George H. Bryan

Who was George H. Bryan?

George Hartley Bryan FRS, generally referred to in the technical literature as G. H. Bryan, was a professor at University College, Bangor, Wales who is generally credited with developing the modern mathematical treatment of the motion of airplanes in flight as rigid bodies with six degrees of freedom. Aside from minor differences in notation, Bryan's 1911 equations are the same as those used today to evaluate modern aircraft. In evaluating aircraft mathematically, Bryan focused on issues of aerodynamic stability rather than on control; stability and control of an aircraft tend to lie on opposite ends of the same spectrum. Bryan's aeronautic results were an extension of his earlier work in fluid dynamics. In 1888, Bryan developed mathematical models for fluid pressures within a pipe and for external buckling pressures. These models are still used today.

In 1890, Bryan discovered the so-called "wave inertia effect" in axi-symmetric thin elastic shells. This effect is the theoretical basis for modern solid-state gyroscopy using "wine-glass" resonators, which were elaborated by Dr. David D. Lynch, at al almost a century after Bryan's original discovery. These novel, precise sensors are now developed in the United States, Ukraine, Russia, France, South Africa, and China. They are used for satellite guidance systems, among other applications.