Live Breaking News & Updates on British Motorcycle Racing Club Gold Star

9th February 2021
10:37 am
9th February 2021
10:37 am
Beatrice Shilling’s engineering fix to a major design flaw in World War Two Hurricane and Spitfire fighter plane engines contributed to the eventual outcome of the Battle of Britain. Written by Nick Smith
It was only a brass washer in the shape of a thimble. But it stopped Britain’s Merlin engine carburettors flooding in temporary negative-g manoeuvres such as a nosedive or inverted flight. While the RAF toiled over a long-term solution to their engines cutting out in combat, an engineer by the name of Beatrice Shilling pulled a rabbit out of the hat in the form of an ingenious workaround. Her ‘RAE Restrictor’ had been designed to allow just enough fuel to maintain power while preventing flooding, and crucially, the device could be fitted without removing planes from operation. RAF pilots referred to the innovation as ‘Mrs Shilling’s Orifice’, a ribaldry that has amused engineering stud ....

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