Hermann Glauert FRS, FRAeS (1892-1934)

The paper deals with the life and work of Hermann Glauert who, at his untimely death, was Head of the Aerodynamics Department of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. After a biographical sketch, the paper describes his work in aeroplane performance including stability and control, aerodynamics, propellers, autogyros and helicopters, and finally his review papers and other contributions to the Royal Aeronautical Society. All of Glauert’s work in aeronautics sprang from his career at Farnborough. The vast majority of his published papers appeared as Reports & Memoranda (R&M) of the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (ACA) which in 1920 became the ARC. He was well placed to appreciate the aerodynamic theory developed by Ludwig Prandtl and his associates at Göttingen, and he kept abreast of German developments; at times these provided seminal ideas for his own original researches. His classic textbook, The Elements of Aerofoil and Airscrew Theory, was first published in 1926. For helicopters in forward flight, he recognised that a rolling moment would be created by the advancing blade having a greater lift than the retreating blade. To remove this moment, he suggested arranging a periodic variation of blade angle during each revolution, a proposal later universally adopted.