Miss Shilling's Orifice
An excerpt from "A Woman's World", my new book in collaboration with Dan Jones
There were many heroes in the Battle of Britain, but few who made such a practical difference to so many as Beatrice Shilling, pictured here in 1935. A mechanical and aeronautical engineer, Shilling worked for the Royal Aircraft Establishment, the R&D arm of the Royal Air Force, from 1936 to 1969. In November 1939, two months after the outbreak of the Second World War, she was promoted to head of the carburettor research department, which put her in position to solve an urgent problem.
The engines in British fighter planes, such as the Spitfire and the Hurricane, were prone to cutting out when the aircraft went into steep dives and fuel flooded the carburettor. Planes and pilots were being lost to this failing, which also gave German fighter pilots and advantage in dogfights, since they could dive sharply, knowing that their opponents could not follow. Shiling divised a fuel restrictor, known as Miss Shilling’s Orifice, which prevented flooding and, crucially, could be fitted quickly to an aircraft without the need to take it out of service.
After the war, Shilling worked on several projects, including the Blue Streak ballistic missile programme. She was also a keen motorbike racer who switched to racing cars with her husband after they were married. Legend has it that she only accepted her fiancé’s proposal once he’d matched her August 1934 achievement of a 100mph average lap at the Brooklands circuit, where this photograph was taken.
This is an excerpt from our new book, A Woman's World, publish on August 4 by Head of Zeus. Pre-order the book today to support my work. Thank you so much!
