Vishnu Madav Ghatage | |
|---|---|
 Photograph of a 1949 photograph of Dr. V. M. Ghatge displayed at HAL Museum, Bengaluru | |
| Born | 24 October 1908 |
| Died | 6 December 1991 (aged 83) |
| Occupation | Aeronautical engineer |
| Years active | 1936 - 1991 |
| Known for | Aeronautical engineering |
| Awards | Padma Shri National Design Award Sir Walter Pucky Prize |
Vishnu Madav Ghatage (24 October 1908 – 6 December 1991) was an Indian aeronautical engineer, known for his pioneering conceptual and engineering contributions to Indian aeronautics.[1][2] He led the team which designed and developedHAL HT-2, the first Indian designed and built aircraft.[1][3] He was honoured by theGovernment of India in 1965, with the award ofPadma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his services to the nation.[4]
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Vishnu Madav Ghatage was born on 24 October 1908[5] atHasur, a small village in theprincely state ofKolhapur, now in the western Indian state ofMaharashtra.[6][7] His early schooling was at Kolhapur after which he graduated (BSc) fromSir Parshurambhau College, Pune and joinedInstitute of Science, Mumbai (formerly known as Royal Institute of Science) for post graduate studies.[6] He passed MSc from there with distinction which made him eligible for scholarship for overseas studies.[6] After completing his post graduate thesis onFormation of Vortex fromColaba Observatory, he joinedKaiser Wilhelm Society,Göttingen in 1933 for doctoral research onModel experiments for the relative motion of air columns of different temperature under the guidance ofLudwig Prandtl and secured a doctoral degree (DPhil) in 1936.[5][8] His research was funded by theGliding Society of Germany as his thesis was related tocumulus clouds, a subject of interest to the sport of gliding.[6]
In 1936, Ghatage returned to India and worked as a professor at theUniversity of Pune and at theUniversity of Mumbai for four years.[6] He joinedHindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in 1940[7] for a two-year stint and moved to theIndian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (IISC) in 1942 as a professor[9][10] to establish post graduate courses in aeronautical engineering and taught fluid dynamics,[11] solid mechanics and aircraft design and organised wind tunnel experiments there till 1948.[6] He returned to HAL that year as the chief designer and was involved with aircraft design and development till 1967 reaching the post of a deputy director.[9] He retired from HAL as its general manager and managing director in 1970.[6][7]
Post retirement, he was involved with his private venture, Designers Private Limited, a Bangalore-based engineering design firm.[5][8] Known to be a golf enthusiast, he helped found the Karnataka Golf Association and was its founder vice president.[12] Ghatage died, aged 81, inBengaluru on 6 December 1991[8] succumbing to cancer.[7]
After joining HAL, Ghatage was entrusted with the responsibility of developing a glider and he developed a troop-carrying glider.[8] This was followed by the design and development ofHAL HT-2,[3] a trainer aircraft and the first Indian designed and developed aircraft.[6][7] The next project wasHAL Pushpak, a piston engine twin seater aircraft which was followed byHAL Kiran, a jet trainer for the Indian Air Force.[6][8] Later, he developed the prototype of theHAL Marut, a 2500 lb thrust straight jet engine aircraft.[6][8] However, this project was later entrusted to Kurt Wolfgang Tank, a German aerospace engineer and Ghatage's team was moved to Germany to assist Tank. By the time the project was accomplished, Ghatage had retired from HAL.[13] He was also behind the development ofHAL Krishak, a small aircraft used for agricultural purposes.[7]
Ghatage, credited with modernising the Indian aircraft industry,[9] was the founder Head of the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at theIndian Institute of Science[7] and was known to have inspired many young Indian aerospace engineers likeRoddam Narasimha during his teaching days there.[11] His contributions were also reported in the establishment of theNational Aerospace Laboratories, the second largest aerospace laboratory facility in India.[14]
Ghatage was an elected Fellow of theIndian Academy of Sciences (1945),[5] theIndian National Science Academy (1950),[8] theAeronautical Society of India, theRoyal Aeronautical Society of London and the National Institute of Sciences, India.[6] He was a member of theInstitution of Engineers (India), theAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, USA and theMaharashtra Academy of Sciences.[6][8]
Ghatage was a recipient of theNational Design Award from theGovernment of India.[6][8] In 1965, the government followed it up with the fourth highest Indian civilian award ofPadma Shri.[7][8] Four years later, he received Sir Walter Pucky Prize.[6][8]HAL,Indian Institute of Science and theAeronautical Society of India jointly honoured him on his 75th birthday by holding a seminar onDesign and Development in Aeronautics.[6]
