Two Cambridge academics have been honoured by the Royal Academy of Engineering for their outstanding contribution to the profession.

Supersonic aircraft might not be plagued by the problem of sonic boom if a radical design proposal by a Cambridge academic could be made to work.

Professor John Ffowcs Williams, Master of Emmanuel College, directed the Concorde Noise Panel in the 1960s and 70s. He now believes it is possible to build an aeroplane that could pass through the sound barrier without generating the characteristic and disturbing sonic boom, which prevents Concorde flying supersonic over land and severely limits its routes.

Professor Ffowcs Williams is a world expert in noise-reduction technology and was prominent in developing the concept of anti-sound now routinely used to silence some aircraft noises. He has been presented with the Royal Academy of Engineering Sir Frank Whittle Medal for his lifelong dedication to understanding the properties of sound, which has enabled huge innovation in international transport.

The Sir Frank Whittle Medal reflects the spirit of the late Sir Frank Whittle OM KBE CB FEng FRS, one of the most creative engineers of all time and this is only the second time that the Whittle Medal has been awarded.

Richard Friend, Cavendish Professor of Physics at the University, has also been recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering and presented with the Silver Medal for his outstanding personal contribution to British engineering. Professor Friend is also co-founder and chief scientist at Cambridge Display Technology.

Professor Friend and his colleagues discovered in 1989 that they could made polymers that emitted intense light under an electric current, and that changing the polymer composition produced different colours of light. Realising that this breakthrough opened the way to high-quality colour displays in computers and mobile devices, they formed CDT in 1992 to exploit the discovery. Ten years on CDT employs 110 people in Cambridge and Huntingdon and has licensed its technology to several major electronics manufacturers.

Professor Friend has also found another application for his polymers as semiconductors. They can be printed directly onto any kind of surface to make a printed circuit-board far more cheaply than conventional silicon chips. To this end he has co-founded Plastic Logic in Cambridge to develop the technology.

The academy awards up to four medals each year and recipients must be under 50.


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