| Activity | Education:
Earlsdon and Milverton Council Schools; Leamington College; Aircraft Apprentice, No4 Apprentices Wing, RAF, Cranwell (1923-1926); RAF Flight Cadet, RAF College, Cranwell (1926-1928) where he wrote his thesis "Future Developments in Aircraft Design"; RAF School of Aeronautical Engineering, RAF, Henlow, Higher National Diploma (1933); Peterhouse, Cambridge (first Class Honours in Mechanical Sciences Tripos, 1936)
Career:
RAF Pilot Officer, III Fighter Squadron, RAF, Hornchurch (1928); trained as a flying instructor, Central Flying School, RAF, Wittering (1929); Flying Instructor, RAF, Digby (1930); Registered patent for use of gas turbine for jet propulsion (16 January 1930); Flying officer, 'crazy flying' event, RAF, Digby (1930); Floatplace and catapult test pilot, Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment, RAF, Felixstowe (1931-1932); Turbo jet patent granted and published in many countries (1932); Officer 1/C, Engine Test Section, Henlow, promoted to Flight Lieutenant (1933); Formed Power Jets Limited with R D Williams and J C B Tinling with the support of O T Falk and Partners and B T H Company, Rugby (March 1936); RAF Special duty list, attached to Power Jets Ltd as Honorary Chief Engineer (1937-1946); Gloster Whittle E 28/39 maiden flight at Cranwell (15 May 1941); Power Jets Ltd nationalized (1944); Technical Adviser to Controller of Supplies (Air), Ministry of Supply (1946-1948); retired from RAF with the rank Air Commodore (1948); Honorary Technical Adviser, Jet Aircraft, BOAC (1948-1952); 'Mechanical Engineering Specialist' to Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij, Shell Group with reference to oil well drilling technology (1953-1957); Technical Adviser to Shell Research (1957-1959); consultant to Bristol Siddeley Engines and Rolls Royce working on turbo drill for deep sea oil and mineral exploration, "dog leg drill" (1961-1970); Research Professor, US Naval Academy, Anapolis (1977-1979)
Honours:
CBE 1944; CB 1947; KBE 1948; OM 1986
Fellowships:
Fellowship of Engineering; Hon Fellow, Royal Aeronautical Society, Honorary Fellow, Institution of Mechanical Engineers |
| Source | Sources:
Obituaries in The Independent, The Telegraph, The Times, The Financial Times, The Guardian (10 August 1996)
AssocMaterial:
NCUACS 125/11/03. Papers deposited in Churchill College, Cambridge
Obituaries:
Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 1998 vol 44 pp 433-452, plate, by G B R Feilden and Sir William Hawthorne
References:
Sir William Hawthorne, 'The Early History of the Aircraft Gas Turbine in Britain' in NR 1991 vol 45 pp 79-108, plate |