This article outlines the important developments in the history of the development of the air-breathing (duct)
jet engine. Although the most common type, the gas turbine powered jet engine, was certainly a 20th-century invention, many of the needed advances in theory and technology leading to this invention were made well before this time.
The jet engine was clearly an idea whose time had come.
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...
submitted his first patent in 1930. By the late 1930s there were six teams chasing development, three in Germany, two in the UK and one in Hungary. By 1942 they had been joined by another half dozen British companies, three more in the United States based on British technology, and early efforts in the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
and Japan based on British and German designs respectively. For some time after the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, British designs dominated, but by the 1950s there were many competitors, particularly in the US with its huge arms-buying programme.
Prehistoric times
*
Ordovician
The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years from the end of the Cambrian Period million years ago (Mya) to the start of the Silurian Period Mya.
T ...
period: the first known
cephalopods: they swim by a natural built-in reciprocating
hydrojet
A pump-jet, hydrojet, or water jet is a marine system that produces a jet of water for propulsion. The mechanical arrangement may be a ducted propeller (axial-flow pump), a centrifugal pump, or a mixed flow pump which is a combination of both ...
.
Ancient times
* 1st century AD:
Aeolipile
An aeolipile, aeolipyle, or eolipile, from the Greek "αιολουπυλη", also known as a Hero's engine, is a simple, bladeless radial steam turbine which spins when the central water container is heated. Torque is produced by steam jets exi ...
described by
Hero of Alexandria
Hero of Alexandria (; grc-gre, Ἥρων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, ''Heron ho Alexandreus'', also known as Heron of Alexandria ; 60 AD) was a Greek mathematician and engineer who was active in his native city of Alexandria, Roman Egypt. He ...
– steam jet/rocket engine on a bearing
The leadup (1791–1929)
* 1791:
John Barber receives
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
patent #1833 for ''A Method for Rising Inflammable Air for the Purposes of Producing Motion and Facilitating Metallurgical Operations''. In it he describes a turbine.
* 1884:
Charles Algernon Parsons
Sir Charles Algernon Parsons, (13 June 1854 – 11 February 1931) was an Anglo-Irish engineer, best known for his invention of the compound steam turbine, and as the eponym of C. A. Parsons and Company. He worked as an engineer on d ...
patents the
steam turbine. In the patent application he notes that the turbine could be driven "in reverse" to act as a
compressor. He suggests using a compressor to feed air into a furnace, and a turbine to extract power to run the compressor. Although intended for factory use, he is clearly describing the gas turbine.
* 1887:
Gustaf de Laval
Karl Gustaf Patrik de Laval (; 9 May 1845 – 2 February 1913) was a Swedish engineer and inventor who made important contributions to the design of steam turbines and centrifugal separation machinery for dairy.
Life
Gustaf de Laval was born at ...
introduces nozzles design of small steam turbines.
* 1900:
Sanford Alexander Moss
Sanford Alexander Moss (August 23, 1872 – November 10, 1946) was an American aviation engineer, who was the first to use a turbocharger on an aircraft engine.
Life and career
Sanford Moss was born 1872 in San Francisco, California to Ernest ...
publishes a paper on
turbocompressors. He builds and runs a testbed example in 1903.
* 1903:
Ægidius Elling
Jens William Ægidius Elling (also Aegidus or Aegidius) (26 July 1861 – 27 May 1949) was a Norwegian researcher, inventor and pioneer of gas turbines who is considered to be the father of the gas turbine. He built the first gas turbine that w ...
builds a gas turbine using a
centrifugal compressor
Centrifugal compressors, sometimes called impeller compressors or radial compressors, are a sub-class of dynamic axisymmetric work-absorbing turbomachinery.
They achieve pressure rise by adding energy to the continuous flow of fluid through t ...
which runs under its own power. By most definitions, this is the first working gas turbine.
* 1903-1906: The team of Armengaud and Lemale in France build a complete gas turbine engine. It uses three separate compressors driven by a single turbine. Limits on the turbine temperatures allow for only a 3:1
compression ratio, and the turbine is not based on a Parsons-like "fan", but a
Pelton wheel
The Pelton wheel or Pelton Turbine is an impulse-type water turbine invented by American inventor Lester Allan Pelton in the 1870s. The Pelton wheel extracts energy from the impulse of moving water, as opposed to water's dead weight like the tra ...
-like arrangement. The engine is so inefficient, at about 3%
thermal efficiency
In thermodynamics, the thermal efficiency (\eta_) is a dimensionless performance measure of a device that uses thermal energy, such as an internal combustion engine, steam turbine, steam engine, boiler, furnace, refrigerator, ACs etc.
For a ...
, that the work is abandoned.
* 1908:
Hans Holzwarth starts work on extensive research on an "explosive cycle" gas turbine, based on the
Otto cycle
An Otto cycle is an idealized thermodynamic cycle that describes the functioning of a typical spark ignition piston engine. It is the thermodynamic cycle most commonly found in automobile engines.
The Otto cycle is a description of what hap ...
. This design burns fuel at a constant volume and is somewhat more efficient. By 1927, when the work ended, he has reached about 13% thermal efficiency.
* 1908:
René Lorin
René Lorin (24 March 1877 – 16 January 1933) was a French aerospace engineer and inventor of the ramjet.
In 1908 Lorin patented the first subsonic ramjet design. He published the principles of a ramjet in articles in the journal '' L'Aérophil ...
patents a design for the
ramjet
A ramjet, or athodyd (aero thermodynamic duct), is a form of airbreathing jet engine that uses the forward motion of the engine to produce thrust. Since it produces no thrust when stationary (no ram air) ramjet-powered vehicles require an as ...
engine.
* 1909: Marconnt proposes a modification of Lorin's design using a resonant compression chamber, creating the
pulsejet
300px, Diagram of a pulsejet
A pulsejet engine (or pulse jet) is a type of jet engine in which combustion occurs in pulses. A pulsejet engine can be made with few or no moving parts, and is capable of running statically (i.e. it does not need t ...
.
