“Aircrew Equipment – Performance with Protection”

Thursday 19th November 2015

Lecture Starts at 7.30 pm

Speaker: Dr Michael Trudgill, Head of Aircrew Equipment & Integration Group, RAFCAM

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

Lecture Synopsis

In this presentation Dr Michael Trudgill will discuss recent advances in personal protective equipment for military aircrew including body armour, fire protective clothing and life preservers. These three areas have been particularly challenging in the last 5 years. The requirement for body armour increased as battlefield helicopters routinely faced small arms fire, but this came at the cost of performance both physiologically and psychologically. Fire has always been an aviators nemesis and in this area fabric technology and clothing design enhanced protection whilst improving garment utility and comfort. Tough choices were made in a bid not to overprotect the user and extensive flame mannequin testing provided the science behind the design. Finally, Dr Trudgill will discuss life preservers, time permitting,  and our struggle to meet maritime standards with integrated escape, evasion, ballistic and survival vests!

“The Winning Fuel in Formula 1 – Passion, Education & Dedication”

Joint Lecture with IMEchE & IET

Thursday 29th October 2015

Buffet Supper at 18:00 (by advance Ticket)
Lecture Starts at 7.30 pm

BOOKING REQUIRED – Click here for booking form

Speaker: Ian Greig, Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Engineering Team

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

Lecture Synopsis

The Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix engineering team will take us on an in-depth multi-disciplinary journey through the evolution of a championship-winning Formula 1 car. Mercedes-Benz engineers will discuss all aspects of the car’s configuration, show us some of the theory and design that they use, and describe the compromises between the various disciplines that are needed to create winning race cars, from controlling vortices to crushing carbon fibres to integrating the most powerful F1 engine around.

“100 Years of Aircraft Manufacture at Yeovil”

Thursday 8th October 2015

Lecture Starts at 7.30 pm

Speaker: Dr Alisdair Wood
Customer Support and Service UK Chief Service Engineer, AgustaWestland

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

Lecture Synopsis

Several UK aerospace companies can trace their roots back to the origins of aircraft manufacture in this country but only one has produced aircraft continuously for 100 years and has made the successful transition from building fixed-wing aircraft to helicopters – Westland. Unsurprisingly it has a fascinating history.

Already well steeped in Yeovil’s history, the Petter family entered aircraft manufacture in 1915 when the brothers Percival and Ernest Petter founded the Westland Aircraft Company, beginning with Short seaplanes before building one of their own, the Wagtail, in 1917. In the inter-war years they continued to build successful aircraft, notably the Wapiti, continuing into the Second World War aircraft such as the Lysander and mass production of Spitfires and Seafires . Their last fixed-wing aircraft, the Wyvern, was not as successful and Westlands maintained their existence by undertaking aircraft repair.

The turning point in their fortunes came with the partnership with Sikorsky which produced aircraft such as the Dragonfly, Whirlwind, Wessex & Sea King. The acquisition of Saunders-Roe produced the Wasp but the Lynx, which still holds the world helicopter speed record and versions of which are still in production today, was a purely Westland design. Partnerships though have been the foundation of Westland’s success, the latest with Agusta producing the EH101 Merlin and AW101.

Light Refreshments served from 19:00.

Visitors Welcome, No Booking Required.