Eric Harold Mansfield facts for kids
Eric Harold Mansfield (born May 24, 1923 – died October 20, 2016) was a brilliant engineer who helped design airplanes. He was known as an "aeronautical engineer." He won a very important award called the Royal Medal in 1994. This award was given to him because he made many important discoveries about how airplanes are built and how they fly. He also studied how some of these ideas could be used in nature, like in biology.
About Eric Mansfield
Eric Harold Mansfield was born in Croydon, England. He went to St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate, and then to Trinity Hall, Cambridge University. At Cambridge, he studied Mechanical Sciences and graduated in 1943. He had originally planned to study Mathematics, but during World War II, he was needed for engineering research.
After university, Eric Mansfield worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough. This was a special place where scientists and engineers worked on aircraft structures. He stayed there for his whole career, becoming a Chief Scientific Officer. After he retired, he spent six years as a visiting professor at Surrey University. There, he became interested in how engineering ideas could be applied to biology, especially how surfaces behave.
He also helped start important groups like the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications and the Royal Academy of Engineering. These groups bring together top experts in math and engineering. Eric Mansfield passed away on October 20, 2016.
Awards and Recognition
Eric Mansfield received many important awards for his work. These awards showed how much his contributions were valued in the world of science and engineering.
- 1957: He earned a Doctorate of Science from Cambridge University. This is a very high academic honor.
- 1960: He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. This means he was recognized as a leading expert in airplane design.
- 1971: He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the oldest and most respected scientific organizations in the world. Being a Fellow means you are among the best scientists.
- 1991: He received the James Alfred Ewing Medal from the Institution of Civil Engineers. This award is given for special contributions to engineering research.
- 1994: He was awarded the Royal Medal by the Royal Society. This is a very prestigious award given for outstanding achievements in science.
