Gordon Lewis (engineer)
Encyclopedia
Gordon Manns Lewis CBE
, FREng, was a British aeronautical engineer who made significant contributions to the arts and sciences of turbine engine design. He was born in Cheltenham
in 1924, the son of a clerk on the Great Western Railway
. He won a scholarship to Pembroke College, Oxford
and graduated in Engineering Science in 1944. He joined the Bristol Aeroplane Company
in 1944 and was put to work on stress calculations of the Theseus engine
. In 1946 he was entrusted with the design of the Olympus engine
, which performed flawlessly on its very first test bed run, largely as a result of the discipline that Gordon Lewis brought to its design. [See Pegasus The Heart of the Harrier, by Andrew Dow.] The Olympus was later developed to power the Avro Vulcan
, TSR-2 and Concorde
.
He was given responsibility for compressor
design generally, and among other projects worked on transonic
compressors, this being well ahead of equivalent work in America. He also examined the virtues of two-spool engine
s with contra-rotating spools, and hypersonic
designs. In 1956 he was asked to comment upon the proposal made by Michel Wibault for a Vertical takeoff fighter powered by an engine of Wibault's conception, using vectored thrust. Gordon Lewis simplified and lightened the design, incorporating axial compressors and pairs of rotatable nozzles for the cold and hot gas streams. This was evolved into the BE53/2, later named the Pegasus. The master patents for this engine were in the names of Michel Wibault and Gordon Lewis. The Pegasus powered, successively, the Hawker P.1127
, Kestrel, Harrier and Harrier II. It remains in service with the RAF, RN, Indian Navy, Spanish Navy, Italian Navy, and US Marine Corps.
Gordon Lewis spent some years as Managing Director of Turbo-Union
, which developed the RB199 engine for the Panavia Tornado
. His patented devices cover a forty year span, and he remained active in many aspects of turbine engine work well into the 21st century. He died in Bristol
on 4 October 2010.
Reference:
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
, FREng, was a British aeronautical engineer who made significant contributions to the arts and sciences of turbine engine design. He was born in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
in 1924, the son of a clerk on the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
. He won a scholarship to Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
and graduated in Engineering Science in 1944. He joined 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...
in 1944 and was put to work on stress calculations of the Theseus engine
Bristol Theseus
-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:*...
. In 1946 he was entrusted with the design of the Olympus engine
Rolls-Royce Olympus
The Rolls-Royce Olympus was one of the world's first two-spool axial-flow turbojet aircraft engines, originally developed and produced by Bristol Aero Engines. First running in 1950, its initial use was as the powerplant of the Avro Vulcan V Bomber...
, which performed flawlessly on its very first test bed run, largely as a result of the discipline that Gordon Lewis brought to its design. [See Pegasus The Heart of the Harrier, by Andrew Dow.] The Olympus was later developed to power the Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
, TSR-2 and 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...
.
He was given responsibility for compressor
Gas compressor
A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas...
design generally, and among other projects worked on transonic
Transonic
Transonic speed is an aeronautics term referring to the condition of flight in which a range of velocities of airflow exist surrounding and flowing past an air vehicle or an airfoil that are concurrently below, at, and above the speed of sound in the range of Mach 0.8 to 1.2, i.e. 600–900 mph...
compressors, this being well ahead of equivalent work in America. He also examined the virtues of two-spool engine
Turbofan
The turbofan is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used for aircraft propulsion. A turbofan combines two types of engines, the turbo portion which is a conventional gas turbine engine, and the fan, a propeller-like ducted fan...
s with contra-rotating spools, and hypersonic
Hypersonic
In aerodynamics, a hypersonic speed is one that is highly supersonic. Since the 1970s, the term has generally been assumed to refer to speeds of Mach 5 and above...
designs. In 1956 he was asked to comment upon the proposal made by Michel Wibault for a Vertical takeoff fighter powered by an engine of Wibault's conception, using vectored thrust. Gordon Lewis simplified and lightened the design, incorporating axial compressors and pairs of rotatable nozzles for the cold and hot gas streams. This was evolved into the BE53/2, later named the Pegasus. The master patents for this engine were in the names of Michel Wibault and Gordon Lewis. The Pegasus powered, successively, the Hawker P.1127
Hawker P.1127
The Hawker P.1127 and the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 were the experimental and development aircraft that led to the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first vertical and/or short take-off and landing jet fighter-bomber...
, Kestrel, Harrier and Harrier II. It remains in service with the RAF, RN, Indian Navy, Spanish Navy, Italian Navy, and US Marine Corps.
Gordon Lewis spent some years as Managing Director of Turbo-Union
Turbo-Union
Turbo-Union Limited is a joint venture between three European aero-engine manufacturers, FiatAvio , MTU Aero Engines and Rolls-Royce.-Products:...
, which developed the RB199 engine for the Panavia Tornado
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
. His patented devices cover a forty year span, and he remained active in many aspects of turbine engine work well into the 21st century. He died in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
on 4 October 2010.
Reference: