Arnold Alexander Hall
Encyclopedia
Sir Arnold Alexander Hall FRS (23 April 1915 – 9 January 2000) was a British
aeronautical
engineer
, scientist
, and industrialist.
, and attended Alsop High School
in Walton
, before going to Clare College, Cambridge
, where he won several prizes As a postgraduate he worked with Frank Whittle
, then joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment
(RAE). In 1945 he became head of the department of aeronautics at Imperial College London
. In 1951 returned to the Royal Aircraft Establishment as director, but in 1955 he left to become technical director of Hawker Siddeley, where he remained until its conversion to British Aerospace
in 1977.
He was married twice, having three daughters with his first wife and stepsons and stepdaughters from both marriages.
A brother, Cecil Hall, was one of Eli Franklin Burton
's graduate students who build the first practical electron microscope
at the University of Toronto in 1938.
A sister, Marjorie Hall Harrison
was an astrophysicist who, with Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
, George Gamow
and G. Keller, published detailed models describing the processes that fuel stars.
he worked on the modifications needed to enable Supermarine Spitfires to be used in the photo-reconnaissance
role.
During World War II
he designed gyroscopic gun-sights
for D-day fighter aircraft, and the compressor for Frank Whittle
's first jet engine. He was noted for chairing the committee investigating the various crashes involving the de Havilland Comet 1
, which identified the design flaws responsible. He expanded the Hawker Siddeley group and chaired a Franco-British Concorde
design group.
from 1980 to 89.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
aeronautical
Aeronautics
Aeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft and rocketry within the atmosphere...
engineer
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
, and industrialist.
Life
Hall was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, and attended Alsop High School
Alsop High School
Alsop High School is a community secondary school in Walton, Liverpool, L4 6SH, England. It holds specialist certification in both Technology and Applied Learning .It also has a Lifestyles gym close by where the school can use it's resources....
in Walton
Walton, Merseyside
Walton, originally known as Walton-on-the-Hill, in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, is an area situated to the north of Anfield and the east of Bootle and Orrell Park. It is largely residential, with a diverse population.-History:...
, before going to Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
, where he won several prizes As a postgraduate he worked with Frank Whittle
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
, then joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment
Royal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough...
(RAE). In 1945 he became head of the department of aeronautics at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
. In 1951 returned to the Royal Aircraft Establishment as director, but in 1955 he left to become technical director of Hawker Siddeley, where he remained until its conversion to British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
in 1977.
He was married twice, having three daughters with his first wife and stepsons and stepdaughters from both marriages.
A brother, Cecil Hall, was one of Eli Franklin Burton
Eli Franklin Burton
Eli Franklin Burton, was a Canadian physicist.Burton was born in Green River, township of Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1901. From 1904 to 1906 he studied colloids with J. J. Thomson at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, writing...
's graduate students who build the first practical electron microscope
Electron microscope
An electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses a beam of electrons to illuminate the specimen and produce a magnified image. Electron microscopes have a greater resolving power than a light-powered optical microscope, because electrons have wavelengths about 100,000 times shorter than...
at the University of Toronto in 1938.
A sister, Marjorie Hall Harrison
Marjorie Hall Harrison
Marjorie Hall Harrison was born in Nottingham, England. In 1947, she authored one of the first scientific books, a dissertation while at the Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago, with the word "model" in the title...
was an astrophysicist who, with Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, FRS ) was an Indian origin American astrophysicist who, with William A. Fowler, won the 1983 Nobel Prize for Physics for key discoveries that led to the currently accepted theory on the later evolutionary stages of massive stars...
, George Gamow
George Gamow
George Gamow , born Georgiy Antonovich Gamov , was a Russian-born theoretical physicist and cosmologist. He discovered alpha decay via quantum tunneling and worked on radioactive decay of the atomic nucleus, star formation, stellar nucleosynthesis, Big Bang nucleosynthesis, cosmic microwave...
and G. Keller, published detailed models describing the processes that fuel stars.
Aeronautical Engineering
In 1939 while Chief Superintendent of the RAE, in association with Sidney CottonSidney Cotton
Frederick Sidney Cotton OBE was an Australian inventor, photographer and aviation and photography pioneer, responsible for developing and promoting an early colour film process, and largely responsible for the development of photographic reconnaissance before and during the Second World War...
he worked on the modifications needed to enable Supermarine Spitfires to be used in the photo-reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance that is conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles or reconnaissance aircraft. Their roles are to collect imagery intelligence, signals intelligence and measurement and signature intelligence...
role.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he designed gyroscopic gun-sights
Gyro gunsight
A gyro gunsight is a modification of the non-magnifying reflector sight in which target lead and bullet drop are allowed for automatically, the sight incorporating a gyroscopic mechanism that computes the necessary deflections required to ensure a hit on the target...
for D-day fighter aircraft, and the compressor for Frank Whittle
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
's first jet engine. He was noted for chairing the committee investigating the various crashes involving the de Havilland Comet 1
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
, which identified the design flaws responsible. He expanded the Hawker Siddeley group and chaired a Franco-British Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
design group.
Honours
In 1953, Hall was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, and in 1954 he was knighted. He was pro-chancellor of Warwick University from 1965 to 1970, and chancellor of Loughborough University of TechnologyLoughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
from 1980 to 89.