At the outbreak of World War I, he was sent to the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough to apply his knowledge to aircraft design, working, amongst other things, on the stress on propeller shafts.
Co inicio da primeira guerra mundial, foi enviado á Royal Aircraft Factory en Farnborough para aproveitar os seus coñecementos de deseño aéreo, traballando, entre outros aspectos, tensión dos raios propulsado.