Harry Wimperis
Encyclopedia
Harry Egerton Wimperis was an aeronautical engineer who acted as the Director of Scientific Research at the UK's Air Ministry
prior to World War II
. He is best known for his role in setting up the Committee for the Scientific Survey of Air Defence under Henry Tizard
, which led directly to the development and introduction of radar
in the UK. He is also known for the development of the Drift Sight
and Course Setting Bomb Sight
during World War I
, devices that revolutionized the art of bombing.
Wimperis was born to Joseph Price Wimperis, an Australian merchant, and Jemima Samuel in London
. He started his studies at Royal College of Science
(part of Imperial College
) and then moved to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
as an advanced student in 1898. During this period he wrote a series of engineering books covering internal combustion, road transport and air navigation
.
Among his many inventions and works are the Wimperis accelerometer of 1909, the first accelerometer
rugged enough for use measuring the performance of automobiles. He was directed to Elliott Brothers
for manufacture, and this started a long relationship between Wimperis and the company. The same year they introduced a gyroscopic turn indicator
, and followed this with an optical speedometer, rate of roll indicator, indicated airspeed calculator and his famed bombsights.
Between 1915 and 1925, Wimperis worked in the Experimental Office in the Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS). Here he was put on the problem of devising a useful bombsight
that did not require manual calculations or a stopwatch
to estimate the wind speed
. The result was his Drift Sight
, which used a small bar that was aligned with the motion of objects on the ground to measure the wind. He then greatly expanded on this design in his Course Setting Bomb Sight
(CSBS) in 1917, introducing the first system to allow bomb runs from any direction, instead of just up or down the wind line. The CSBS has been called "the most important bombsight of the war".
Through this period he also worked for the Royal Air Force
after it formed in 1918, and the Air Ministry
as it took over most of the centralized research for both arms. He was appointed Director of Scientific Research in the Air Ministry in 1925. In June 1934, Albert Percival Rowe
, Wimperis' personal assistant, became concerned about the state of air defence in the UK, and took it upon himself to read every study on the topic published in the UK. The result was a memo stating that "we were likely to lose the war if it starts within the next ten years". Wimperis took the memo seriously and set about creating the Committee for Scientific Study of Air Defence, placing Henry Tizard
in the chairman's position. This group was instrumental in the creation of radar
in the UK, and the Chain Home
system that was instrumental to winning the Battle of Britain
.
In 1938 Wimperis served as the Aeronautical Advisor to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of the Commonwealth of Australia
, advising them on setting up their own aeronautical research division. He also served as President of the Royal Aeronautical Society
, 1936-1938, and of the Engineering Section of the British Association, 1939. From 1946 to 1950 he was a member of the Atomic Energy Study Group, Chatham House
.
His wife, Grace d'Avray Parkin, was the daughter of Canadian George Robert Parkin
. They married on 28 September 1907 and had three daughters
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He is best known for his role in setting up the Committee for the Scientific Survey of Air Defence under Henry Tizard
Henry Tizard
Sir Henry Thomas Tizard FRS was an English chemist and inventor and past Rector of Imperial College....
, which led directly to the development and introduction of radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
in the UK. He is also known for the development of the Drift Sight
Drift Sight
The Drift Sight was a bombsight developed by Harry Wimperis in 1916 for the Royal Naval Air Service . It used a simple mechanical device to measure the wind speed from the air, and used that measurement to calculate the wind's effects on the trajectory of the bombs...
and Course Setting Bomb Sight
Course Setting Bomb Sight
The Course Setting Bomb Sight is the canonical "vector" bombsight, the first practical system for properly accounting for the effects of wind during the dropping of bombs...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, devices that revolutionized the art of bombing.
Wimperis was born to Joseph Price Wimperis, an Australian merchant, and Jemima Samuel 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...
. He started his studies at Royal College of Science
Royal College of Science
The Royal College of Science was a higher education institution located in South Kensington; it was a constituent college of Imperial College London from 1907 until it was wholly absorbed by Imperial in 2002. Alumni include H. G. Wells and Brian May and are distinguishable by the letters ARCS ...
(part of Imperial College
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
) and then moved to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
as an advanced student in 1898. During this period he wrote a series of engineering books covering internal combustion, road transport and air navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
.
