“The V-Bomber Force”

Thursday 13th December 2018

Lecture Starts at 7.30 pm
(Mulled Wine & Mince Pies to follow the lecture)

Speaker: Air Cdre Norman Bonnor, FRAeS FRIN RAF (Ret’d)

Location: Lecture Theatre ‘0’, Cambridge University Engineering Department, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ.

Lecture Synopsis

The talk covers the political origins of the V-Force as a result of the Cold War that became established when the Soviet Union confronted NATO in Eastern Europe.

Operational requirements to develop a British nuclear weapon, and a new bomber aircraft to carry it lead to the choice of the Valiant, Vulcan, and Victor. The talk briefly covers the numbers of aircraft built, the squadrons they served with and their Main Operating Bases in 1 and 3 Group of Bomber Command before discussing the weapons they carried, both conventional and nuclear.

The V-Force aircrews were trained to use the aircraft and the navigation and bombing equipment to meet the threat they would face when attacking strategic targets in the Soviet Union. The tactics and training had to adapt to changes in the threat as new surface-to-air missile were deployed to ensure that the V-Force remained viable as a Deterrent until its role was replaced by the Polaris submarines of the Royal Navy.

 

The lecture titles and dates are booked well in advance but are subject to change.

50 years of outstanding achievement, helping to transform the world of turbomachinery

23rd January 2019, 14:00 – 17:00

The Royal Aeronautical Society Cambridge Branch, and the Whittle Laboratory of the Cambridge University Engineering Department, invite you to a Ceremony to mark the award of a Royal Aeronautical Society Heritage Plaque to the Whittle Laboratory, in recognition of the outstanding contribution the Laboratory Team have made to the development of turbomachinery over the last 50 years – from aircraft jet engines and land-based power generators to household products including vacuum cleaners.

VENUE: The Whittle Laboratory, 1 JJ Thomson Ave, Cambridge CB3 0DY

The ceremony will begin at 14.00, and will be followed by the opportunity to tour the laboratory and see examples of its work, and to hear about the next phases of its development.

Please see attached flyer (click here)for more information.

Book Now – If you are interested in attending, to help us with planning for the event please register at the following link:

https://www.aerosociety.com/events-calendar/50-years-of-outstanding-achievement-helping-to-transform-the-world-of-turbomachinery/

Or

please give your name to one of the Branch Committee at our lectures, who will register on your behalf.

“Composites in Aerospace”

Thursday 29th November 2018

Lecture Starts at 7.30 pm
(Light Refreshments at 7.00 pm)

Speaker: Dr. Tim Swait, Technical Lead, Composites Centre, Sheffield University

Location: Lecture Theatre ‘0’, Cambridge University Engineering Department, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ.

Lecture Synopsis
The earliest aircraft were constructed of wood (a natural composite material) and canvas (linen fibres doped with a polymer lacquer). Composite materials have therefore been at the heart of aviation since its very beginning. As speeds and loads increased, metals became the material of choice throughout much of the last century.

However since the advent of carbon fibre and high performance polymer matrices, composites have been making a comeback and now carbon fibre reinforced polymers are the materials that offer the highest possible performance in strength, weight and stiffness. Modern aircraft (both civil and military) are now typically over 50% composite.

However greater uptake of composites (both within aerospace and more widely) has been largely limited by cost, particularly cost of manufacture. Manufacturing processes for composite components are conventionally slow and laborious with high levels of automation only recently becoming possible.

This lecture will provide an introduction to composite materials and their history before going into the current state of the art in modern manufacturing processes, including case studies of aerostructures from airliners to hang gliders!

The lecture titles and dates are booked well in advance but are subject to change.