Francis Rodwell Banks
Encyclopedia
Air Commodore
Francis Rodwell "Rod" Banks, RAF
(ret'd), CB
., OBE
., Commander of Legion of Honour
(France), Commander of the Legion of Merit
(USA), Military Order of St. Stanislaus (Imperial Russia), Hon. CGIA., Hon. FRAeS
, Hon. FAIAA., FlMechE., Flnst Pet
., FRSA, CEng., MSAE, (22 March 1898 – 1985) was a British engineer
who was involved in the development of the Internal combustion engine
, as well as special fuels
for the engine, and was one of the people responsible for the development of higher octane
fuels.
, Cambridge.
Banks entered the Royal Navy
at the age of sixteen in 1914. After promotion, he commanded several Coastal Motor Boat
s, his navy service ending in 1919 while on service in the Caspian Sea
during the Russian Revolution.
s, later leading to being involved as a consultant on the problems of various car
, airship
, and aircraft
piston engines. Before long, having recognised the inadequacy of existing fuels, Banks was working on the development of improved fuels, concentrating on increasing the octane rating
which allowed the use of higher compression ratio
s. His work was such that he was invited to develop the fuels used in the UK's Schneider Trophy
entrants, his fuel blends contributing to the success of the British entries in 1929 and 1931. At this time, he was also involved in developing the fuels used by Henry Segrave
and John Cobb
in their land
and water speed record
attempts. Banks later joined the Ethyl Corporation
in the USA, working on the fuel additive tetra-ethyl lead
.
as a junior officer, being sent to work at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
(A&AEE) at Boscombe Down, and with his previous work attracting the attention of Lord Beaverbrook
, Banks was accredited as a 'troubleshooter' and given special powers. After a while, Banks was promoted to Air Commodore
and was made successively, 'Director General of Engine Production', and 'Director of Engine Research and Development'.
, Director of the Bristol Aeroplane Company
, and after the merging of Bristol Aero Engines with Armstrong Siddeley
, their overall 'Director of Sales'. With the later mergers within the British aircraft industry, Banks became involved with the Hawker Siddeley company, becoming 'Assistant Managing Director' and 'Chief Executive (Civil Aircraft)' at Hatfield
, the former home of the de Havilland
Company.
firms, with which he was still active at the age of 80.
He died in 1985, at the age of 87.
article by F. R. Banks
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Francis Rodwell "Rod" Banks, RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(ret'd), CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
., OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
., Commander of Legion of Honour
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(France), Commander of the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
(USA), Military Order of St. Stanislaus (Imperial Russia), Hon. CGIA., Hon. FRAeS
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
, Hon. FAIAA., FlMechE., Flnst Pet
Institute of Petroleum
The Institute of Petroleum was a UK-based professional organisation that merged with the Institute of Energy in 2003 to form the Energy Institute....
., FRSA, CEng., MSAE, (22 March 1898 – 1985) was a British engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
who was involved in the development of the Internal combustion engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
, as well as special fuels
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
for the engine, and was one of the people responsible for the development of higher octane
Octane
Octane is a hydrocarbon and an alkane with the chemical formula C8H18, and the condensed structural formula CH36CH3. Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the amount and location of branching in the carbon chain...
fuels.
Early life
Francis Rodwell Banks was born on 22 March 1898, son of Bernard Rodwell and Frances Emily Banks. He married Christine Constance Grant Langlands in 1925, the couple having two daughters. He was educated at Christ's CollegeChrist's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, Cambridge.
Banks entered the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
at the age of sixteen in 1914. After promotion, he commanded several Coastal Motor Boat
Coastal Motor Boat
During the First World War, following a suggestion from three junior officers of the Harwich destroyer force that small motor boats carrying a torpedo might be capable of travelling over the protective minefields and attacking ships of the German Navy at anchor in their bases, the Admiralty gave...
s, his navy service ending in 1919 while on service in the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
during the Russian Revolution.
Interwar years
Between the First World War and the subsequent conflict, he was involved in the development of marine Diesel engineDiesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s, later leading to being involved as a consultant on the problems of various car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
, airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
, and aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
piston engines. Before long, having recognised the inadequacy of existing fuels, Banks was working on the development of improved fuels, concentrating on increasing the octane rating
Octane rating
Octane rating or octane number is a standard measure of the anti-knock properties of a motor or aviation fuel. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating...
which allowed the use of higher compression ratio
Compression ratio
The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...
s. His work was such that he was invited to develop the fuels used in the UK's Schneider Trophy
Schneider Trophy
The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider was a prize competition for seaplanes. Announced by Jacques Schneider, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931...
entrants, his fuel blends contributing to the success of the British entries in 1929 and 1931. At this time, he was also involved in developing the fuels used by Henry Segrave
Henry Segrave
-External links:* * * * *...
and John Cobb
John Cobb
John Cobb may refer to:People* John Cobb , Australian politician* John Cobb , English cabinetmaker* John Cobb , Canadian politician)...
in their land
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
and water speed record
Water speed record
The World Unlimited water speed record is the officially recognised fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle. The current record of 511 km/h was achieved in 1978....
attempts. Banks later joined the Ethyl Corporation
Ethyl Corporation
Ethyl Corporation is a fuel additive company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. The company is a manufacturer, blender and distributor of fuel additives...
in the USA, working on the fuel additive tetra-ethyl lead
Tetra-ethyl lead
Tetraethyllead , abbreviated TEL, is an organolead compound with the formula 4Pb. An inexpensive additive, its addition to gasoline from the 1920's allowed octane ratings and thus engine compression to be boosted significantly, increasing power and fuel economy...
.
World War II
With the coming of war, Banks entered the Royal Air Force Volunteer ReserveRoyal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
as a junior officer, being sent to work at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992.-History:...
(A&AEE) at Boscombe Down, and with his previous work attracting the attention of Lord Beaverbrook
Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook
William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, Bt, PC, was a Canadian-British business tycoon, politician, and writer.-Early career in Canada:...
, Banks was accredited as a 'troubleshooter' and given special powers. After a while, Banks was promoted to Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
and was made successively, 'Director General of Engine Production', and 'Director of Engine Research and Development'.
Post war
In 1946 Banks rejoined the Ethyl Corporation, also taking a number of directorships: 'Principal Director of Engine Research and Development' at the Ministry of SupplyMinistry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply was a department of the UK Government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. There was, however, a separate ministry responsible for aircraft production and the Admiralty retained...
, Director of the Bristol Aeroplane Company
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
, and after the merging of Bristol Aero Engines with Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury motor cars and aircraft engines.-Siddeley Autocars:...
, their overall 'Director of Sales'. With the later mergers within the British aircraft industry, Banks became involved with the Hawker Siddeley company, becoming 'Assistant Managing Director' and 'Chief Executive (Civil Aircraft)' at Hatfield
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Hatfield is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield. It has a population of 29,616, and is of Saxon origin. Hatfield House, the home of the Marquess of Salisbury, is the nucleus of the old town...
, the former home of the de Havilland
De Havilland
The de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...
Company.
Retirement
On reaching the age of 70 Banks retired, taking posts as consultants with a number of American aviationAviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
firms, with which he was still active at the age of 80.
He died in 1985, at the age of 87.
External link
Fuels and Engines - a 1939 FlightFlight International
Flight International is a global aerospace weekly publication produced in the UK. Founded in 1909, it is the world's oldest continuously published aviation news magazine...
article by F. R. Banks