10 Facts about Barnes Wallis

Sunday, May 17th 2015. | Science

Find out interesting Facts about Barnes Wallis if you like to now the notable English inventor, engineer and scientist. This man was born on 26 September 1887 and passed away on 30 October 1979. Wallis rose to prominence after he took the credit for the inventor of the bouncing bomb. The Royal Air Force in Operation Chastise used his bomb. During the World War II, the bomb was used to attack the dams of Ruhr Valley. Let’s find out more interesting facts about Wallis below:

Facts about Barnes Wallis 1: the raid

The raid which used the bomb invented by Wallis was filmed in the movie The Dam Busters in 1955. Michael Redgrave was the actor who played Wallis character. Get facts about atomic bombs here.

Facts about Barnes Wallis 2: other inventions of Wallis

Besides the bouncing bomb, Wallis also invented the earthquake bomb and geodetic airframe.

Facts about Barnes Wallis

Facts about Barnes Wallis 3: place of birth

Barnes Wallis was born in Ripley, Derbyshire. In January 1905, he began to work at the age of 17 after he left Christ’s Hospital in Horsham. The first workplace of Wallis was at Thames Engineering in the southeast of London.

Facts about Barnes Wallis 4: the apprentice

Next, he changed his direction under the apprenticeship of J. Samuel White’s. It was a shipbuilding headquartered at Cowes on Isle of Wight.

Barnes Wallis

Facts about Barnes Wallis 5: a marine engineer

In 1922, Wallis went to University of London External Programme. He picked engineering as his major. He was trained to become a marine engineer there.

Facts about Barnes Wallis 6: aircraft design

In 1913, he decided to leave J. Samuel White’s because he was interested in aircraft and airship design. Then he worked for Vickers. He was the worker in British Aircraft Corporation until he retired in 1971.

Barnes Wallis Pic

Facts about Barnes Wallis 7: the first usage of geodetic

Wallis was very famous with his wonderful engineering skill. One of his best achievements was when he incorporated geodetic for the first time in engineering design.

Facts about Barnes Wallis 8: the largest ship ever designed

In 1930, the gasbag wiring of Vickers’ R100 was infused with geodetic. It was considered as the largest ship ever designed.

Barnes Wallis Old

Facts about Barnes Wallis 9: the structural design

The pioneers who used light alloys in the structural design of R100 were Barnes Wallis and John Edwin Temple. The chief calculator for the project was Nevil Shute Norway.

Facts about Barnes Wallis 10: death

Barnes Wallis was buried together with his wife at the local St. Lawrence Church. Barnes survived by four children. Those were Barnes, Mary, Elisabeth and Christopher.