Beatrice Shilling
Encyclopedia
Beatrice Shilling OBE PhD
MSc
CEng
(8 March 1909–1990) was an aeronautical engineer who was responsible for correcting a serious defect in the Rolls-Royce Merlin
engine during the Second World War. She also was a well-known racing motorcyclist.
, Hampshire
, the daughter of a butcher. After leaving school, she worked for an electrical engineering company for three years, installed wiring and generators. Her employer, Margaret Partridge, encouraged her to take take a degree in Electrical Engineering at Manchester University; she completed this in 1932 and stayed on for a year to do a MSc in Mechanical Engineering.
She worked as a research assistant for Professor GF Mucklow at the University of Birmingham
before being recruited as a scientific officer by the Royal Aircraft Establishment
.
In the 1930s, Shilling raced motorcycles. She beat professional riders, such as Noel Pope, and was awarded the Gold Star for lapping the Brooklands
circuit at 106 miles per hour (170.6 km/h) on her Norton M30.
and Battle of Britain
in 1940, it became apparent that the Rolls-Royce Merlin
powered Royal Air Force
fighters had a serious problem with their carburettors while manoeuvring in combat. The negative g
created by suddenly lowering the nose of the aircraft resulted in the engine being flooded with excess fuel, causing it to lose power or shut–down completely. German fighters used Fuel injection
engines and did not have this problem so, during combat, they could evade RAF fighters by flying negative–g manoeuvres that could not be easily followed.
Shilling devised a simple, yet ingenious, solution that was officially called the R.A.E restrictor
. This was a small metal disc with a hole in the middle, fitted into the engine's carburettor. Although not a complete solution, it allowed RAF pilots to perform quick negative–g manoeuvres without loss of engine power. By March 1941, she had led a small team on a tour of RAF fighter bases, installing the devices in their Merlin engines. The restrictor was immensely popular with pilots, who affectionately named it 'Miss Shilling's orifice' or simply the 'Tilly orifice.' It continued in use as a stop-gap until the introduction of the pressure carburettor in 1943.
She held a doctorate from the University of Surrey, a CEng
and was a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
and the Women's Engineering Society
.
Post-war, she raced cars. In the 1960's, she and her husband owned and raced
an Elva Courier and an Elva
, Formula Junior
, single–seat racing car.
and reached the rank of Wing Commander
.
has opened a pub
, named the Tilly Shilling in her honour in Farnborough, Hampshire
.
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
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...
CEng
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...
(8 March 1909–1990) was an aeronautical engineer who was responsible for correcting a serious defect in the Rolls-Royce Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
engine during the Second World War. She also was a well-known racing motorcyclist.
Early life
Shilling was born at WaterloovilleWaterlooville
Waterlooville is a town in Hampshire, England approximately 8 miles north of Portsmouth.The town has a population itself of about 10,000 and is surrounded by Purbrook, Blendworth, Cowplain, Lovedean, Clanfield, Catherington, Crookhorn, Denmead, Hambledon, Horndean and Widley. It forms part of...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, the daughter of a butcher. After leaving school, she worked for an electrical engineering company for three years, installed wiring and generators. Her employer, Margaret Partridge, encouraged her to take take a degree in Electrical Engineering at Manchester University; she completed this in 1932 and stayed on for a year to do a MSc in Mechanical Engineering.
She worked as a research assistant for Professor GF Mucklow at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
before being recruited as a scientific officer by 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...
.
In the 1930s, Shilling raced motorcycles. She beat professional riders, such as Noel Pope, and was awarded the Gold Star for lapping the Brooklands
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...
circuit at 106 miles per hour (170.6 km/h) on her Norton M30.
World War 2
During the Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
in 1940, it became apparent that the Rolls-Royce Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
powered Royal Air Force
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...
fighters had a serious problem with their carburettors while manoeuvring in combat. The negative g
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
created by suddenly lowering the nose of the aircraft resulted in the engine being flooded with excess fuel, causing it to lose power or shut–down completely. German fighters used Fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
engines and did not have this problem so, during combat, they could evade RAF fighters by flying negative–g manoeuvres that could not be easily followed.
Shilling devised a simple, yet ingenious, solution that was officially called the R.A.E restrictor
Miss Shilling's orifice
Miss Shilling's Orifice was a very simple technical device made to counter engine cut-out in early Spitfire and Hurricane fighter aeroplanes during the Battle of Britain...
. This was a small metal disc with a hole in the middle, fitted into the engine's carburettor. Although not a complete solution, it allowed RAF pilots to perform quick negative–g manoeuvres without loss of engine power. By March 1941, she had led a small team on a tour of RAF fighter bases, installing the devices in their Merlin engines. The restrictor was immensely popular with pilots, who affectionately named it 'Miss Shilling's orifice' or simply the 'Tilly orifice.' It continued in use as a stop-gap until the introduction of the pressure carburettor in 1943.
Later Life
After the war, Shilling worked on a variety of projects including the Blue Streak missile. Shilling was once described by a fellow scientist as "a flaming pathfinder of women's lib"; she always rejected any suggestion that as a woman she might be inferior to a man in technical and scientific fields. However, a brusque manner and a contempt for bureaucracy led to an uneasy relationship with management. Shilling worked for the RAE until the late-1960s, but never achieved high rank within the organization.She held a doctorate from the University of Surrey, a CEng
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 was a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
and the Women's Engineering Society
Women's Engineering Society
The Women's Engineering Society was founded in 1919 by women who worked as engineers during the first world war, found they enjoyed it, were good at it and didn't want to stop. WES was one of the very first organisations to champion women's right to non-traditional careers. The members have...
.
Post-war, she raced cars. In the 1960's, she and her husband owned and raced
an Elva Courier and an Elva
Elva (car manufacturer)
Elva was a sports and racing car manufacturing company based in Bexhill, then Hastings and Rye, East Sussex, United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1955 by Frank G. Nichols. The name comes from the French phrase elle va .-Racing cars:...
, Formula Junior
Formula Junior
Formula Junior is an open wheel formula racing class first adopted in October 1958 by the CSI . The class was intended to provide an entry level class where you could use inexpensive mechanical components from ordinary automobiles...
, single–seat racing car.
Personal Life
Shilling married George Naylor, whom she met in 1938 when he was also working at the RAE. According to anecdote, she refused to marry him until he also had been awarded the Brooklands Gold Star for lapping the circuit at over 100 mph. During World War 2 he was a bomber pilot with No. 625 Squadron RAFNo. 625 Squadron RAF
No. 625 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.-History:The squadron was formed on 1 October 1943 at RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire from 'C' flight of 100 Squadron. It was equipped with Avro Lancasters, as part of No...
and reached the rank of Wing Commander
Wing Commander
Wing Commander may refer to:*Wing Commander , a military rank*Wing Commander , the Origin Systems computer game series and related franchise**Wing Commander , a collection of books set in the game universe...
.
Memorials
The J D Wetherspoon pub chainPub chain
A pub chain is a group of pubs or bars with a brand image. The brand may be owned outright by one company, or there may be multiple financiers; the chain may be a division within a larger company, or may be a single operation. Examples include Chef & Brewer, Wetherspoons, Walkabout, Taylor Walker...
has opened a pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, named the Tilly Shilling in her honour in Farnborough, Hampshire
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
.