Ron Ayers: Difference between revisions

'''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>

Born in [[Westminster]], [[London]], England, on 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>