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Sir Christopher Cockerell
(4 Jun 1910 - 1 Jun 1999)
English inventor.
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Science Quotes by Sir Christopher Cockerell (4 quotes)
[In an inventor’s life] Everything is stacked against you, but for some reason some silly chaps seem to be driven to it (rather like a painter of a composer of music), which is perhaps just as well or we should still be living in the Stone Age.
— Sir Christopher Cockerell
As quoted in Michael T. Kaufman, 'Christopher Cockerell, 88, Inventor, Dies; Father of Hovercraft and Marconi Devices', New York Times (4 Jun 1999), 19.
I’ve enjoyed life, but it would have been nice to treat my wife to dinner once in a while.
— Sir Christopher Cockerell
From a 1996 interview, as quoted in an obituary which explained, “his patents for the hovercraft and other inventions did provide what he conceded was a reasonable living, but they did not make him rich.” In Michael T. Kaufman, 'Christopher Cockerell, 88, Inventor, Dies; Father of Hovercraft and Marconi Devices', New York Times (4 Jun 1999), 19.
Some of the hovercraft saga was fun, but most of it was incredibly frustrating.
— Sir Christopher Cockerell
As quoted in Michael T. Kaufman, 'Christopher Cockerell, 88, Inventor, Dies; Father of Hovercraft and Marconi Devices', New York Times (4 Jun 1999), 19.
The Admiralty said it was a plane and not a boat, the Royal Air Force said it was a boat and not a plane, the Army were plain not interested.
— Sir Christopher Cockerell
Describing his invention, the hovercraft. Webmaster has not yet found a source for this as a direct quote.
See also:
- 4 Jun - short biography, births, deaths and events on date of Cockerell's birth.
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- 
