Sir George H Dowty (1901-1975) was a British inventor and businessman.

Dowty was born in Pershore, Worcestershire in 1901. He was sent to the Royal Grammar School Worcester after losing his right eye at the age of 12. He left in 1916 to take up a job as an apprentice for an factory in Worcester. He later moved to Cheltenham to become a draughtsman for the same company. In 1935 he set up his own company in Cheltenham making aircraft equipment. Dowt invented the first internally sprung aircraft wheel and by the time the Second World War had broken out the company was known as Dowty Aviation and was making the hydraulic systems for almost every aircraft in Britain and many in America. His equipment was also used in the Concorde jets.

In 1955 he was knighted by the Queen for his services to the industry. By now his company was a multinational with many subsidiaries.

In 1961 he became the President of the Worcester Old Elizabethans' Association and amongst his other awards he was President of the Royal Aeronautical Society, winning the RAeS Gold Medal. He was given the Freedom of the Borough of Cheltenham and Gloucester and was a Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire. He died in 1975 but his company still remains and is known as Messier-Dowty.

External link

• Messier-Dowty