Wilbur+R.+Franks

= //__ Wilbur R. Franks - The G-Suit __// =

In 1940, a man by the name of Wilbur Franks invented the very first anti-gravity. This new invention first went by the name of Franks Flying Suit. The suit was made with rubber and water-filled pads. The purpose of the device was to counter-act the effects of high G-forces on aircraft pilots, which would usually cause the pilot to blackout and crash. An important time in history where these suits were used was during World War II. Now, the suits original design is still used by air force pilots, astronauts and cosmonauts.

Wilbur R. Franks was born on March 4th 1901 in Weston, Ontario. Wilbur Franks also went to the Banting and Best Medical Research Institute at the University of Toronto as a cancer researcher. When finished school Wilbur Franks graduated with a pyschiatry degree. Shortly after graduating, Wilbur R. Franks approached Fredrick Banting with some ideas in cancer research, which Banting helped fund and also allowed him to test his theories. Even after the end of the second World War, Wilbur R. Franks continued working on cancer research in the same institute that he graduated. In July of 1925, Wilbur married a fellow medical student at Banting and Best Medical Research Institute by the name of Ruth MacLachlan. Shortly after getting married, Ruth and Wilbur had two twins by the name of William and Hugh Franks. Unfortunately a few years after getting married Wilbur Franks divorced Ruth, and continued on with his life for the better of mankind. Wilbur R Franks eventually retired at the age of 72 as Professor Emeritus. Further down the road, Wilbur R. Franks engaged in a second marriage with a Janina Polanowska.On January 4th 1986 Wilbur R. Franks passed away at the age of 84 at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Medical Centre.

Since Wilbur R. Franks has benefitted mankind in so many ways, he deserves to be inducted into The Canadian Science Hall of Fame. One huge reason Wilbur R. Franks deserves this award is because of the OBE (Order of the British Empire) he received for his great success in the 1944 for giving such tremendous tactical advantage to the allied forces. With this advantage, five times more pilots survived during the war then they would have wearing the G-Suit. Another reason Wilbur R. Franks should be inducted into The Canadian Science Hall of Fame is because he was also inducted into the Canadian’s Aviation for his amazing efforts of building the G-Suit. Not only was Franks noticed in Canada for his spectacular work, he was also recognized in the United States where he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Theodore C. Lyster Award, and the Eric Lilencrantz Award. The final reason Wilbur R. Franks should be inducted into The Canadian Science Hall of Fame is because he himself has his own award for Aviation Medicine.