Anniversary of Sir Frank Whittle's jet engine flight

[littlebro 234]

A celebration to mark the 70th anniversary of the first jet engine flight is taking place at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.

On 15 May 1941, the Gloster E28/39 aircraft powered by Sir Frank Whittle's jet engine took off for a flight that lasted almost 17 minutes.

BBC link

[Beefsteak 305]

I found out about it too late, and unfortunately couldn't get over.

[firbeck 860]

A celebration to mark the 70th anniversary of the first jet engine flight is taking place at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.

BBC link

The first actual jet engine flight was in Germany, 1939, in a Heinkel 178, a few weeks before the start of WW2.

Whittles designs were superior to those of the Germans, and patented in advance in 1930, but of course, the good old powers that be and the RAF didn't want to know, things don't change do they.

On the other hand, the development of airframe design over here was so backward that we were still equiping with bi-planes, a jet powered Hawker Fury was highly unlikely.

Had Whittles patents been accepted and jet propulsion been taken on board in the early 30's, monoplanes may have come on line earlier, an all jet RAF fighter force may well have made the Germans reconsider their invasion of Poland and it's subsequent results, who knows, Meteors v Messerschmidts in the BoB could have been interesting.

I seem to remember seeing the original E28/39 in the aviation hall in the Science Museum, that would be a good restoration to fly project.

[danny333 7]

http://en.wikipedia....da_CF-105_Arrow

Good for Frank Whittle, I worked on The Vampire and Meteor Engines in The R.A.F in the 50`s, then at Tollerton On C47`s ( The Goony Bird or Dakota ) Then Malton Toronto Canada on building the Avro Arrow sadly the yanks were jealous to death and killed the contract