Sheila McGuffie facts for kids

Sheila McGuffie later Sheila Anscombe (March 1911 - 2007) was an aeronautical engineer, who was part of the team that developed the first jet engine.

Early life and education

McGuffie was born in 1911 and studied Electrical Engineering at the Victoria University of Manchester and graduated in 1932 with an honours degree. She was one of two women to graduate from the department at the same time, the other being Beatrice Shilling. In an article written by McGuffie in the Glasgow Herald in 1950, she recalled that only four women took degrees in engineering in the UK in the year she graduated, which was a record number. In the same article she recalled riding pillion on Shillings' motor bike over Manchester's cobbled streets.

Career

McGuffie found it difficult to obtain employment after graduating and started her career as an apprentice in electrical contracting and house wiring, about which she later wrote an article in The Woman Engineer. She subsequently spent three years as a test records engineer at A.C Engineers, Rugby and then from 1936 worked as a wind tunnel scientist at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. She gained her pilot's A licence while working there, and was the first woman member and the tenth pupil of the Coventry Aviation Group to fly solo. After getting married in 1938, she kept flying as a member of the Civil Air Guard. She worked as a test engineer at Power Jets from 1940 to 1942 with Frank Whittle's team developing the first jet engine, and she was present at the first flight at Cranwell in May 1941. During the Second World War McGuffie also worked as an ambulance driver.

Professional memberships

• Royal Aeronautical Society (student/full member)
• Women's Engineering Society (member)