* 1910:
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
n inventor
Henri Coandă
Henri Marie Coandă (; 7 June 1886 – 25 November 1972)''Flight'' 1973 was a Romanian inventor, aerodynamics pioneer, and builder of an experimental aircraft, the Coandă-1910 described by Coandă in the mid-1950s as the world's first jet, a co ...
builds the
Coandă-1910
The Coandă-1910, designed by Romanian inventor Henri Coandă, was an unconventional sesquiplane aircraft powered by a ducted fan. Called the "turbo-propulseur" by Coandă, its experimental engine consisted of a conventional piston engine dri ...
which he exhibits at the International Aeronautic Salon in Paris. It uses a ducted fan for propulsion instead of a propeller. Years later he claimed that it burned fuel in the duct and was thus a
motorjet
A motorjet is a rudimentary type of jet engine which is sometimes referred to as ''thermojet'', a term now commonly used to describe a particular and completely unrelated pulsejet design.
Design
At the heart the motorjet is an ordinary pis ...
, but historians debate this claim, and his claims that the aircraft flew in December 1910 before crashing and burning.
* 1916:
Auguste Rateau
Auguste Rateau (13 October 1863 – 13 January 1930) was an engineer and industrialist born in Royan, France, specializing in turbines.
Biography
After studies, first at the École Polytechnique and then at the École des Mines de Paris, he beg ...
suggests using exhaust-powered compressors to improve high-altitude performance, the first example of the
turbocharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
.
* 1915:
Albert Fonó
Albert Fonó (born 2 July 1881 in Budapest, d. 21 November 1972 in Budapest), a successful Hungarian mechanical engineer who was one of the early pioneers of turbojet and ramjet propulsion and was first to patent a ramjet engine and a turbojet eng ...
devised a solution for increasing the range of artillery, comprising a gun-launched projectile which was to be united with a ramjet propulsion unit. This was to make it possible to obtain a long range with low initial muzzle velocities, allowing heavy shells to be fired from relatively lightweight guns.
* 1917:
Sanford Alexander Moss
Sanford Alexander Moss (August 23, 1872 – November 10, 1946) was an American aviation engineer, who was the first to use a turbocharger on an aircraft engine.
Life and career
Sanford Moss was born 1872 in San Francisco, California to Ernest ...
starts work on
turbocharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
s at
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
, which goes on to be the world leader in this technology.
* 1917: James Stocker Harris patents a "Motor Jet" design on behalf of his brother inlaw Robert Alexander Raveau Bolton.
* 1920: W.J. Stern reports to the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
that there is no future for the turbine engine in aircraft. He bases his argument on the extremely low efficiency of existing compressor designs. Stern's paper is so convincing there is little official interest in gas turbine engines anywhere, although this does not last long.
* 1921: Maxime Guillaume patents the
axial-flow
An axial compressor is a gas compressor that can continuously pressurize gases. It is a rotating, airfoil-based compressor in which the gas or working fluid principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation, or axially. This differs from other ...
turbine engine. It uses multiple stages in both the compressor and turbine, combined with a single very large
combustion chamber
A combustion chamber is part of an internal combustion engine in which the fuel/air mix is burned. For steam engines, the term has also been used for an extension of the firebox which is used to allow a more complete combustion process.
Intern ...
. Although sightly different in form, the design is significantly similar to future jet engines in operation.
* 1923:
Edgar Buckingham
Edgar Buckingham (July 8, 1867 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – April 29, 1940 in Washington DC) was an American physicist.
He graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in physics in 1887. He did graduate work at Strasbourg ...
at the United States
National Bureau of Standards
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical sci ...
publishes a report on jets, coming to the same conclusion as W.J. Stern, that the turbine engine is not efficient enough. In particular he notes that a jet would use five times as much fuel as a piston engine
* 1925: Wilhelm Pape patents a constant-volume engine design.
* 1926:
Alan Arnold Griffith
Alan Arnold Griffith (13 June 1893 – 13 October 1963), son of Victorian science fiction writer George Griffith, was an English engineer. Among many other contributions he is best known for his work on stress and fracture in metals that is n ...
publishes his groundbreaking paper ''Aerodynamic Theory of Turbine Design'', changing the low confidence in jet engines. In it he demonstrates that existing compressors are "flying stalled", and that major improvements can be made by redesigning the blades from a flat profile into an
airfoil, going on to mathematically demonstrate that a practical engine is definitely possible and showing how to build a
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...
.
* 1927:
Aurel Stodola
Aurel Boleslav Stodola (11 May 1859 – 25 December 1942) was a Slovak engineer, physicist, and inventor. He was a pioneer in the area of technical thermodynamics and its applications and published his book ''Die Dampfturbine'' (the steam turbine ...
publishes his "Steam and Gas Turbines" - basic reference for jet propulsion engineers in the USA.
* 1927: A testbed single-shaft turbocompressor based on Griffith's blade design is tested at the
Royal Aircraft Establishment. Known as ''Anne'', the tests are successful and plans are made to build a complete compressor-turbine assembly known as ''Betty''.
* 1929:
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...
's thesis on future aircraft design is published. In it he talks about the needs for high-speed flight and the use of turbojets as the only reasonable solution to the problem of propeller efficiency.
* 1929:
Boris Stechkin
Boris Sergeyevich Stechkin (1891–1969) was a Russian Empire scientist, engineer and inventor. He developed a theory of heat engines and was involved in construction of many Soviet aircraft engines. He was also co-developer of Sikorsky Ilya Muro ...
publishes first theory of supersonic ramjet, based on compressible fluid theory.
First turbojet engines (1930–38)
* 1930: Whittle presents a complete jet engine design to the
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
. They pass the paper to
Alan Griffith at the
Royal Aircraft Establishment, who says the idea is impracticable, pointing out a mathematical error, noting the low efficiency of his design, and stating that Whittle's use of a
centrifugal compressor
Centrifugal compressors, sometimes called impeller compressors or radial compressors, are a sub-class of dynamic axisymmetric work-absorbing turbomachinery.
They achieve pressure rise by adding energy to the continuous flow of fluid through t ...
would make his proposal useless for aircraft applications.
* 1930: Whittle receives official notice that the
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
is not interested in his concepts, and that they do not even feel that it is worthy of making secret. He is devastated, but friends in the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
convince him to
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...
the idea anyway. This turns out to be a major stroke of luck, because if the Air Ministry had made the idea secret, they would have become the official owners of the rights to the concept. In his patent, Whittle cleverly hedges his bets, and describes an engine with two axial compressor stages and one centrifugal, thus anticipating both routes forward.
* 1930: Schmidt patents a pulsejet engine in Germany.
