Lancaster verses Boeing

[N.O.S.]

I was taught engineering design by an old guy Reg Parker, who told me that he in turn was taught engineering design (in Bristol I think) by the man who, in his younger days, developed the first British synchronisation (interrupting) gear for firing a machine gun through a propeller.

 

The concept was developed into a practical device in 1915 by a Dutch aviation engineer Fokker from an earlier invention (whose?) which was a distinct improvement over a French pilot's method of installing bullet deflectors on the propeller blades, though it did work OK :schocked: . The British quickly copied / developed a similar system to Fokker's - perhaps this was where Reg's tutor was involved?

 

Now that's what I call engineering! :bow:

 

[Degsy]

If memory serves me correctly Constantinescu was the name of the original inventor of the iinterrupter gear.