Affiliation:
1. 4/21 East Bank, London N16 5RG, UK
Abstract
After a rigorous German education in the physical sciences, young Ludwig Wittgenstein entered Manchester University as an aeronautical engineering research student. There he devised and patented a novel aero-engine employing an airscrew propeller driven by blade tip-jets. Within the context of the growth of English aviation during the first half of the twentieth century (including the contributions of many Fellows of the Royal Society) and taking into account related aspects of his life, this paper examines an unfulfilled engineering aspiration. In enlarging upon what Wittgenstein might have accomplished during his stay at Manchester, it contrasts his invention with later comparable proven designs, albeit applied to hybrid rotorcraft. His engine employed centrifugal flow compression and arguably was a precursor of Sir Frank Whittle's gas turbine. In conclusion, reasons are given for Wittgenstein's departure from Manchester.
Subject
History and Philosophy of Science
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