* 1931:
Secondo Campini
Secondo Campini (August 28, 1904 – February 7, 1980) was an Italian engineer and one of the pioneers of the jet engine.
Campini was born at Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. In 1931 he wrote a proposal for the Italian Air Ministry on the value of jet pr ...
patents his
motorjet
A motorjet is a rudimentary type of jet engine which is sometimes referred to as ''thermojet'', a term now commonly used to describe a particular and completely unrelated pulsejet design.
Design
At the heart the motorjet is an ordinary pis ...
engine, referring to it as a thermojet. (A motorjet is a crude form of hybrid jet engine in which the compressor is powered by a piston engine, rather than a turbine.)
* 1933:
Hans von Ohain
Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain (14 December 191113 March 1998) was a German physicist, engineer, and the designer of the first operational jet engine. Together with Frank Whittle he is called the "father of the jet engine". His first test unit ran ...
writes his thesis at the
University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...
, describing an engine similar to
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...
's with the exception that it uses a centrifugal "fan" as the turbine as well as the compressor. This design is a dead-end; no "centrifugal-turbine" jet engine will ever be built.
* 1933:
Yuri Pobedonostsev and
Igor Merkulov tests hydrogen powered
GIRD-04 ramjet engine. First supersonic flight of a jet propelled object achieved with artillery-launched ramjets later that year.
* 1934: von Ohain hires a local mechanic,
Max Hahn
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
, to build his a prototype of his engine design at Hahn's garage.
* 1934:
Secondo Campini
Secondo Campini (August 28, 1904 – February 7, 1980) was an Italian engineer and one of the pioneers of the jet engine.
Campini was born at Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. In 1931 he wrote a proposal for the Italian Air Ministry on the value of jet pr ...
starts work on the
Campini Caproni CC.2, based on his "thermojet" engine.
* 1935: Whittle allows his patent to lapse after finding himself unable to pay the £5 renewal fee. Soon afterward he is approached by ex-RAF officers
Rolf Dudley-Williams and
James Collingwood Tinling
James Collingwood Burdett Tinling (24 March 1900 – 1983) was an ex-RAF officer who joined with Rolf Dudley-Williams and Frank Whittle in 1936 to set up Power Jets Ltd, which manufactured the world's first working jet engine.
Tinling was born i ...
with a proposal to set up a company to develop his design and
Power Jets
Power Jets was a British company set up by Frank Whittle for the purpose of designing and manufacturing jet engines. The company was nationalised in 1944, and evolved into the National Gas Turbine Establishment.
History
Founded on 27 Januar ...
, Ltd is created.
* 1935
Virgilio Leret Ruiz is granted a patent (submitted January 1935, granted March 1935) in Madrid for a 'continuous reaction turbocompressor, for propulsion of aircraft, and in general all types of vehicles'. Work commenced at the
Hispano-Suiza factory in 1936, months after Leret's execution by Francoist forces.
* 1936: von Ohain is introduced to
Ernst Heinkel
Dr. Ernst Heinkel (24 January 1888 – 30 January 1958) was a German aircraft designer, manufacturer, '' Wehrwirtschaftsführer'' in Nazi Germany, and member of the Nazi party. His company Heinkel Flugzeugwerke produced the Heinkel He 178, th ...
by a former professor. After being grilled by Heinkel engineers for hours, they conclude his idea is genuine. Heinkel hires von Ohain and Hahn, setting them up at their
Rostock
Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state, ...
-area factory.
* 1936:
Junkers starts work on axial-flow
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...
designs under the direction of
Herbert Wagner and
Adolf Müeller.
* 1936:
Junkers Motoren
Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (JFM, earlier JCO or JKO in World War I, English: Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works) more commonly Junkers , was a major German aircraft and aircraft engine manufacturer. It was founded there in Dessau, Germ ...
(Jumo) is merged with
Junkers, formerly separate companies.
* 1936: A stationary gas turbine is installed at the Sun Oil refinery in
Marcus Hook,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
* 1936: French engineer
René Leduc
René Leduc (1898–1968) was a French engineer who is much acclaimed for his work on ramjets. In 1949 the Leduc 0.10 became the first aircraft to fly under the power of ramjets alone. Development of this aircraft had begun in 1937, but was sever ...
, having independently re-discovered
René Lorin
René Lorin (24 March 1877 – 16 January 1933) was a French aerospace engineer and inventor of the ramjet.
In 1908 Lorin patented the first subsonic ramjet design. He published the principles of a ramjet in articles in the journal '' L'Aérophil ...
's design, successfully demonstrates the world's first operating
ramjet
A ramjet, or athodyd (aero thermodynamic duct), is a form of airbreathing jet engine that uses the forward motion of the engine to produce thrust. Since it produces no thrust when stationary (no ram air) ramjet-powered vehicles require an as ...
. The
Armée de l'Air
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Arm ...
orders a prototype aircraft, the
Leduc 010
The Leduc 0.10 was a research aircraft built in France, one of the world's first aircraft to fly powered solely by a ramjet.
Design and development
Designed by René Leduc in 1938, it was built at the Breguet Aviation factory after a protracted, ...
, a few months later.
* April, 1937: Whittle's experimental centrifugal engine is tested at the
British Thomson-Houston plant in
Rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
* September, 1937: The
Heinkel HeS 1
The Heinkel HeS 1 ''(HeS - Heinkel Strahltriebwerke)'' was Germany's first jet engine, which was a stationary test item that ran on hydrogen.
History
In 1933, Hans von Ohain wrote his PhD thesis at the University of Göttingen on the topic of an ...
experimental
hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic ...
fuelled
centrifugal engine is tested at Hirth.
* September, 1937: von Ohain's
Heinkel HeS 1
The Heinkel HeS 1 ''(HeS - Heinkel Strahltriebwerke)'' was Germany's first jet engine, which was a stationary test item that ran on hydrogen.
History
In 1933, Hans von Ohain wrote his PhD thesis at the University of Göttingen on the topic of an ...
is converted to run on
gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organi ...
.
Ernst Heinkel
Dr. Ernst Heinkel (24 January 1888 – 30 January 1958) was a German aircraft designer, manufacturer, '' Wehrwirtschaftsführer'' in Nazi Germany, and member of the Nazi party. His company Heinkel Flugzeugwerke produced the Heinkel He 178, th ...
gives the go-ahead to develop a flight-quality engine and a testbed aircraft to put it in.
