For those of us fortunate to have met and known Wing Commander Ken Wallis, his death- even at the advanced age of 97- is a bitter pill to swallow. He represented the epitome of the old world "English Gentleman", both in mannerisms and in appearance (he was always immaculately attired.) Born in 1916, Wallis was always obsessed with flight even from the days of his youth. After initially being rejected by the RAF due to an eye disorder, Wallis kept taking the test until he convinced authorities he was suitable to serve. He flew combat missions over Europe in WWII and stayed in the service until 1964. However, it was Wallis' innovations in the realm of the autogyro that brought him international fame. His work on these mini-copters, which could hold only one person, brought him to the attention of 007 producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for their 1967 film You Only Live Twice. Wallis' amazing invention- dubbed "Little Nellie- found Sean Connery as Bond equipped with an incredible arsenal in the sky as his autogyro makes short work of a fleet of SPECTRE helicopters. Wallis did the flying in the elaborate battle sequence with studio closeups of Connery inserted. It may have been the special effects team that "souped up" the concept of Little Nellie, but it was Wallis' deft ability to navigate the craft that made the sequence so memorable. Indeed, Wallis became an idol of Bond fans and up until last year, he was routinely appearing at 007-themed conventions and special effects, usually in the presence of the original Little Nellie. 007 fans have lost an iconic contributor to the film series and the world has lost an irreplaceable member of "The Greatest Generation". - Lee Pfeiffer For more click here