Arthur Rubbra
Arthur Rubbra | |
---|---|
Bristol University | |
Occupation | Engineer |
Spouse | Lilian Webster |
Engineering career | |
Institutions | Armstrong Siddeley Rolls-Royce Limited |
Projects | Rolls-Royce Merlin |
Significant advance | Aero engines |
Awards | CBE, awarded 1961 Royal Aeronautical Society Gold Medal, awarded 1969 |
Arthur Alexander Cecil Rubbra CBE (29 October 1903 – 24 November 1982) was an English engineer who designed many of Rolls-Royce's successful aero engines. He was "placed by many alongside Royce, Rowledge and Elliot as one of Rolls-Royce's greatest engineers...".[1]
Early life
Rubbra was born in Northampton on 29 October 1903 to Edmund and Mary Rubbra who ran a watch and jewellery repair business. It is thought that the rare family surname was a form of "Ruborough", the Somerset village near Broomfield where his ancestors came from.[2] His elder brother, Charles Edmund, became a distinguished composer.
As a boy Rubbra was fascinated by
Career
Rubbra's first job was with
In October 1927, Rubbra (who had become known as 'Rbr' in company shorthand) was promoted to designer, where he was further involved with the Buzzard, Kestrel and the new Rolls-Royce R. He also became deeply involved in the Goshawk, Merlin and Vulture projects. In 1934 he was appointed assistant chief designer and in July 1940 he was promoted further to chief designer of aero engines.
His design work continued with development of the Merlin, and he was a major contributor to the success of the Rolls-Royce Griffon, the last of the V12 piston engine line. In 1943 Rubbra was designing the Eagle and then began work on the Welland, the company's first turbojet engine. In 1944 another promotion to assistant chief engineer saw him working on other emerging turbojet projects. By 1954 'Rbr' had risen to the position of technical director on the company board.
During his time at Rolls-Royce, Rubbra married his secretary, Lilian Webster, and in 1961 he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE),[5][6] as was his brother Edmund who was a respected musical composer.[7]
Retirement
In 1966 Rubbra gave up his post as technical director due to health reasons but continued to work as 'Chief Technical Advisor'. In October 1968 Arthur Rubbra retired from Rolls-Royce by which time he had become vice-chairman of the company. In 1969 he was awarded the Royal Aeronautical Society's highest honour, the Gold Medal for 'outstanding contributions over many years in the whole field of aircraft propulsion'. His services were required once more in 1971 when he was asked, along with Stanley Hooker, to assist with developmental problems pertaining to the Rolls-Royce RB211 civil turbofan project.
A. A. Rubbra died on 24 November 1982, aged 79. His brother died four years later in 1986.[8] His memoirs, Rubbra (1990), formed the basis of an illustrated book published long after his death by the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust.
See also
- Edmund Rubbra (brother)
Works
- Rubbra, A.A. (1990). Rolls-Royce Piston Aero Engines – a designer remembers. ISBN 1-872922-00-7. Historical Series N° 16.
References
- OCLC 895947057.
- ^ Rubbra (1990), p. 151.
- ^ Rubbra (1990), pp. 151–152.
- ^ Rubbra (1990), p. 155.
- ^ "No. 42231". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1960. p. 8899.
- Flight. January 1961.
- ^ Rubbra (1990), p. 156.
- ^ Rubbra (1990), p. 12.
Further reading
- Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.