National Physical Laboratory
The National Physical Laboratory is a British research institution established in 1899 at the site of Kew Observatory in Teddington (now part of London). It was created by the Royal Society and inherited the resources of the Kew Committee of the Royal Society;[1] in 1918 control—or at least responsibility for the budget—was handed over to the government's Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.[2]
Lord Rayleigh was the first Vice-Chairman of the General Board and of the Executive Committee. (The Chairman was the President of the Royal Society ex officio.)[1] The director through 1919 was Sir Richard Glazebrook. Its researchers dealt "with heat, optics, acoustics and molecular physics, with electricity, metrology, engineering, metallurgy, the forms of ships and aerial machines, and aero-dynamics."[2]
By 1912 the NPL was deep into research on aerodynamics, with an eye to dirigible and airplane development, under the apparent direction of the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.[3] It had an General Board of 36 members, twelve of whom represented six different technical institutions connected with industry and commerce: the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Institution of Electrical Engineers, the Iron and Steel Institute, the Society of Chemical Industry, and the Institution of Naval Architects.[1][2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "The National Physical Laboratory", Nature, 11 May 1899, p. 25.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Scientific Events: The British National Physical Laboratory". Science, 17 October 1919, p. 365.
- ↑ Bramwell, 1912, Aeronautical research at the National Physical Laboratory.
Publications referring to National Physical Laboratory
- Stanton, 1908, Experiments on wind pressure. National Physical Laboratory; Collected Researches. Reprinted with more tables (Simple title: Experiments on wind pressure. National Physical Laboratory; Collected Researches. Reprinted with more tables, Journal: Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers)
- Publication 9148, 1909, The new government flight offices and home of the National Physical Laboratory, Bushey House (Simple title: The new government flight offices and home of the National Physical Laboratory, Bushey House, Journal: Flight)
- Hargreaves, 1910, The (National) Physical Laboratory Experiments (Simple title: The (National) Physical Laboratory Experiments, Journal: Aero)
- Avery and Avery, 1911, Testing fabric at the National Physical Laboratory (Simple title: Testing fabric at the National Physical Laboratory, Journal: Flight)
- Advisory Committee, 1910, Technical Report of the Advisory Committee for the year 1910-1911 (Simple title: Technical Report of the Advisory Committee for the year 1910-1911)
- Bramwell, 1912, Aeronautical research at the National Physical Laboratory (Simple title: Aeronautical research at the National Physical Laboratory, Journal: Aër. Journ)
- National Physical Laboratory, 1913, Experimental research in aeronautics. Report of a year's work at the National Physical Laboratory, England (Simple title: Experimental research in aeronautics. Report of a year's work at the National Physical Laboratory, England, Journal: Scient. Amer. Suppl.)
- Béjeuhr, 1914, How the scientists are studying the aeroplane. Institutes of aerial engineering and their work (Simple title: How the scientists are studying the aeroplane. Institutes of aerial engineering and their work, Journal: Scient. Amer.)
- National Physical Laboratory, 1916, Recent work at the N. P. L. (Simple title: Recent work at the N. P. L., Journal: Aviation and Aeronautical Engineering)
| Organization names | National Physical Laboratory |
|---|---|
| Entity type | research institution |
| Country | GB |
| City | Teddington |
| Affiliated with | Royal Society, Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research |
| Scope | |
| Started aero | 1908 or earlier |
| Ended aero | |
| Keywords | aerodynamics, physics, theory, wind tunnel, air resistance, airfoil |
| Key people | Richard Glazebrook, Lord Rayleigh, Thomas Ernest Stanton |
| Wikidata id | Q1967606 |
