Geoffrey T. R. Hill
Encyclopedia
Professor Geoffrey Terence Roland Hill MC
, M.Sc, M.I.Mech.E., FRAeS
(1895–1955), was a British aeronautical engineer.
He was a pilot with No. 29 Squadron
RFC and later a test pilot during the First World War as was his brother. Both working with Handley Page.
He made several designs of tailess aircraft which were built by Westland Aircraft
: the Westland-Hill Pterodactyl
s from the 1920s onwards.
In 1939 he headed a project in Pawlett, near Bridgwater, Somerset, investigating methods for cutting the cables on enemy barrage balloon
s; recovery from stalling after contact with such cables was an important part of his work there.
He was British Scientific Liaison Officer at the National Research Council (NRC) in Canada in the mid-1940s. There, he made the proposal for a glider for the study of the control and stability of tailless aircraft. The glider design was built and flew from 1946 until the project was ended around 1950.
Hill worked with David Keith-Lucas
of Short Brothers
on the design of the experimental Short SB.4 Sherpa, a research aircraft aimed primarily at assisting in the development of wings for faster, very high-altitude aircraft. It was the first aircraft to employ the "aero-isoclinic" wing first proposed by Hill in 1951.
Flying Wings at century of Flight
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, M.Sc, M.I.Mech.E., 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:...
(1895–1955), was a British aeronautical engineer.
He was a pilot with No. 29 Squadron
No. 29 Squadron RAF
No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit for the RAF's newest fighter.-Service in World War I:This unit was...
RFC and later a test pilot during the First World War as was his brother. Both working with Handley Page.
He made several designs of tailess aircraft which were built by Westland Aircraft
Westland Aircraft
Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil in Somerset. Formed as a separate company by separation from Petters Ltd just before the start of the Second World War, Westland had been building aircraft since 1915...
: the Westland-Hill Pterodactyl
Westland-Hill Pterodactyl
The Westland-Hill Pterodactyl series of experimental tailess or flying wing aircraft designs were developed starting in the 1920s. They are named after the genus Pterodactylus, a well-known type of Pterosaur commonly known as the pterodactyl....
s from the 1920s onwards.
In 1939 he headed a project in Pawlett, near Bridgwater, Somerset, investigating methods for cutting the cables on enemy barrage balloon
Barrage balloon
A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against low-level aircraft attack by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables, or at least making the attacker's approach more difficult. Some versions carried small explosive charges that would be pulled up...
s; recovery from stalling after contact with such cables was an important part of his work there.
He was British Scientific Liaison Officer at the National Research Council (NRC) in Canada in the mid-1940s. There, he made the proposal for a glider for the study of the control and stability of tailless aircraft. The glider design was built and flew from 1946 until the project was ended around 1950.
Hill worked with David Keith-Lucas
David Keith-Lucas
David Keith-Lucas CBE was an aeronautical engineer.-Early life:David Keith-Lucas was one of the sons of Keith Lucas, who invented the first aeronautical compass. He was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, and at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he read engineering.-Career:He was an...
of Short Brothers
Short Brothers
Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...
on the design of the experimental Short SB.4 Sherpa, a research aircraft aimed primarily at assisting in the development of wings for faster, very high-altitude aircraft. It was the first aircraft to employ the "aero-isoclinic" wing first proposed by Hill in 1951.
External references
Flying Wings at century of Flight