Sir Barnes Wallis

whilst searching came across this which I thought looked interesting

Sir Barnes Wallis - Home

 

Thanks for that link Clive. Some very interesting info on Tall Boy and Grand Slam which I already knew were B-W designs and a whole lot on super and hypersonic designs that I didn't know a thing about.
What an inventor.

Mike

 

Done a URL check and the site is owned by the bloke who is also advertising his book on the same site.
I'm not so sure about some of the content of the supersonics page though. In Morpurgo's book about Barnes Wallis he is at pains to point out that variable geometry was an answer to a total control of aircraft pitch and roll and not just about being able to fly at lower speeds for take off and landing and also that the American aproach to variable geometry failed partly because they only saw it as a method of attaining high and low speeds.

Wish I had my books out of store so I could check some other facts too.

 

Done a URL check and the site is owned by the bloke who is also advertising his book on the same site.
I'm not so sure about some of the content of the supersonics page though. In Morpurgo's book about Barnes Wallis he is at pains to point out that variable geometry was an answer to a total control of aircraft pitch and roll and not just about being able to fly at lower speeds for take off and landing and also that the American aproach to variable geometry failed partly because they only saw it as a method of attaining high and low speeds.

Wish I had my books out of store so I could check some other facts too.

I can confirm that Barnes Wallis did work on a Variable Geometry, as when I was an apprentice with BAC in the 1960's, (Now Bae) at Preston, I saw a special Publicity publication which featured his futuristic design.

It looked like a Triangular dart when the wings were folded back for high speed if I recall correctly.

Years ahead of the Tornado technology that I later worked on.

Pity I did not get to keep hold of the publication

Regards
Tom

An extremely talented designer

 

I took these 2007 at Brooklands, Surrey. Just found them while searching for something else.
This was Sir Barnes Wallis's office. ( Top corner )

 

Wallis papers:


http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0014%2FWLIS

 

There is (was?) a Barnes Wallis room at Elvington air museum near York, which had various items lent by his family, including the catapult he fired marbles from when designing the bouncing bomb, no photographs allowed though, so can't post any pics.


P.S. and a bouncing bomb.

 

With thanks to the above post by RemeDesertRat, I'm sure that the plaque shown was at Elvington. I have been there twice 1992 and 1998. Though not too sure which visit I took that photograph on.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnes_Wallis

I took these at Effingham church 03-10-2013.

 

This is just around the corner from the church.

 

Thanks.

The headstone is made of Honister Green Slate from the English Lake District, Cumbria. The slate mine is located between Cockermouth and Keswick.

 

I took these Friday 01-11-13. This is along Moor Lane, Harmondsworth.

 

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/inventor-bouncing-bomb-commemorated-harmondsworth-6153065

 

Barnes Wallis Drive,Brooklands,Surrey

 

Some serious input from Barnes Wallis here:

BBC Archive on Twitter

(Can't embed--click to view video)