bought an aircraft from AVRO but was dissatisfied with the performance and promptly returned it. Setty decided to analyze the aircraft and found the design flaws and made improvements. His design was successfully tested on 12 March 1912. Impressed by the performance Duigan started a partnership with AVRO and started the production of AVRO Duigan aircraft.

A vintage AVRO 500. Image source: Vision UVCE

Setty design became a framework for the subsequent AVRO 500 series aircraft. He then ventured to make a remarkable biplane and gave birth to the iconic AVRO 504 which was used in the First World War. The AVRO 504 and its variants were produced for over 20 years making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I. S.V. Setty's work at AVRO was well recognized, and he was awarded the AVRO Company's Gold Medal for his excellent achievement, with the inscription "GENERAL PROFICIENCY IN AERONAUTICS."

After returning to India, Setty did not get a job to explore his interests immediately. There were two technical institutions started by Sir M Visvesvaraya, the Dewan of Mysore State, to provide quality and practical technical training to the state's enthusiasts. His keen eye caught a glance of Setty and the Bangalore institute was handed over to Sir MV and S.V. Setty, who took over as Superintendent of the school in May 1913. This was linked to the School of Mechanical Engineering and grew to become one of the greatest technical institutes in the country.

Mr. S V Setty energized the institution with equipment encompassing courses such as mechanical, electrical, and automobile. This opened the ground for the establishment of Karnataka's first engineering college, University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering in Bangalore in 1917. He also held additional responsibility as a professor at the college. On 12 October 1918, S.V. Setty bid farewell to the world due to the influenza epidemic of 1918. In his short life, Setty achieved worldly achievements but sadly the greatness he deserved to find important pages in history was lost in the aftermath of the First World War, and then in 1959 when the records at AVRO were destroyed by fire.