Cunningham was born in
Edinburgh in 1895, the son of Jean Craigie and her husband William Cunningham. The family lived at 14 Ramsay Gardens at the top of the
Royal Mile in
Edinburgh. He was educated at
Edinburgh Academy, then from 1906 attended
Sedbergh School in
Yorkshire. He returned to Edinburgh to study at the
University of Edinburgh but his education was interrupted by
World War I. He served in the
King's Own Scottish Borderers then the
Royal Engineers. He had the rank of 2nd lieutenant. In May 1916 he was promoted to lieutenant. After the war he returned to the University of Edinburgh, and in 1923 graduated with an MA BSc mathematics and physics. He continued at the university, gaining a PhD with a thesis on the
Trajectory of Falling Bombs. In 1925 he began working for the
RAF as an education officer. In 1931 he introduced the world's first course on advanced air armaments. In 1936, whilst at the
Royal Aircraft Establishment he patented the
Gyro gunsight, produced by Ferranti and immediately used by both the RAF and
USAF. He was given the rank of honorary squadron leader. In 1945 he was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were
Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker,
Edward Copson,
David Gibb and
Alexander Aitken. He died at 49 Beverley Gardens in
Stanmore near
Harrow on 31 August 1946 aged 51. He is buried with his parents in
New Calton Burial Ground in
Edinburgh just south of the main east-west entrance path. ==Publications==