David Keith-Lucas
Professor David Keith-Lucas (1911-1997), aeronautical engineer
1911 March 23rd. Born the son of Keith Lucas who invented the first aeronautical compass
1940-49 Chief Aerodynamicist, Short Brothers
1942 Married(1) to Dorothy De Bauduy Robertson (died 1979; two sons, one daughter)
1949-58 Chief Designer, Short Brothers and Harland
1958-64 Technical Director, Short Brothers and Harland
1964-65 Director of Research, Short Brothers and Harland
1965-72 Professor of Aircraft Design, Cranfield Institute of Technology
1972-76 Professor of Aeronautics and Chairman, College of Aeronautics
1981 Married(2) to Phyllis Everard (nee Whurr)
1997 April 6th. Died
1963 Bio Note [1]
Mr D. Keith-Lucas, M.A. (Member), who is the new Chairman of the Northern Ireland Branch, was educated at Greshams School and Cambridge University.
He served an apprenticeship with C. A. Parsons and Co. Ltd and, in 1936, joined the company's steam turbine design staff.
He moved to Short Bros as Chief Aerodynamicist in 1941 and became Chief Designer to Short Bros and Harland in 1949. In 1953 he was appointed a Director of that company and became Technical Director in 1958, a position he still holds.
Mr Keith-Lucas has many interests and serves on a number of committees but his chief concerns are with education, and airworthiness of aircraft. He is Chairman of the Board of Governors of Belfast College of Technology, a member of the Senate of Queen's University, Belfast, and Chairman of the Northern Ireland Association of Boys' Clubs. His other principal commitments are as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Civil Airworthiness and Chairman of the Gas Turbine Collaboration Committee's Power Plant Airworthiness subcommittee.
He has delivered many lectures and papers to the Royal Aeronautical Society and to this Institution. Recently he gave the Leonardo da Vinci Lecture for schoolchildren.
Mr Keith-Lucas has been a member of the Institution since 1934. He became a full Member in 1949.