A typical Pegasus computer installation, on view at the Science Museum, London
Pegasus was an early British vacuum-tube (valve) computer built by Ferranti, Ltd that pioneered design features to make life easier for both engineers and programmers.[1][2][3] Originally it was named the Ferranti Package Computer as its hardware design followed that of the Elliott 401 with modular plug-in packages.[4] Much of the development was the product of three men: W. S. (Bill) Elliott (hardware); Christopher Strachey (software) and Bernard Swann (marketing and customer support).[5] It was Ferranti's most popular valve computer[6] with 38 being sold. The first Pegasus was delivered in 1956[7] and the last was delivered in 1959. Ferranti received funding for the development from the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC).[8]
At least two Pegasus machines survive, one in The Science Museum, London and one which was displayed in the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester but which has now been removed to the storage in the Science Museum archives at Wroughton. The Pegasus in The Science Museum, London ran its first program in December 1959 and was regularly demonstrated until 2009 when it developed a severe electrical fault.[9][10] In early 2014, the Science Museum decided to retire it permanently,[11] effectively ending the life of one of the world's oldest working computers. The Pegasus officially held the title of the world's oldest computer until 2012, when the restoration of the Harwell computer was completed at the National Museum of Computing.
^Ferranti Computers 1953-64(PDF), Museum of Science & Industry, 2011, archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2014, retrieved 15 November 2014.
^Merry, Ian (Autumn 1993), "The design of Pegasus", Resurrection: The Bulletin of the Computer Conservation Society (7), ISSN 0958-7403.
^Pegasus – a vintage British computer, University of Essex.
^Lavington (1980), p. 79.
^Ross (2012), p. 1.
^Burton, Chris (18 November 2003), "Ferranti Pegasus, Perseus and Sirius: Delivery Lists and Applications" (PDF), CCS-F3X1 (4), retrieved 18 June 2022.
Pegasus was an early British vacuum-tube (valve) computer built by Ferranti, Ltd that pioneered design features to make life easier for both engineers...
Ferranti or Ferranti International PLC was a UK electrical engineering and equipment firm that operated for over a century from 1885 until it went bankrupt...
Programming Language (CPL). COWSEL was initially implemented on a FerrantiPegasus computer at the University of Leeds and on a Stantec Zebra at the Bradford...
vacuum tube (valve) computer built by Ferranti Ltd of Great Britain. It was a development of the FerrantiPegasus computer for large-scale data processing...
Later, he worked on programming both the Elliott 401 computer and the FerrantiPegasus computer. Together with Donald B. Gillies, he filed three patents in...
became the prototype for the Ferranti Mark 1, the world's first commercially available general-purpose computer. Built by Ferranti, it was delivered to the...
which he headed. This was based in Cybor House, and they installed a FerrantiPegasus computer, the first in the world dedicated to management cybernetics...
UK Atomic Power Division of English Electric Company. Precursor to FerrantiPegasus, National Physical Laboratories ACE and English Electric DEUCE implementations...
application of computer calculations to an engineering project, using the FerrantiPegasus computer to generate models. During Arup's lifetime, the company would...
UK Atomic Power Division of English Electric Company. Precursor to FerrantiPegasus, National Physical Laboratories ACE and English Electric DEUCE implementations...
supplied with a version of Autocode adapted from the FerrantiPegasus, and Autocode programs from the Pegasus could be run on the Sirius "with very little alteration...
predecessor it was heavily used. Brooker also developed an autocode for the Ferranti Mercury in the 1950s in conjunction with the University of Manchester....
became one of the pioneers of management cybernetics. They installed a FerrantiPegasus computer in Cybor House, located in Tapton House Road, Sheffield. This...
Award for computer conservation and restoration London Science Museum: FerrantiPegasus (Not currently being displayed working) Museum of Science and Industry...
United Arab Emirates. ISC was purchased by the British company Ferranti in 1987, with Ferranti in turn becoming part of GEC-Marconi in 1991. Development of...
will make 759 appearances and score 249 goals for the team. First FerrantiPegasus computer manufactured. 1957 – 14 March: British European Airways Flight...
opera Die Meistersinger. George Gwilt 1979-1988 Upon arrival of a FerrantiPegasus computer (through Edinburgh Computers LTd, a company jointly created...
history of British computing. He was employed by Ferranti from the mid-1960s, where he worked on the Pegasus thermionic valve computer. He was involved in...
he collaborated with Christopher Strachey to simulate the proposed FerrantiPegasus, which was eventually constructed in 1956. His initial job was with...
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ILLIAC ZEBRA EMI 1100 Ferranti Mercury, Pegasus, and Orion systems The steganographic code, commonly known as...
the P.1127 had an innovative vectored thrust turbofan engine, the Pegasus. The Pegasus I was rated at 9,000 pounds (40 kN) of thrust and first ran in September...