* 1937:
Hayne Constant
Hayne Constant, CB, CBE., MA., FRAeS., FRS, (26 September 1904 – 12 January 1968) was an English mechanical and aeronautical engineer who developed jet engines during World War II.
Education
Constant was born at Gravesend, the son of Frede ...
, Griffith's partner at the
RAE, starts negotiations with
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, it was particularly well known for its industrial el ...
(Metrovick), a British heavy industry firm, to develop a Griffith-style turboprop.
* 1937: At Junkers, Wagner and Müller decide to re-design their work as a pure jet.
* 1938: Metrovick receives a contract from the
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
to start work with Constant.
* 1938:
György Jendrassik starts work on a turboprop engine of his own design.
* April, 1938:
Hans Mauch
Hans Adolph Mauch (6 March 1906 – 20 January 1984) was an engineer known for his work in early jet engine development in Germany, and aeromedical and prosthesis work in the USA in the post-war era. His S-N-S artificial leg design remains in wi ...
takes over the
RLM rocket development office. He expands the charter of his office and starts a massive jet development project, under
Helmut Schelp
Helmut Schelp was the director of advanced engine development at the RLM's T-Amt technical division leading up to and during World War II. He used his office to fund a widespread program in jet engine development, which led to many of the engine c ...
. Mauch spurns
Heinkel and
Junkers, concentrating only on the "big four" engine companies,
Daimler-Benz
The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufactur ...
,
BMW,
Jumo
Jumo was a social network service and website launched on November 30, 2010, to index charities so that people can find and evaluate them. Jumo was founded by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. On August 17, 2011 he announced Jumo was merging with ...
and
Bramo
Siemens-Schuckert (or Siemens-Schuckertwerke) was a German electrical engineering company headquartered in Berlin, Erlangen and Nuremberg that was incorporated into the Siemens AG in 1966.
Siemens Schuckert was founded in 1903 when Siemens & Ha ...
. Mauch and Schelp visit all four over the next few months, and find them uninterested in the jet concept.
* 1938: A small team at
BMW led by
Hermann Östrich
Hermann Oestrich (30 December 1903 – 2 April 1973) was a German-French engineer. He was involved in the development of jet engines as an employee of BMW and later of Snecma.
Life
Born in Duisburg- Beeckerwerth, Oestrich studied at the Techn ...
builds and flies a simple
thermojet quickly prompting them to design a true jet engine.
* 1938: The
Heinkel He 178
The Heinkel He 178 was an experimental aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Heinkel. It was the world's first aircraft to fly using the thrust from a turbojet engine.
The He 178 was developed to test the jet propu ...
V1 jet testbed is completed, awaiting an engine.
* 1938: The
Heinkel HeS 3
The Heinkel HeS 3 (HeS - ''Heinkel Strahltriebwerke'') was the world's first operational jet engine to power an aircraft. Designed by Hans von Ohain while working at Heinkel, the engine first flew as the primary power of the Heinkel He 178, pilote ...
"flight quality" engine is tested. This is the first truly usable jet engine. The engine flies on a
Heinkel He 118
The Heinkel He 118 was a prototype German monoplane dive bomber design that lost out to the Junkers Ju 87 ''Stuka'' in the 1930s, and was never ordered by the ''Luftwaffe''.
Design
Designed by the Günter brothers, the He 118 followed many of ...
later that year, eventually becoming the first aircraft to be powered by jet power alone. This engine is tested until it burns out after a few months, and a second is readied for flight.
* 1938: Wagner's
axial-flow
An axial compressor is a gas compressor that can continuously pressurize gases. It is a rotating, airfoil-based compressor in which the gas or working fluid principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation, or axially. This differs from other ...
engine is tested at
Junkers.
* 1938:
Messerschmitt starts the preliminary design of a twin-engine jet fighter under the direction of
Waldemar Voight. This work developed into the
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ''Schwalbe'' (German: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ''Sturmvogel'' (German: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the Germ ...
.
1939, Flight
*
Arkhip Mikhailovich Lyulka develops early turbofan engine at Kharkov Aviation Institute.
* A stationary gas turbine is installed in a new electrical generating plant in
Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
* A gas turbine is built by
Asea Brown Boveri
ABB Ltd. is a Swedish-Swiss multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland. The company was formed in 1988 when Sweden's Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA) and Switzerland's Brown, Boveri & Cie merged to cre ...
and used to power an experimental
train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...
in Switzerland.
* BMW's team led by
Hermann Östrich
Hermann Oestrich (30 December 1903 – 2 April 1973) was a German-French engineer. He was involved in the development of jet engines as an employee of BMW and later of Snecma.
Life
Born in Duisburg- Beeckerwerth, Oestrich studied at the Techn ...
tests their axial-flow design.
*
Bramo
Siemens-Schuckert (or Siemens-Schuckertwerke) was a German electrical engineering company headquartered in Berlin, Erlangen and Nuremberg that was incorporated into the Siemens AG in 1966.
Siemens Schuckert was founded in 1903 when Siemens & Ha ...
starts work on two
axial-flow
An axial compressor is a gas compressor that can continuously pressurize gases. It is a rotating, airfoil-based compressor in which the gas or working fluid principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation, or axially. This differs from other ...
designs, the
P.3301 and
P.3302. The P.3301 is similar to Griffith's contrarotating designs, the P.3302 using a simpler compressor/stator system.
* Bramo is bought out by
BMW, who abandon their own jet project under Östrich, placing him in charge of
Bramo
Siemens-Schuckert (or Siemens-Schuckertwerke) was a German electrical engineering company headquartered in Berlin, Erlangen and Nuremberg that was incorporated into the Siemens AG in 1966.
Siemens Schuckert was founded in 1903 when Siemens & Ha ...
's efforts.
* Summer:
Jumo
Jumo was a social network service and website launched on November 30, 2010, to index charities so that people can find and evaluate them. Jumo was founded by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. On August 17, 2011 he announced Jumo was merging with ...
is awarded a contract to develop an
axial-flow
An axial compressor is a gas compressor that can continuously pressurize gases. It is a rotating, airfoil-based compressor in which the gas or working fluid principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation, or axially. This differs from other ...
engine, starting work under
Anselm Franz Anselm Franz (January 20, 1900—November 18, 1994) was a pioneering Austrian jet engine engineer known for the development of the Jumo 004, the world's first mass-produced turbojet engine by Nazi Germany during World War II, and his work on tur ...