Among his many inventions and works are the Wimperis accelerometer of 1909, the first accelerometer
Accelerometer
An accelerometer is a device that measures proper acceleration, also called the four-acceleration. This is not necessarily the same as the coordinate acceleration , but is rather the type of acceleration associated with the phenomenon of weight experienced by a test mass that resides in the frame...
rugged enough for use measuring the performance of automobiles. He was directed to Elliott Brothers
Elliott Brothers
Elliott Brothers may refer to:* Elliott Brothers * Elliott Brothers...
for manufacture, and this started a long relationship between Wimperis and the company. The same year they introduced a gyroscopic turn indicator
Turn coordinator
The turn coordinator is a flight instrument which displays to a pilot information about the rate of yaw , roll, and the coordination of the turn...
, and followed this with an optical speedometer, rate of roll indicator, indicated airspeed calculator and his famed bombsights.
Between 1915 and 1925, Wimperis worked in the Experimental Office in the Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS). Here he was put on the problem of devising a useful bombsight
Bombsight
A bombsight is a device used by bomber aircraft to accurately drop bombs. In order to do this, the bombsight has to estimate the path the bomb will take after release from the aircraft. The two primary forces during its fall are gravity and air drag, which makes the path of the bomb through the air...
that did not require manual calculations or a stopwatch
Stopwatch
A stopwatch is a handheld timepiece designed to measure the amount of time elapsed from a particular time when activated to when the piece is deactivated. A large digital version of a stopwatch designed for viewing at a distance, as in a sports stadium, is called a stopclock.The timing functions...
to estimate the wind speed
Wind speed
Wind speed, or wind velocity, is a fundamental atmospheric rate.Wind speed affects weather forecasting, aircraft and maritime operations, construction projects, growth and metabolism rate of many plant species, and countless other implications....
. The result was his Drift Sight
Drift Sight
The Drift Sight was a bombsight developed by Harry Wimperis in 1916 for the Royal Naval Air Service . It used a simple mechanical device to measure the wind speed from the air, and used that measurement to calculate the wind's effects on the trajectory of the bombs...
, which used a small bar that was aligned with the motion of objects on the ground to measure the wind. He then greatly expanded on this design in his Course Setting Bomb Sight
Course Setting Bomb Sight
The Course Setting Bomb Sight is the canonical "vector" bombsight, the first practical system for properly accounting for the effects of wind during the dropping of bombs...
(CSBS) in 1917, introducing the first system to allow bomb runs from any direction, instead of just up or down the wind line. The CSBS has been called "the most important bombsight of the war".
Through this period he also worked for the 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...
after it formed in 1918, and the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
as it took over most of the centralized research for both arms. He was appointed Director of Scientific Research in the Air Ministry in 1925. In June 1934, Albert Percival Rowe
Albert Percival Rowe
Albert Percival Rowe was a British physicist and senior research administrator who had a major role in the development of Radar before and during World War II....
, Wimperis' personal assistant, became concerned about the state of air defence in the UK, and took it upon himself to read every study on the topic published in the UK. The result was a memo stating that "we were likely to lose the war if it starts within the next ten years". Wimperis took the memo seriously and set about creating the Committee for Scientific Study of Air Defence, placing Henry Tizard
Henry Tizard
Sir Henry Thomas Tizard FRS was an English chemist and inventor and past Rector of Imperial College....
in the chairman's position. This group was instrumental in the creation of radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
in the UK, and the Chain Home
Chain Home
Chain Home was the codename for the ring of coastal Early Warning radar stations built by the British before and during the Second World War. The system otherwise known as AMES Type 1 consisted of radar fixed on top of a radio tower mast, called a 'station' to provide long-range detection of...
system that was instrumental to winning the 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 1938 Wimperis served as the Aeronautical Advisor to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of the Commonwealth of Australia
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
, advising them on setting up their own aeronautical research division. He also served as President 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:...
, 1936-1938, and of the Engineering Section of the British Association, 1939. From 1946 to 1950 he was a member of the Atomic Energy Study Group, Chatham House
Chatham House
Chatham House, formally known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. It is regarded as one of the world's leading...
.
His wife, Grace d'Avray Parkin, was the daughter of Canadian George Robert Parkin
George Robert Parkin
Sir George Robert Parkin KCMG was a Canadian educator, imperialist, and author.Born at Parkindale near Salisbury, New Brunswick, he was a graduate from the University of New Brunswick. From 1867 to 1871, he taught at the Bathurst Grammar School...
. They married on 28 September 1907 and had three daughters