talk by Calum Douglas - Beatrice Shilling's Hidden Legacy in World War Two 29 February 2024 19:00 - 20:30 (Swiss time)

[DavidIsby]

https://nearyou.imeche.org/near-you/...etail?id=21895

Beatrice Shilling's Hidden Legacy in World War Two


29 February 2024 19:00 - 20:30


Beatrice Shilling the pioneering engineering genius who helped win World War Two

This achievement is attributed to her for designing a small fuel flow restrictor which helped to reduce the problems first experienced by British Spitfire and Hurricane fighters during the Battle of Britain, which hampered their performance in dives against the German fighters who had fuel injected engines.

But, despite the awards and plaudits showered upon Beatrice, they actually mask her greatest achievement, which remains almost entirely unknown, but which has remained suppressed as it sheds light on one of the very few catastrophically poor examples of failures in the management of science and engineering in Britain during the 1930`s. Beatrice had already led the design of a new carburettor years before 1940 which was totally immune to cut-outs in dives, which was totally ignored. The achievements she is known for today, would never have even been needed had her work, and that of colleagues at the Royal Aircraft Establishment been heeded.


This talk will discuss this unexplored area, and reveals the key reasons for a series of disastrous top level scientific policy choices in Britain between the First World War and the Battle of Britain.



Please note the times of this event are CET (Central European Time) as it is hosted by the Switzerland Group. If joining from the UK, the times are one hour earlier (i.e. 18:00GMT-19:30GMT).
Speaker(s)

Calum Douglas, Engineer and Author - has worked with major Automotive OEMs in high-performance Engineering roles and is now running an engine design consultancy. He researches wartime piston engine development, and shares his knowledge globally, speaking at prestigious institutions around the world.