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{{Short description|English engineer (1932–2024)}}
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{{noUse footnotesBritish English|date=FebruaryApril 20102018}}
{{toneUse dmy dates|date=DecemberFebruary 20072023}}
'''Ronald Frederick Ayers''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (11 April 1932 – 29 May 2024) was an English engineer who was responsible for the [[aerodynamic]]s of the [[land speed record]]-holding vehicles, [[ThrustSSC]] and [[JCB Dieselmax]], and was Chief Aerodynamicist for the [[Bloodhound SSC]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/26/supersonic-bloodhound-car-200mph-tests-ahead-land-speed-record/|title=Supersonic Bloodhound car in 200mph tests ahead of land speed record attempt|last=Sawer|first=Patrick|date=2017-10-26|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2017-11-13|last2=Sabur|first2=Rozina|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235|last3=Farrington|first3=Karen}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Pat Malone|title=Me and My Motor: Ron Ayers, the supersonic car designer behind Bloodhound SSC|url=https://www.driving.co.uk/news/interview/motor-ron-ayers-supersonic-car-designer-behind-bloodhound-ssc/|website=driving.co.uk|publisher=Sunday Times Driving Limited|accessdate=17 May 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517094120/https://www.driving.co.uk/news/interview/motor-ron-ayers-supersonic-car-designer-behind-bloodhound-ssc/|archivedate=17 May 2018|date=29 January 2018}}</ref>
{{BLP primary sources|date=February 2010}}
{{BLP sources|date=July 2008}}
}}
'''Ronald Ayers''', [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (born 1932) is an English [[engineering|engineer]] who was responsible for the [[aerodynamic]]s of the [[land speed record]]-holding vehicle, [[ThrustSSC]].
 
==Background==
==Early life and career==
Born in [[Westminster]], [[London]], England, inon 11 April 1932,<ref name="obit">{{cite news |title=Ron Ayers obituary, designer of the world’s fastest car |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ron-ayers-bvb9lk76l |access-date=31 May 2024 |publisher=The Times |date=31 May 2024}}</ref> Ayers developed an interest during [[the Blitz]].<ref name=":0" /> Ayers obtained a [[BSc]] in [[aeronautical engineering]] from the [[University of London]] and an [[MSc]] in aerodynamics from [[Cranfield University]] before starting his working career as an apprentice at [[Handley Page Aircraft Company|Handley Page Ltd]], eventually working his way up to helping design prototypes of the [[Handley Page Victor]] bomber aircraft. After that he was employed by the [[British Aircraft Corporation]] (BAC) in their Guided Weapons Division, initially as Chief Aerodynamicist and then later Head of Operational Research and Deputy Head of Management Services. Much of his time at BAC was devoted to the development of the [[Bloodhound SAM|Bloodhound surface-to-air missile]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.bloodhoundssc.com/project/team/ron-ayers|title=Ron Ayers|date=2012-03-25|work=BLOODHOUND SSC|access-date=2017-11-13|language=en}}</ref>
 
Ayers iswas a [[Chartered Engineer (UK)|Chartered Engineer]] and a member of the [[Royal Aeronautical Society]]. He haswas oneappointed adult[[Member son.of the WhenOrder notof workingthe onBritish landEmpire]] speed(MBE) recordin vehicles,the Ayers2014 enjoysNew makingYear [[stainedHonours glassfor window]]sservices andto playingengineering.<ref>{{London [[bridge (card game)|bridge]] and [[golf]].Gazette▼
==Land speed records==▼
| issue = 60728
In retirement, Ayers had been putting his lifetime of aerodynamic design experience to good effect researching a theory about why most major LSR (Land Speed Record) [[car]]s over the years have always underperformed relative to their original design specifications. Time spent as a part-time guide at [[Brooklands|Brooklands Museum]] close to his home in [[Claygate]], [[Surrey]], had given Ayers access to a wealth of research papers from early record-breaking attempts, and it was this that sparked his interest in record-breaking, and led to him being in Ken Norris's office on that day.
| date = 31 December 2013
| page = 15
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}}</ref>
 
Ayers died on 29 May 2024, at the age of 92.<ref name="obit"/>
His involvement in the land speed record-breaking attempt came about entirely accidentally, through a chance meeting with [[Richard Noble]] in the offices of [[Ken Norris (designer)|Ken Norris]], the designer behind [[Donald Campbell]]'s record-breaking ''[[Bluebird CN7]]''. Through a combination of rocket sled testing at [[Pendine Sands]] and extensive [[computational fluid dynamics]] testing Ayers was able to develop and refine a shape which would eventually go on to break the [[sound barrier]].▼
 
▲==Land speed records==
Ayers was responsible for the design of the [[JCB Dieselmax]] which smashed the World Speed Record for diesel cars on 23 August 2006, clocking 350&nbsp;mph. He is heavily involved in the design of the current land speed record attempt vehicle, the [[Bloodhound SSC]].
▲In retirement, while working as a volunteer at [[Brooklands|Brooklands Museum]], Ayers found research papers from pre-World War II record-breaking attempts, and it sparked his interest in record-breaking.<ref name=":1" /> His involvement in the land speed record-breaking attempt came about entirely accidentally, through a chance meeting with [[Richard Noble]] in the offices of [[Ken Norris (designer)|Ken Norris]], the designer behind [[Donald Campbell]]'s record-breaking ''[[Bluebird CN7]]''.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.roadsters.com/750/|title=ThrustSSC – The fastest car in the world|website=roadsters.com|access-date=2017-11-13}}</ref> Through a combination of rocket sled testing at [[Pendine Sands]] and extensive [[computational fluid dynamics]] testing, Ayers was able to develop and refine a shape which would eventually go on to break the [[sound barrier]].<ref name=":2" />
 
Ayers was responsible for the design of the [[JCB Dieselmax]] which smashed the World Speed Record for diesel cars on 23 August 2006, clocking 350&nbsp;mph.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/retirement-isn-t-a-patch-on-designing-a-supersonic-car-says-bloodhound-engineer-ron-ayers-v0shpgck5|title=Retirement isn't a patch on designing a supersonic car, says Bloodhound engineer Ron Ayers|last=Bannerman|first=Lucy|date=2017-10-28|work=The Times|access-date=2017-11-13|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> He was heavily involved in the design of the current land speed record attempt vehicle, the [[Bloodhound SSC]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name="BBC News 2017">{{cite web | title=The 85-year-old behind the 1,000mph car | publisher=BBC News | date=20 October 2017 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-cornwall-41698466/the-85-year-old-rocket-scientist-behind-the-1000mph-car | access-date=22 October 2017}}</ref>
==Personal life==
▲Ayers is a [[Chartered Engineer (UK)|Chartered Engineer]] and a member of the [[Royal Aeronautical Society]]. He has one adult son. When not working on land speed record vehicles, Ayers enjoys making [[stained glass window]]s and playing [[bridge (card game)|bridge]] and [[golf]].
 
He was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to engineering.<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=60728|supp=yes|startpage=15|endpage=|date=31 December 2013}}</ref>
 
==Footnotes==
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*[http://www.andrewgraves.biz/ssc_stuff/RonAyers.htm Interview with Ron Ayers]
 
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
 
| NAME = Ayers, Ron
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1932
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayers, Ron}}
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:Living2024 peopledeaths]]
[[Category:EnglishEngineers engineersfrom London]]
[[Category:English aerospace engineers]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of London]]
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[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People from London]]
 
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2013}}
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