René Lorin

French engineer and inventor

René Lorin

Born	24 March 1877
Died	16 January 1933
Occupation	Engineer
Engineering career
Significant design	ramjet

René Lorin (24 March 1877 – 16 January 1933) was a French aerospace engineer and inventor of the ramjet.^[1]

In 1908 Lorin patented, FR390256, the first subsonic ramjet design.^[2] He published the principles of a ramjet in articles in the journal L'Aérophile from 1908^[3]^[4]^[5] to 1913, expressing the idea that the exhaust from internal combustion engines could be directed into nozzles to create jet propulsion.^[6]^[7] He could not test this invention since there was no way at the time for an aircraft to go fast enough for a ramjet to function properly.^[8]^[9]

When René Leduc applied for a patent on a ramjet design in 1933, FR705648, he discovered Lorin's publications and tried to contact him, only to learn that he had recently died. Leduc thereafter paid homage to Lorin's work.^[10]

René Lorin is a graduate of the École Centrale Paris.

References

^ "SP-4306 Engines and Innovation: Lewis Laboratory and American Propulsion Technology", Ch.4, p.68
^ French patent 390256, filed in May 1908, on espacenet
^ Lorin, René. "Le propulseur à échappement et l'aéroplane à grande vitesse" L'Aérophile, Sept. 1908, 332-336.
^ Gibbs-Smith, Charles. 1970 and 2000. Aviation: An historical survey from its origins to the end of the Second World War. Science Museum. pp. 163-164.
^ Brockett, Paul. 1917. Bibliography of Aeronautics.
^ 1941 Flight article explaining ramjets and mentioning Lorin's work
^ "Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary," National Park Service web site
^ Ricco, Philippe. "Leduc: the difficult beginning"
^ Philippe Ballarini, translated by Marc Binazzi. "The ramjet: Past, present or future?"
^ Ricco, Philippe. "Leduc: the difficult beginning." At Aerostories.free.fr.