. Müller decamps with half the team to
Heinkel.
*
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...
's
patent drawing
A patent application or patent may contain drawings, also called patent drawings, illustrating the invention, some of its embodiments (which are particular implementations or methods of carrying out the invention), or the prior art. The drawings ...
for his engine is published in the German magazine
Flugsport.
![Ohain USAF He 178 page61](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Ohain_USAF_He_178_page61.jpg)
* August:
Heinkel He 178 V1, the first jet-powered aircraft, flies for the first time, powered by the HeS 3B.
* September: A team from the
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
visits Power Jets once again, but this time
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...
demonstrates a jet engine at full power for a continuous 20-minute run. They are extremely impressed, quickly contracts are offered to Whittle to develop a flyable design, and production contracts are offered to practically every engine company in England. These companies also set up their own design efforts, reducing the possibility of financial rewards for Power Jets.
* September: The Air Ministry also contracts
Gloster to build an experimental airframe for testing Whittle's engines, the
Gloster E.28/39
* After hearing of Whittle's successful demonstration, Hayne Constant realizes that exhaust thrust is practical. The Metrovick efforts are quickly reworked into a turbojet design, the
Metrovick F.2.
* November: Müller's team restarts work on their
axial-flow
An axial compressor is a gas compressor that can continuously pressurize gases. It is a rotating, airfoil-based compressor in which the gas or working fluid principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation, or axially. This differs from other ...
design at Heinkel, now known as the
Heinkel HeS 30
The HeS 30 ''(HeS - Heinkel Strahltriebwerke)'' was an early jet engine, originally designed by Adolf Müller at Junkers, but eventually built and tested at Heinkel. It was possibly the best of the "Class I" engines, a class that included the mor ...
.
*
René Anxionnaz of France's
Rateau company received a
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...
on an advanced jet design incorporating bypass.
* Leist joins
Daimler-Benz
The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufactur ...
and starts work on an advanced contra-rotating
turbofan
The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which achieves mechanic ...
design, the
Daimler-Benz DB 007
The Daimler-Benz DB 007, ( RLM (''Reichsluftfahrtministerium'' - Reich Air Ministry) designation ZTL 109-007, company designation ZTL6001), was an early German jet engine design stemming from design work carried out by Karl Leist from 1939. This ...
* A shakeup at the
RLM's engine division places
Helmut Schelp
Helmut Schelp was the director of advanced engine development at the RLM's T-Amt technical division leading up to and during World War II. He used his office to fund a widespread program in jet engine development, which led to many of the engine c ...
in control, and results in development contracts for all existing engine designs. The designs are also given consistent naming, the Heinkel HeS 8 becoming the 109-001, the HeS 30 the -006, BMW's efforts the -002 and -003, and Jumo's the -004. Porsche's project becomes the -005, although work never starts on it. DB gets -007. Numbers starting in the 20s are saved for
turboprops
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. F ...
, and 500 and up for rockets.
1940
![Caproni_foto](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Caproni_foto.jpg)
* The
Campini Caproni CC.2 flies for first time. The flights were highly publicized, and for many years the
Italians
, flag =
, flag_caption = The national flag of Italy
, population =
, regions = Italy 55,551,000
, region1 = Brazil
, pop1 = 25–33 million
, ref1 =
, region2 ...
were credited with having the first jet-powered aircraft.
*
NACA
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...
(National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) starts work on a
CC.2 like motorjet for assisted takeoffs, and they later design an aircraft based on it. This work ends in 1943 when turbojets start to mature, and rockets take over the role of
JATO
JATO (acronym for jet-assisted take-off) is a type of assisted take-off for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small rockets. The term ''JATO'' is used interchangeably with the (more specifi ...
, or jet assisted takeoff.
* von Ohain's larger
Heinkel HeS 8
The Heinkel HeS 8 (prefix being an abbreviation for "Heinkel Strahltriebwerke 8" - ''Heinkel Jet Engine 8'') was an early jet engine designed by Hans von Ohain while working at Heinkel. It was the first jet engine to be financially supported by ...
(-001) engine is tested.
* BMW's P.3302 (-003) axial-flow engine is tested
* September: Glider testing of the
Heinkel He 280
The Heinkel He 280 was the first turbojet-powered fighter aircraft in the world. It was inspired by Ernst Heinkel's emphasis on research into high-speed flight and built on the company's experience with the He 178 jet prototype. A combination ...
twin-jet fighter begins, while it waits for the HeS 8 to mature.
* September:
Henry Tizard
Sir Henry Thomas Tizard (23 August 1885 – 9 October 1959) was an English chemist, inventor and Rector of Imperial College, who developed the modern "octane rating" used to classify petrol, helped develop radar in World War II, and led the fir ...
visits the United States to show them many of the advanced technologies the British are working on and looking for US production (the
Tizard Mission
The Tizard Mission, officially the British Technical and Scientific Mission, was a British delegation that visited the United States during WWII to obtain the industrial resources to exploit the military potential of the research and development ( ...
). Among many other details, Tizard first mentions their work on jet engines.
* October:
Rover
Rover may refer to:
People
* Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian
* Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer
* Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist
Places
* Rover, Arkansas, US
* Rover, Missouri, US
...
is selected to build the flight-quality Power Jets W.1. They set up shop at a disused mill in
Barnoldswick
Barnoldswick (pronounced ) is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle, Lancashire, England. It is within the boundaries of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire, Barnoldswick and the surrounding areas of West Craven have be ...
, but also set up a parallel effort at another factory in
Clitheroe
Clitheroe () is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England; it is located north-west of Manchester. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists visiting the area. In 2018, the Cl ...
staffed entirely by their own engineers.
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...
is incensed.
* November: The
Junkers Jumo 004 axial-flow engine is tested.
* November:
Gloster Aircraft Company
The Gloster Aircraft Company was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1917 to 1963.
Founded as the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company Limited during the First World War, with the aircraft construction activities of H H Martyn & Co Ltd of Chelte ...
's proposal for a twin-engine jet fighter is accepted, becoming the
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies of World War II, Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turb ...
.
* December: Whittle's flight-quality W.1X runs for the first time.
