From Mark Dowson
Your Instant Expert (2 June) on the legacy of Alan Turing did not mention the Pilot ACE (Automatic Computing Engine) which has a strong claim to be regarded as the first high-speed, stored-program, Von Neumann-architecture digital computer.
It was based on Turing’s original design for a full ACE version and was built at the UK National Physical Laboratory from 1946. Pilot ACE was most notably used to analyse airframe structural stresses that caused the break-up of some early airliners.
Leesburg, Virginia, US
