Beatrice “Tilly” Shilling

Beatrice “Tilly” Shilling is a legend in Merlin lore. It was Ms. Shilling who overcame the serious negative “G” cutout problems with SU carburetor equipped Merlins. The tale has been told many times but briefly the SU carburetor was not equipped to handle negative “G” without first starving the engine for fuel and then over compensating and drowning the engine with an over rich mixture. The solution was disarmingly simple, a restrictor orifice fitted to the fuel supply line. In a way it’s too bad that Ms. Shilling’s reputation at the Royal Aircraft Establishment was based on this one, albeit major, accomplishment. http://southsiders-mc.blogspot.com/2009/04/beatrice-tilly-shilling.html

Frank, you seem to have a repository of interesting historical information. Those were the days where the distinction between 2 wheels 4 wheels and wings was not so clear cut and an interest in one seemed to dovetail in naturally with the others, a scenario much more difficult in these days of specialisation in all areas. Fascinating stuff please keep it coming.

dave M said:

Frank, you seem to have a repository of interesting historical information. Those were the days where the distinction between 2 wheels 4 wheels and wings was not so clear cut and an interest in one seemed to dovetail in naturally with the others, a scenario much more difficult in these days of specialisation in all areas. Fascinating stuff please keep it coming.

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Thanks Dave for your message, yes you right it was the good old days long time go before "Big Brother"

This is quite interesting stuff Frank. for some reason it reminds me of the story quoted here a bit ago about NASA spending millions to make a pen that wrote in zero gravity while the Russians used a pencil.