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61 Martin, Sir James
SUBJECT AREA: Aerospace[br]b. 1893 Co. Down, Northern Irelandd. 5 January 1981 England[br]Irish military aircraft engineer, inventor of the ejector seat.[br]Martin acquired a general knowledge of engineering as an industrial worker in Belfast. In 1929 he established the Martin Aircraft Company, which was merged five years later with another concern to form the Martin-Baker Aircraft Company at Denham, Buckinghamshire. They became known for designing and constructing efficient, lightweight military aircraft, and Martin supervised personally every aspect of the work of his factory. During the Second World War they developed a number of aircraft weapons, including an explosive device carried on a bomber's wings for cutting the cables of barrage balloons, the flat-feed system for the 20 mm Hispano cannon used on British fighter planes and the twelve-gun pack mounted in the nose of the Havoc night fighter. Martin began devising means of rapid escape from a disabled fighter plane. First came a quick-release canopy for the Spitfire, followed by an improved form sliding on guides set in the fuselage. Then came the Martin-Baker seat, which ejected the pilot from his plane by an explosive charge. Ground tests were made to determine the rates of acceleration that could be tolerated by the pilot, and the first test in the air with a pilot took place in July 1946 at a speed of 320 mph (515 km/h) and an altitude of 8,000 ft (2,400 m). Its first use in a genuine emergency was in May 1949.After the Second World War, the firm specialized in making components, particularly the ejector seat, rather than complete aircraft. The higher speeds and altitudes of supersonic jet aircraft made it necessary to modify the ejector seat: a device to hold the pilot's legs together, to prevent their being broken, was incorporated. In addition, with the Institute of Aviation Medicine, Martin developed a face blind to prevent skin damage at low temperatures. Another modification was to allow the seat to fall freely for the first 10,000 ft (3,000 m) to enable the pilot to reach breathable air more quickly; in October 1959 a successful demonstration took place at 1,250 mph (2,000 km/h) and 40,000 ft (12,000 m) altitude. During the inventor's lifetime, it is estimated that his ejector seat saved the lives of some 4,700 airmen.[br]Principal Honours and DistinctionsKnighted 1965. Barbour Air Safety Award 1958. Cumberbatch Air Safety Trophy 1959. Royal Aero Club Gold Medal 1964.Further ReadingObituary, 1981, The Times.LRD
См. также в других словарях:
Breathable — Breath a*ble (br[=e][th] [.a]*b l), a. Such as can be breathed. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
breathable — ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of air) fit to breathe. 2) (of clothing) admitting air to the skin and allowing sweat to evaporate … English terms dictionary
breathable — adjective Date: circa 1731 1. suitable for breathing < breathable air > 2. allowing air to pass through ; porous < a breathable synthetic fabric > • breathability noun … New Collegiate Dictionary
Breathable — This redirect page is WRONG. Breathable refers to the ability of a material to transmit water vapour. See [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/breathable] Search wikipedia for occurrences of the word to verify my assertion.There s probably a definition … Wikipedia
breathable — breathability, breathableness, n. /bree dheuh beuhl/, adj. 1. able or fit to be breathed: filters to make the air more breathable. 2. allowing the passage of air and moisture: a breathable fabric. [1725 35; BREATHE + ABLE] * * * … Universalium
breathable — breath|a|ble [ briðəbl ] adjective 1. ) air that is breathable is clean enough or suitable for people to breathe 2. ) clothes that are breathable are comfortable because they are made of cloth that has a lot of very small holes that allow air in … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
breathable — UK [ˈbriːðəb(ə)l] / US [ˈbrɪðəb(ə)l] adjective 1) air that is breathable is clean enough or suitable for people to breathe 2) clothes that are breathable are comfortable because they are made of cloth that has a lot of very small holes that allow … English dictionary
breathable — adj. Breathable is used with these nouns: ↑fabric … Collocations dictionary
breathable — breath|a|ble [ˈbri:ðəbəl] adj clothing that is breathable allows air to pass through it easily … Dictionary of contemporary English
breathable — [[t]bri͟ːðəb(ə)l[/t]] ADJ A breathable fabric allows air to pass through it easily, so that clothing made from it does not become too warm or uncomfortable … English dictionary
breathable — breath•a•ble [[t]ˈbri ðə bəl[/t]] adj. 1) cvb fit to be breathed 2) cvb allowing the passage of air and moisture; porous: breathable fabrics[/ex] • Etymology: 1725–35 breath a•bil′i•ty, n … From formal English to slang