* The
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer. Lockheed was founded in 1926 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995. Its founder, Allan Lockheed, had earlier founded the similarly named but ot ...
starts work on the
L-1000 axial-flow engine, the United States's first jet design.
* The
Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its 1994 merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, most successfully the B-2 Sp ...
starts work on the
T-37 ''Turbodyne'', the United States's first
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...
design.
* After only two years of development, the
Jendrassik Cs-1
The Jendrassik Cs-1 was the world's first working turboprop engine. It was designed by Hungarian engineer György Jendrassik in 1937, and was intended to power a Hungarian twin-engine heavy fighter, the RMI-1.
Design and development
Followin ...
turboprop engine is tested. Designed to produce , combustion problems limit it to only when it first runs. Similar problems plagued early Whittle designs, but the industry quickly provided assistance. It appears that
György Jendrassik had to draw upon any similar talent pool.
1941
![IWM-CH14832A Gloster E28-39 205210674](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/IWM-CH14832A_Gloster_E28-39_205210674.jpg)
* February: The
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
places an order for 12
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies of World War II, Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turb ...
.
* February:
NACA
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...
starts testing their "Propulsive duct engine", a
ramjet
A ramjet, or athodyd (aero thermodynamic duct), is a form of airbreathing jet engine that uses the forward motion of the engine to produce thrust. Since it produces no thrust when stationary (no ram air) ramjet-powered vehicles require an as ...
, unaware of earlier similar efforts. Since ramjets need to be moving in order to work, NACA engineers take the simple step of mounting it at the end of a long arm and spinning it.
* April: The He 280 flies under its own power for first time, powered by two
Heinkel HeS 8
The Heinkel HeS 8 (prefix being an abbreviation for "Heinkel Strahltriebwerke 8" - ''Heinkel Jet Engine 8'') was an early jet engine designed by Hans von Ohain while working at Heinkel. It was the first jet engine to be financially supported by ...
(-001) engines. The HeS 8's continue to have reliability issues.
* May: The
Gloster E.28/39 flies for the first time. Over the next few weeks, the top speed soon passes any existing propeller aircraft.
* Müller's
Heinkel HeS 30
The HeS 30 ''(HeS - Heinkel Strahltriebwerke)'' was an early jet engine, originally designed by Adolf Müller at Junkers, but eventually built and tested at Heinkel. It was possibly the best of the "Class I" engines, a class that included the mor ...
(-006) axial-flow engine runs for first time.
*
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
is awarded a
USAAF
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
contract to develop a
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...
engine, leading to the
TG-100 / TG-31 / XT-31 series, and later the
J35.
* Work on the Jendrassik Cs-1 ends. Intended to power a twin-engine
heavy fighter
A heavy fighter is a historic category of fighter aircraft produced in the 1930s and 1940s, designed to carry heavier weapons, and/or operate at longer ranges than light fighter aircraft. To achieve performance, most heavy fighters were twin-eng ...
, the factory is selected to produce
Daimler-Benz DB 605
The Daimler-Benz DB 605 is a German aircraft engine built during World War II. Developed from the DB 601, the DB 605 was used from 1942 to 1945 in the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter, and the Bf 110 and Me 210C heavy fighters.
The DB 610, a pa ...
engines under license for the
Messerschmitt Me 210
The Messerschmitt Me 210 was a German heavy fighter and ground-attack aircraft of World War II. Design started before the war, as a replacement for the Bf 110. The first examples were ready in 1939, but they proved to have unacceptably poor ...
instead.
* October: A Power Jets W.2B is sent to General Electric to start production in the US.
Sanford Alexander Moss
Sanford Alexander Moss (August 23, 1872 – November 10, 1946) was an American aviation engineer, who was the first to use a turbocharger on an aircraft engine.
Life and career
Sanford Moss was born 1872 in San Francisco, California to Ernest ...
is lured out of retirement to help on the project.
* The Switzerland turbine-powered
train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...
enters testing.
1942
![Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwable](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Messerschmitt_Me_262_Schwable.jpg)
* The
Metrovick F.2 is given test rating delivering between 1,800 and 2,000 lbf (8.9 kN)
*Metrovick start on "thrust augmentation" adding a turbine and propellers to a F2/2 which will lead to the F.3 (a high bypass design) with an extra over the F2/2.
* Work on the BMW 002 is stopped as it is proving too complex. Work continues on the 003.
* Work on the HeS 8 (-001) and HeS 30 (-006) is stopped, although the later appears to be reaching production quality. Heinkel is ordered to continue on the more advanced
Heinkel HeS 011
The Heinkel HeS 011 or Heinkel-Hirth 109-011 ''(HeS - Heinkel Strahltriebwerke)'' was an advanced World War II jet engine built by Heinkel-Hirth. It featured a unique compressor arrangement, starting with a low-compression impeller in the intake ...
.
* The
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ''Schwalbe'' (German: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ''Sturmvogel'' (German: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the Germ ...
flies for the first time, powered by a
Junkers Jumo 211
The Jumo 211 was a German inverted V-12 aircraft engine, Junkers Motoren's primary aircraft engine of World War II. It was the direct competitor to the Daimler-Benz DB 601 and closely paralleled its development. While the Daimler-Benz engin ...
piston engine in the nose. The
BMW 003
The BMW 003 (full RLM designation 109-003) is an early axial turbojet engine produced by BMW AG in Germany during World War II. The 003 and the Junkers Jumo 004 were the only German turbojet engines to reach production during World War II.
W ...
has been selected to power the production versions, but is not yet ready for flight tests. The design, offering more internal fuel capacity than the He 280, is selected over its now 003-powered competitor for production.
* A Jumo 004 flies, fitted to a
Messerschmitt Me 110
* The
Daimler-Benz 007 axial-flow
An axial compressor is a gas compressor that can continuously pressurize gases. It is a rotating, airfoil-based compressor in which the gas or working fluid principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation, or axially. This differs from other ...
engine is tested, similar to Griffith's "contraflow" design that uses two contra-rotating compressor stages for added efficiency.
* The "production-quality" BMW 003 is first tested.
* March. The
Rover
Rover may refer to:
People
* Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian
* Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer
* Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist
Places
* Rover, Arkansas, US
* Rover, Missouri, US
...
