Aerospace

1882

Frederick Lanchester, the pioneer of automotive engineering, studied at the Hartley Institute (now the University of Southampton). Lanchester was famous for many things, including designing and building one of the first petrol driven four-wheeled cars in 1895, developing the first full theory of lift and drag, his aircraft stability research, and for inventing the disc brake.

Image courtesy of Hartley Library, University of Southampton;

1. MS 107/3: Lanchester with one of his model gliders used for investigating stability of flight

1950

Elfyn Richards OBE became Chair of Aeronautical Engineering, previously the Chief Aerodynamicist and a designer of the Vickers Viscount turboprop aircraft. Richards introduced and led the University’s research on the environmental and industrial effects of noise and vibration.

1952

The University of Southampton was granted its Royal Charter.

1963-1964

Our researchers worked with the US Air Force and UK Ministry of Aviation, to contribute to our understanding of the effect of noise and vibration on structures.

1964

Professor Geoffrey Lilley OBE, known as the Father of Aeroacoustics, was appointed Professor of Aeronautics. As leader of the Concorde technical team, he was involved in the design of the aircraft, and his expertise enabled it to fly to New York. Lilley persuaded politicians that the new supersonic aircraft could meet strict US noise restrictions.

1969

The Ministry of Technology awarded the University a contract for research into startle in humans caused by sonic bangs. Work commenced to coincide with test flights of Concorde.

1981

The RJ Mitchell Wind Tunnel was presented to the University of Southampton by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), Farnborough.

1984

The universal fluid flow mapping technique, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), was first named by PhD student, Chris Pickering, and ISVR lecturer, Neil Halliwell.

1988

Researchers at the ISVR conducted the first flight trials of an active noise control system in a propeller aircraft, in collaboration with British Aerospace. It was the dawn of the age of audible inflight entertainment.