Vishnu Madav Ghatage

Background

Vishnu Madav Ghatage was born on 24 October 1908 at Hasur, a small village in the princely state of Kolhapur, now in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.

Education

His early schooling was at Kolhapur after which he graduated (Bachelor of Science) from Sir Parshurambhau College, Pune and joined Institute of Science, Mumbai (formerly known as Royal Institute of Science) for post graduate studies. He passed Master of Science from there with distinction which made him eligible for scholarship for overseas studies. After completing his post graduate thesis on Formation of Vortex from Colaba Observatory, he joined Kaiser Wilhelm Society, Göttingen in 1933 for doctoral research on Model experiments for the relative motion of air columns of different temperature under the guidance of Ludwig Prandtl and secured a doctoral degree (Doctor of Philosophy) in 1936. His research was funded by the Gliding Society of Germany as his thesis was related to cumulus clouds, a subject of interest to the sport of gliding.

Career

In 1936, Ghatage returned to India and worked as a professor at the University of Pune and at the University of Mumbai for four years. He joined Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in 1940 for a two-year stint and moved to the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (IISC) in 1942 as a professor to establish post graduate courses in aeronautical engineering and taught fluid dynamics, solid mechanics and aircraft design and organised wind tunnel experiments there till 1948. His 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.

Vishnu Madav Ghatage retired from HAL as its general manager and managing director in 1970.

Post retirement, Vishnu Madav Ghatage was involved with his private venture, Designers Private Limited, a Bangalore-based engineering design firm. Known to be a golf enthusiast, he helped found the Karnataka Golf Association and was its founder vice president. Ghatage died, aged 81, in Bengaluru on 6 December 1991 succumbing to cancer.

Achievements

• Vishnu Madav Ghatage, credited with modernising the Indian aircraft industry, was the founder Head of the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science and was known to have inspired many young Indian aerospace engineers like Roddam Narasimha during his teaching days there. His contributions were also reported in the establishment of the National Aerospace Laboratories, the second largest aerospace laboratory facility in India.
  
  Vishnu Madav Ghatage was honoured by the Government of India in 1965, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his services to the nation.

Works

More photos

• fighter-bomber aircraft

  • HAL HF-24 Marut

    (The HAL HF-24 Marut ("Spirit of the Tempest") is an India...)

    1967

• jet trainer

  • HAL HJT-16 Kiran

    (The HAL HJT-16 Kiran ("Ray of light") is an Indian two-se...)

    1968

• military observation aircraft

  • HAL Krishak

    (The HAL HAOP-27 Krishak was a military observation aircra...)

    1960

• trainer aircraft

  • HAL HT-2

    (The Hindustan HT-2 is an Indian two-seat primary trainer ...)

    1953

• two-seat cabin monoplane

  • HAL Pushpak

    (The Hindustan HUL-26 Pushpak was a 1950s Indian two-seat ...)

Membership

• Indian Academy of Sciences , India

  1945

• Institute of Aeronautical Sciences

• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics , United States

Interests

• Sport & Clubs

  golf