W2B/26 experimental engine (STX) is first run, this was the straight-through design made by Rover without the knowledge of Whittle. This design was to be adopted by
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
as the basis for their Derwent engine after they took over from Rover (by which time four more W2B/26 engines were under test).
* The British order a single-engined jet design from
de Havilland
* July 18, 1942: The
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ''Schwalbe'' (German: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ''Sturmvogel'' (German: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the Germ ...
, the first jet-powered fighter aircraft, flies for the first time under jet power.
* July:
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...
visits the United States to help with
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
's efforts to build the W.1. The engine is running soon after, known as the "General Electric Type 1", and later as the I-16, referring to the thrust. They also start work on an improved version, the I-40, with thrust. The majority of United States jet engines from this time through the mid-1950s are licensed versions of British designs.
* Whittle returns to Power Jets and starts development of the improved Power Jets W.2/500 and /700 engines, so named for their thrust in
kilograms-force
The kilogram-force (kgf or kgF), or kilopond (kp, from la, pondus, lit=weight), is a non-standard gravitational metric unit of force. It does not comply with the International System of Units (SI) and is deprecated for most uses. The kilogram- ...
(kgf).
* Westinghouse starts work on an axial-flow engine design, the
WE-19.
* October: The
Bell XP-59
The Bell XP-52 and subsequent XP-59 were World War II fighter aircraft design projects by the American Bell Aircraft Corporation.
Both projects featured a twin-boom layout with a rear-mounted engine driving pusher contra-rotating propellers. ...
flies, powered by a General Electric Type I-A (W.1).
* The
Fieseler Fi 103
The V-1 flying bomb (german: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Reich Aviation Ministry () designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the buzz bomb or doodlebug and in Germany as ...
''V-1''
pulsejet
300px, Diagram of a pulsejet
A pulsejet engine (or pulse jet) is a type of jet engine in which combustion occurs in pulses. A pulsejet engine can be made with few or no moving parts, and is capable of running statically (i.e. it does not need t ...
powered "flying bomb" (
cruise missile) flies for the first time.
*
Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury vehicles and aircraft engines.
The company was created following t ...
starts work on an axial-flow design, the
ASX
Australian Securities Exchange Ltd or ASX, is an Australian public company that operates Australia's primary securities exchange, the Australian Securities Exchange (sometimes referred to outside of Australia as, or confused within Australia as ...
.
* December: After meeting held at a pub, Rover agrees to hand over the jet development to
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
, in exchange for their
Rolls-Royce Meteor
The Rolls-Royce Meteor later renamed the Rover Meteor is a British tank engine that was developed during the Second World War. It was used in British tanks up to 1964. It was a result of co-operation between Leyland Motors and Rolls-Royce who bet ...
tank engine factory.
1943
![Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Royal_Air_Force_Fighter_Command%2C_1939-1945._CL2946.jpg)
* January 1: Rolls takes over the Rover plants, although the official date is several months later. Stanley Hooker leads a team including Fred Morley (engineer), Fred Morley, Arthur Rubbra and Harry Pearson (engineer), Harry Pearson. Several Rover engineers decide to stay on as well, including Adrian Lombard, leader of Rover's "offshoot" design team. They focus on making the W.2B production quality as soon as possible.
* After only a few short months since Rolls-Royce took over from Rover, the W.2B/23, soon to be known as the Rolls-Royce Welland, starts production.
* The parallel Rover design effort, the W.2B/26, is adopted by Rolls-Royce for further development and becomes the Rolls-Royce Derwent.
* The de Havilland Goblin engine is tested, similar in most ways to the Derwent.
* March: A license for the Goblin is taken out in the United States by Allis-Chalmers, later becoming the J36. Lockheed is awarded a contract to develop what would become the P-80 Shooting Star, powered by this engine.
* Production of Jumo 004B starts.
* Production of BMW 003A starts.
* First running turbofan the German Daimler-Benz DB 670 (aka 109-007) operated on its testbed on April 1, 1943
* Throughout 1943, the Jumo 004 and BMW 003 continue to destroy themselves at an alarming rate due to turbine failures. Efforts in the United Kingdom, at one point years behind due to official indifference, have now caught up due to the availability of high temperature alloys which allowed for considerably more reliable high-heat sections of their designs.
* Design work on the BMW 018 starts.
* The US decides to rename all existing jet projects with a single numbering scheme. The L-1000 becomes the J37, GE's Type I the J31, and Westinghouse's WE-19 the J30. Newer projects are fitted into the remaining "30's". Turboprop designs become the T series, also starting at 30.
*June:
Metrovick F.2/1 tested, fitted to Avro Lancaster
* September: Allis-Chalmers runs into difficulty on the J36, and the Shooting Star project is re-engined with the General Electric J33, a licensed version of the W.2B/26, or Rolls-Royce Derwent. GE later modifies the design to produce over twice the thrust, at .
*
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...
's W.2B/700 engine is tested, fitted to a Vickers Wellington Mk II bomber.
* March: Westinghouse's X19A axial-flow engine is bench tested at .
* Miles Aircraft test an all-moving tailplane as part of the Miles M.52 supersonic research aircraft design effort.
* A Welland-powered prototype
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies of World War II, Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turb ...
flies.
* The Goblin-powered de Havilland Vampire flies.
* Lyul'ka VDR-2 axial-flow engine tested, the first Soviet Union, Soviet jet design.
* The General Electric J31, their version of the W.2B/23, is tested.
* November: The Metrovick F.2 is tested on a modified
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies of World War II, Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turb ...
. Although more powerful, smaller and more fuel efficient than the Welland, the design is judged too complex and failure prone. In his quest for perfection, Griffith instead delivers an impractical design. Work continues on a larger version with an additional compressor stage that over doubles the power.
* The Armstrong Siddeley ASX is tested.
* Metrovick F2/3 delivers but not developed further, moving on to 10 stage F2/4
1944
*
BMW tests the 003R, a 003 with BMW 109-718, an additional rocket engine mounted "in parallel" to the BMW 003A turbojet it is combined with; and produces an even more powerful BMW 003#"Mixed-power" upgrade, "mixed-power" engine.
* April: With internal design efforts underway at most engine companies, Power Jets have little possibility of profitability, and are nationalized, becoming a pure research lab as the ''National Gas Turbine Establishment''.
* June: Design work on a gas turbine engine for powering tanks begins under the direction of Müller, who left
Heinkel in 1942. The first such system, the GT 101, is completed in November and fit to a Panther tank for testing.
