Ron Ayers
Encyclopedia
Ron Ayers is an engineer
who was responsible for the aerodynamics of the land speed record
-holding vehicle, ThrustSSC
.
Born in London
, England
in 1932, Ayers obtained a BSc
in aeronautical engineering from the University of London
and an MSc
in aerodynamics from Cranfield University
before starting his working career as an apprentice at Handley Page Ltd
, eventually working his way up to helping design prototypes of the Handley Page Victor
bomber aircraft. After that he was employed by the British Aircraft Corporation
in their Guided Weapons Division, initially as Chief Aerodynamicist and then later Head of Operational Research and Deputy Head of Management Services. Much of his time at BAC was devoted to the development of the Bloodhound surface-to-air missile
.
Happily In retirement, Ayers had been putting his lifetime of aerodynamic design experience to good effect researching a theory about why most major LSR (Land Speed Record) car
s over the years have always underperformed relative to their original design specifications. Time spent as a part-time guide at Brooklands Museum
close to his home in Claygate
, Surrey
, had given Ayers access to a wealth of research papers from early record-breaking attempts, and it was this that sparked his interest in record-breaking, and led to him being in Ken Norris's office on that day.
His involvement in the land speed record-breaking attempt came about entirely accidentally, through a chance meeting with Richard Noble
in the offices of Ken Norris, the designer behind Donald Campbell
's record-breaking Bluebird CN7. Through a combination of rocket sled testing at Pendine Sands
and extensive computational fluid dynamics
testing Ayers was able to develop and refine a shape which would eventually go on to break the sound barrier
.
Ayers was responsible for the design of the JCB Dieselmax
which smashed the World Speed Record for diesel cars on 23 August 2006, clocking 350 mph. He is heavily involved in the design of the current land speed record attempt vehicle, the Bloodhound SSC
.
Ayers is a Chartered Engineer
and a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society
. He has one adult son named Roger. When not working on land speed record vehicles, Ayers enjoys making stained glass windows and playing bridge and golf
.
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...
who was responsible for the aerodynamics of the land speed record
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...
-holding vehicle, ThrustSSC
ThrustSSC
ThrustSSC, also spelt Thrust SSC by secondary sources, is a British jet-propelled car developed by Richard Noble, Glynne Bowsher, Ron Ayers and Jeremy Bliss....
.
Born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1932, Ayers obtained a BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
in aeronautical engineering from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and an MSc
MSC
- Computers:* Mario Strikers Charged* Microsoft Common Console Document, file for the Microsoft Management Console* Microelectronics Support Centre* Microsoft Corporation* MIDI Show Control* Message Sequence Chart...
in aerodynamics from Cranfield University
Cranfield University
Cranfield University is a British postgraduate university based on two campuses, with a research-oriented focus. The main campus is at Cranfield, Bedfordshire and the second is the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom based at Shrivenham, Oxfordshire. The main campus is unique in the United...
before starting his working career as an apprentice at Handley Page Ltd
Handley Page Aircraft Company
Handley Page Limited was founded by Frederick Handley Page in 1909 as the United Kingdom's first publicly traded aircraft manufacturing company. It went into voluntary liquidation and ceased to exist in 1970...
, eventually working his way up to helping design prototypes of the Handley Page Victor
Handley Page Victor
The Handley Page Victor was a British jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company during the Cold War. It was the third and final of the V-bombers that provided Britain's nuclear deterrent. The other two V-bombers were the Avro Vulcan and the Vickers Valiant. Some aircraft...
bomber aircraft. After that he was employed by the British Aircraft Corporation
British Aircraft Corporation
The British Aircraft Corporation was a British aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric Aviation Ltd., Vickers-Armstrongs , the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Hunting Aircraft in 1960. Bristol, English Electric and Vickers became "parents" of BAC with...
in their Guided Weapons Division, initially as Chief Aerodynamicist and then later Head of Operational Research and Deputy Head of Management Services. Much of his time at BAC was devoted to the development of the Bloodhound surface-to-air missile
Bloodhound SAM
The Bristol Bloodhound is a British surface-to-air missile developed during the 1950s as the UK's main air defence weapon, and was in large-scale service with the Royal Air Force and the forces of four other countries. The Bloodhound Mk. I entered service in December 1958 and the last Mk...
.
Happily In retirement, Ayers had been putting his lifetime of aerodynamic design experience to good effect researching a theory about why most major LSR (Land Speed Record) 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:...
s over the years have always underperformed relative to their original design specifications. Time spent as a part-time guide at Brooklands Museum
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
close to his home in Claygate
Claygate
Claygate is a village in the English county of Surrey, approximately south west of London and within the Metropolitan Green Belt.It is primarily a residential area but with offices, farms and two shopping areas with a supermarket, five pubs and numerous restaurants...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, had given Ayers access to a wealth of research papers from early record-breaking attempts, and it was this that sparked his interest in record-breaking, and led to him being in Ken Norris's office on that day.
His involvement in the land speed record-breaking attempt came about entirely accidentally, through a chance meeting with Richard Noble
Richard Noble
Richard Noble, OBE was the holder of the land speed record between 1983 and 1997, and was the project director of ThrustSSC, the vehicle which holds the current land speed record, set at Black Rock Desert, Nevada in 1997....
in the offices of Ken Norris, the designer behind Donald Campbell
Donald Campbell
Donald Malcolm Campbell, CBE was a British speed record breaker who broke eight world speed records in the 1950s and 1960s...
's record-breaking Bluebird CN7. Through a combination of rocket sled testing at Pendine Sands
Pendine Sands
Pendine Sands is a length of beach on the shores of Carmarthen Bay on the south coast of Wales. It stretches from Gilman Point in the west to Laugharne Sands in the east. The village of Pendine is situated near the western end of Pendine Sands....
and extensive computational fluid dynamics
Computational fluid dynamics
Computational fluid dynamics, usually abbreviated as CFD, is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liquids and gases with...
testing Ayers was able to develop and refine a shape which would eventually go on to break the sound barrier
Sound barrier
The sound barrier, in aerodynamics, is the point at which an aircraft moves from transonic to supersonic speed. The term, which occasionally has other meanings, came into use during World War II, when a number of aircraft started to encounter the effects of compressibility, a collection of several...
.
Ayers was responsible for the design of the JCB Dieselmax
JCB Dieselmax
The JCB Dieselmax is a diesel-engined 'Streamliner' car designed for the purpose of breaking the land speed record for a diesel-engined vehicle.The car was built for JCB...
which smashed the World Speed Record for diesel cars on 23 August 2006, clocking 350 mph. He is heavily involved in the design of the current land speed record attempt vehicle, the Bloodhound SSC
Bloodhound SSC
Bloodhound SSC is the name of a project aiming to break the land speed record with a pencil-shaped car powered by a jet engine and a rocket designed to reach approximately...
.
Ayers is a Chartered Engineer
Chartered Engineer (UK)
In the United Kingdom, a Chartered Engineer is an engineer registered with Engineering Council UK . Contemporary Chartered Engineers are master's degree-qualified and have gained professional competencies through training and experience...
and a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
. He has one adult son named Roger. When not working on land speed record vehicles, Ayers enjoys making stained glass windows and playing bridge and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
.