Mary Sudbury (1934 - 2018), was a female engineer who worked in the 1950s wind tunnel research team, developing the supersonic airliner, Concorde, and was an Edinburgh Christian charity worker.[1]
Born Mary Johnson, in 1934 in Eccles, Manchester; her father Thomas was an Agecroft colliery worker and mother Winifred (née Warrington) was an elocution teacher and comedy actor. Sudbury grew up with air raids, city smog, and meeting German POWs and had a brother, Peter. She attended Pendleton High School, did not enjoy art classes, but she played hockey for the county. Her education continued at Westfield College, University of London where she graduated in mathematics in 1954.[1]
Engineering roleedit
Sudbury immediately joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, Hampshire (RAE).[1] She worked in the wind tunnels engineering team. The innovative buildings were precision engineered and at the forefront of aviation research, to test the impact of airflow on an object such as an aircraft, and thus required complex calculations before the development of computers.[2] One wind tunnel was specifically designed to test supersonic aircraft, up to Mach 1.2, part of Concorde development project, and is now a listed building.[3]
Developing the shape of the supersonic aircraft was a 'staggeringly bold aerodynamic adventure'.[4] The models of the tunnel development are held in the Science Museum.[5] A video of the output (after Sudbury's time as it refers to punchcards) shows the complexity of the building and the data she had to work with.[6]
In 1959 she married George Sudbury. But as the only female on the wind tunnel engineering testing team, despite earlier female pioneers like Frances Bradfield, and contemporary German scientist Johanna Weber at RAE, Sudbury became frustrated at being asked by a new manager for example, to 'pour the coffee' at visitor meetings. Sudbury left RAE upon the birth of her first child.[1]
Charity workedit
Moving to Edinburgh in 1962, when her husband was employed by the Royal Observatory, she had two further children. They also adopted two mixed-race children. This decision led to estrangement from her father.[1]
Sudbury worked as a maths teacher and established a charity which helped disabled adults into further education. An active member of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Sudbury had left during a sermon which preached that there may be some benefit in nuclear weapons, and joined the pacifist Society of Friends (Quaker) religion. Her charity work included creating a rent guarantee scheme, housing refugees, reading to a blind person, and supporting ex-prisoners to re-enter society upon release.[1]
In her latter years, Sudbury suffered from dementia but retained her sense of humour. She died in 2018, and is survived by her children Marion, Peter, Mark and Chinyere and her seven grandchildren.[1]
mary, sudbury, 1934, 2018, female, engineer, worked, 1950s, wind, tunnel, research, team, developing, supersonic, airliner, concorde, edinburgh, christian, charity, worker, born1934eccles, manchesterdied2018educationpendleton, high, school, westfield, college,. Mary Sudbury 1934 2018 was a female engineer who worked in the 1950s wind tunnel research team developing the supersonic airliner Concorde and was an Edinburgh Christian charity worker 1 Mary SudburyBorn1934Eccles ManchesterDied2018EducationPendleton High School and Westfield College University of LondonOccupationengineerEmployerRoyal Aircraft EstablishmentKnown forwind tunnel engineering for supersonic aircraft Concorde Contents 1 Life and work 1 1 Engineering role 1 2 Charity work 2 See also 3 External links 4 ReferencesLife and work editBorn Mary Johnson in 1934 in Eccles Manchester her father Thomas was an Agecroft colliery worker and mother Winifred nee Warrington was an elocution teacher and comedy actor Sudbury grew up with air raids city smog and meeting German POWs and had a brother Peter She attended Pendleton High School did not enjoy art classes but she played hockey for the county Her education continued at Westfield College University of London where she graduated in mathematics in 1954 1 Engineering role edit Sudbury immediately joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment Farnborough Hampshire RAE 1 She worked in the wind tunnels engineering team The innovative buildings were precision engineered and at the forefront of aviation research to test the impact of airflow on an object such as an aircraft and thus required complex calculations before the development of computers 2 One wind tunnel was specifically designed to test supersonic aircraft up to Mach 1 2 part of Concorde development project and is now a listed building 3 Developing the shape of the supersonic aircraft was a staggeringly bold aerodynamic adventure 4 The models of the tunnel development are held in the Science Museum 5 A video of the output after Sudbury s time as it refers to punchcards shows the complexity of the building and the data she had to work with 6 In 1959 she married George Sudbury But as the only female on the wind tunnel engineering testing team despite earlier female pioneers like Frances Bradfield and contemporary German scientist Johanna Weber at RAE Sudbury became frustrated at being asked by a new manager for example to pour the coffee at visitor meetings Sudbury left RAE upon the birth of her first child 1 Charity work edit Moving to Edinburgh in 1962 when her husband was employed by the Royal Observatory she had two further children They also adopted two mixed race children This decision led to estrangement from her father 1 Sudbury worked as a maths teacher and established a charity which helped disabled adults into further education An active member of the Scottish Episcopal Church Sudbury had left during a sermon which preached that there may be some benefit in nuclear weapons and joined the pacifist Society of Friends Quaker religion Her charity work included creating a rent guarantee scheme housing refugees reading to a blind person and supporting ex prisoners to re enter society upon release 1 In her latter years Sudbury suffered from dementia but retained her sense of humour She died in 2018 and is survived by her children Marion Peter Mark and Chinyere and her seven grandchildren 1 See also editsupersonic transport for a discussion of aerodynamics being tested Royal Aircraft Establishment for information about the wind tunnelsExternal links editVideo of wind tunnel testing of ConcordeReferences edit a b c d e f g Sudbury Marian 2018 02 02 Mary Sudbury obituary The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 2023 09 29 Wind Tunnels Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Retrieved 2023 09 29 Wind Tunnel Buildings Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Retrieved 2023 09 29 Owen Kenneth 2001 Concorde story of a supersonic pioneer London Science Museum p 35 ISBN 978 1 900747 42 4 Early Concorde wind tunnel models Science Museum Group Collection collection sciencemuseumgroup org uk Retrieved 2023 09 29 Concorde Wind Tunnel Testing retrieved 2023 09 29 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mary Sudbury amp oldid 1208858572, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
