Richard Connor was born in Stockport and educated at Stockport College and Manchester College of Technology. He became a chartered engineer and a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Engineering Society.

After an apprenticeship with Merrlees, Bickerton & Day (Diesels) in Stockport, he joined A. V. Roe & Co. Ltd in 1940 where he worked until his retirement in 1978.

He became a project engineer on the Tudor airliner and on development of the Vulcan, leading to his final appointment as project designer with his main work being on the Avro 707 research aircraft & the Avro 748 airliner.