The Luton Analogue Computing Engine (LACE) was a code name for a military general purpose

analogue computer An analog computer or analogue computer is a type of computation machine (computer) that uses physical phenomena such as electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic quantities behaving according to the mathematical principles in question (''analog s ...

, predominantly used for missile simulation. It was developed in 1953-1956 by

English Electric The English Electric Company Limited (EE) was a British industrial manufacturer formed after World War I by amalgamating five businesses which, during the war, made munitions, armaments and aeroplanes. It initially specialised in industrial el ...

's Guided Missile Division in

Luton Luton () is a town and borough in Bedfordshire, England. The borough had a population of 225,262 at the 2021 census. Luton is on the River Lea, about north-west of London. The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settleme ...

, UK. Upon the closure of the Luton factory in 1962, LACE was transferred to the

British Aircraft Corporation The British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) was a British aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric, English Electric Aviation Ltd., Vickers-Armstrongs, Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft), the Bristol Aeroplane ...

(BAC) Guided Weapons Division in

Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevenage w ...

.LACE – A Disappearing Act,
''Newsletter for all BAE Systems Pensioners'', May 2014
(PDF), page 9.

References

External links

English Electric Co: Navigational Projects Division
''Grace's Guide to British Industrial History'' Early British computers Analogue Computing Engine British Aircraft Corporation Computer-related introductions in 1953 English inventions Science and technology in Bedfordshire Stevenage {{comp-hardware-stub