Geoffrey Michael Lilley (16 November 1919 – 20 September 2015) was an aeronautical scientist known for his work on jet engine noise reduction. His pioneering work led to him being known as the 'father of aeroacoustics', and he played a key role in the development of Concorde.

Life

Lilley was born at

Isleworth Isleworth ( ) is a town located within the London Borough of Hounslow in West London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane, London, River Crane. Isleworth's or ...

on 16 November 1919, the youngest of four children. His father Micholl Morland Dessau was an American inventor and rubber magnate who lost his fortune in the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and left the family. Lilley was his mother's maiden name. He married Lesley Wheeler in 1948 and had three children. After leaving Isleworth Grammar School at 15, he joined the RAF but failed the eye test to be a pilot. Then in 1936 he became an apprentice engineer with Kodak. At Kodak he was assistant to the Chief Engineer, and in 1938 was involved with the design of the air conditioning system for the new Film Coating and Drying Plant, which was installed and operational in June 1939.Professor Geoffrey M. Lilley. https://airandspace.si.edu/support/wall-of-honor/professor-geoffrey-m-lilley. Accessed 7 December 2020.

Career

In 1940 Lilley joined Vickers-Armstrong at Weybridge and Supermarine in Southampton, where he worked briefly with Sir

Barnes Wallace Sir Barnes Neville Wallis (26 September 1887 – 30 October 1979) was an English engineer and inventor. He is best known for inventing the bouncing bomb used by the Royal Air Force in Operation Chastise (the "Dambusters" raid) to att ...

. His work covered both aircraft design and high-speed bombs. During the War period he served during his time off working with the Home Guard in London and studied for a BSc by evening classes. He was awarded MSc from Imperial College London in 1945. After the war he worked on the design of wind tunnels for commercial research, one of which remains in use by British Aerospace. Lilley helped found the

College of Aeronautics Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology (commonly called Vaughn College) is a private college in East Elmhurst, New York, specialized in aviation and engineering education. It is adjacent to LaGuardia Airport but was founded in Newark, New ...

in Cranfield in 1946 and his work on aircraft research led to him being appointed ''Professor of Experimental Fluid Mechanics'' in 1961. In 1963, Lilley was appointed ''Professor of Aerodynamics and Astronautics'' at Southampton University. Lilley was appointed OBE in 1981 for services to government. In 1983 he received the Gold Medal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and the Aeroacoustic Medal of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. After his retirement in 1983, he continued to accept visiting professorships, and worked for NASA at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lilley, Geoffrey Academics of Cranfield University Academics of the University of Southampton Alumni of Imperial College London British scientists Officers of the Order of the British Empire 1919 births 2015 deaths Royal Air Force airmen British Home Guard soldiers