DUNCAN

UNITED KINGDOM (see also List of Individuals)

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26.4.1894 Hillhead/UK - 9.12.1960 Glasgow/UK

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William Jolly Duncan was educated at University College, London from 1911 to 1914. He moved to the National Physical Department in 1926 and in 1930 gained the degree D.Sc. from the University of London for his works in aerodynamic flutter. He joined in 1934 as a Lecturer first and from 1938 as professor the Aeronautics Department of University College, Hull. After the outbreak of World War II, he joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment RAE, Farnborough, to head its Armament Department. In 1946, Duncan was the first aerodynamics professor of the newly erected Air Force Station in Cranfield offering post-graduate studies in aeronautics. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1947 and in 1950 left for the Glasgow University and held this appointment until his death. In 1957 Duncan was appointed chairman of the Aeronautical Research Council ARC after having been knighted.

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Duncun's career set out with re-calibration on the whirling arm of a Pitot tube. This appeared to be a simple matter, but it proved to be difficult to get the desired accuracy of one part in a thousand on account of the large and irregular swirl set up by the whirling arm. With R.A. Frazer and A.R. Collar, Duncan initiated works on wing flutter producing fundamental solutions on the flutter problem. The flutter problem had become important around 1930 on account of the accidents to aeroplanes which were obviously attributed to a violent oscillation of wings leading to structural failure. The questions on the cause of these oscillations building up suddenly in amplitude and the means to prevent were of prime interest in the advance of aviation. At RAE, Duncan contributed to the aerodynamics and control of winged torpedoes and gliding bombs.

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_{Ackroyd, J.A.D. (2002). Duncan. The development of the streamlined monoplane. Aeronautical Journal 106(5): 238. P}

_{Anonymous (1949). Aeronautics at the University of Glasgow: Prof. W.J. Duncan, FRS. Nature}

_{164: 905-906.}

_{Duncan, W.J., Frazer, R.A. (1928). The flutter of aeroplane wings. ARC Reports and Memoranda 1155. Aeronautical Research Council: London.}

_{Duncan, W.J. (1949). A simple approach to wind tunnel constriction effect. Aircraft Engineering 21: 180-183.}

_{Duncan, W.J. (1952). Principles of control and stability of aircraft. University Press: Cambridge.}

_{Duncan, W.J., Thom, A.S., Young, A.D. (1970). Mechanics of fluids. Arnold: London.}

_{Relf, E.F. (1961). William Jolly Duncan. Obituary Notes of Fellows Royal Society 7: 37-51. P}