Captain Ronald Thomas Shepherd OBE (1896–1955) of Highfield Road, Nuthall, was a British aviator and test pilot for Rolls-Royce. He was the first person to fly an aircraft powered by the Thrust Measuring Rig, nicknamed the Flying Bedstead, at Hucknall Aerodrome.

Ronald was born in Kensington, London in 1896 and was the son of Thomas and Agnes Shepherd. Thomas was a lithographic printer.

After the outbreak of the war, Shepherd joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1916 where he flew with 102 Squadron and 37 Squadron. He left in 1918 but re-joined in 1921 where he served in both England and Egypt until 1929.

After leaving for the second time, he became a civilian flying instructor before joining Rolls Royce as chief test pilot in 1931. He was responsible for the first flight of many of the companies engines, including the Merlin, Kestrel and Griffon piston engines and the Nene and Avon jet engines. He was the first person to fly an aircraft powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin aero-engine. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1946 for his work as a test pilot, particularly during the development of the Merlin.

He relinquished his role in 1951 after a serious illness, becoming a flying consultant. Aged 58, and despite no longer flying full-time, Shepherd made the first free flight of the unusual Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig on 3 July 1953. This rig was nicknamed the Flying Bedstead and had a Public House named after it on Watnall Road for many years. The Thrust Measuring Rig was a pioneering vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

He died 1 March 1955 and is buried in the New Farm Lane cemetery Nuthall, in the only grave which faces north – towards Hucknall airfield.