* June: A Derwent II engine is modified with an additional turbine stage powering a gearbox and five-bladed propeller. The resulting RB.50, or Rolls-Royce RB.50 Trent, Rolls-Royce Trent, is not further developed, but is test flown on a modified
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies of World War II, Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turb ...
.
* The Junkers Ju 287 jet bomber is tested.
* The BMW 018 engine is tested. Work ends soon after when the entire tooling and parts supply are destroyed in a bombing raid.
* The Junkers Jumo 012 engine is tested, it stands as the most powerful engine in the world for some time, at .
* The
J35, a development of an earlier
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...
effort, runs for the first time.
* Ford Motor Company, Ford builds a copy of the V-1's engine, known as the PJ-31-1.
* The Ishikawajima Ne-20 first runs in Japan. Originally intending to build a direct copy of the BMW 003, the plans never arrived and the Japanese engineers instead built an entirely new design based on a single cutaway image and several photographs.
* The Doblhof WNF-4 flies, the first ramjet-powered helicopter.
* April 5: The nearly complete prototype of the
Leduc 010
The Leduc 0.10 was a research aircraft built in France, one of the world's first aircraft to fly powered solely by a ramjet.
Design and development
Designed by René Leduc in 1938, it was built at the Breguet Aviation factory after a protracted, ...
ramjet-powered aircraft, under construction at the Montaudran airfield near Toulouse, France, unbeknownst to German occupation authorities, is heavily damaged by a
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
bombing raid.
* April: The
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ''Schwalbe'' (German: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ''Sturmvogel'' (German: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the Germ ...
first enters combat service Germany.
* June: The Messerschmitt Me 262 enters squadron service in Germany.
* July: The
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies of World War II, Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turb ...
enters squadron service in the United Kingdom.
* 27 July: First combat mission flown by a Gloster Meteor
* 4 August: Gloster Meteors shot down two pulsejet-powered V-1 flying bombs
* A design competition starts in Germany to build a simple jet fighter, the ''Volksjäger''. The contract is eventually won by the Heinkel He 162 ''Spatz'' (sparrow), to be powered by the
BMW 003
The BMW 003 (full RLM designation 109-003) is an early axial turbojet engine produced by BMW AG in Germany during World War II. The 003 and the Junkers Jumo 004 were the only German turbojet engines to reach production during World War II.
W ...
.
* October 27 - After a short 6-month period Rolls-Royce designs and builds the Rolls-Royce Nene at , but it sees only limited use in the United Kingdom, and is first run on this date.
* December: Northrop's T-37 turboprop is tested. The design never matures and work is later stopped in the late 1940s.
1945
* The Nakajima Nakajima J9Y, Kikka flies for the first time on August 7, 1945, powered by two Ishikawajima Ne-20 turbojets, making it the first Japanese jet aircraft to fly.
* Stanley Hooker scales the Nene down to
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies of World War II, Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turb ...
size, producing the RB.37, also referred to, confusingly, as the Derwent V. A Derwent V powered Meteor sets the world speed record at 606 mph at the end of the year. The importance of this incident relegates the development of more powerful engines unimportant.
* The Junkers 022
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...
runs.
* An afterburner equipped Jumo 004 is tested.
* Lyul'ka VDR-3 axial-flow engine tested.
* Lyul'ka TR-1 axial-flow engine tested.
* The RB.39 Rolls-Royce Clyde turboprop runs, combining axial and centrifugal stages in the compressor. Rolls-Royce abandon development, preferring to focus on the turbojet. A carrier-based naval strike aircraft, the Westland Wyvern, having already changed from its original Rolls-Royce Eagle piston engine, uses the alternative turboprop, the Armstrong Siddeley Python.
* The Avia S-92, a version of the Me 262, is built in Czechoslovakia.
1946
* January: A dispirited
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...
resigns from what is left of Power Jets. Gradually the company is broken up, with only a small part remaining to administer its
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...
s.
* Development of the Rolls-Royce Dart starts. The Dart would go on to become one of the most popular
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...
engines made, with over 7,000 being produced before the production lines finally shut down in 1990.
*Metrovick F2/4 Beryl delivers 4,000 lbf (17.8 kN). Metrovick jet turbines sold to Armstrong Siddeley.
1949
* April 21: The
Leduc 010
The Leduc 0.10 was a research aircraft built in France, one of the world's first aircraft to fly powered solely by a ramjet.
Design and development
Designed by René Leduc in 1938, it was built at the Breguet Aviation factory after a protracted, ...
, the world's first
ramjet
A ramjet, or athodyd (aero thermodynamic duct), is a form of airbreathing jet engine that uses the forward motion of the engine to produce thrust. Since it produces no thrust when stationary (no ram air) ramjet-powered vehicles require an as ...
powered aircraft, finally completes its maiden flight in Toulouse, France. The aircraft's rate of climb exceeds that of the best contemporary turbojet powered fighters.
*22 June: Vickers VC.1 Viking flew with Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets: the world's first pure jet transport aircraft.
1950
* late 1950: Rolls-Royce Conway the world's first production
turbofan
The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which achieves mechanic ...
enters service, significantly improving fuel efficiency and paving the way for further improvements.
1952
* 2 May: the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production, the de Havilland Comet, enters service with BOAC.
1953
* The de Havilland Gyron, Halford's last jet design, runs for the first time. Before cancellation 2 years later it has evolved to 25,000 lbf (110,000 N) using reheat. Other comparable turbojet engines are developed at the same time including the Canadian Orenda Iroquois.
1956
* 15 September: the Tu-104 medium range jet airliner enters service with Aeroflot, the world's first jet airliner to provide a sustained and successful service. The Tu-104 was the sole jet airliner, jetliner operating in the world between 1956 and 1958.
1958
* October: the Boeing 707 enters service with Pan American World Airways, Pan American. This aeroplane is largely credited with ushering in the Jet Age having huge commercial success with few operating problems unlike its competitors. This plane helped establish Boeing as one of the leading makers of passenger aircraft in the world.
1959
* Sud Aviation Caravelle enters service: claimed as the first short/medium range jet airliner, first flight 27 May 1955.
1968
* 30 June: TF39 high bypass turbofan of 43,300 lbf (193 kN) enters service on the C-5 Galaxy transport ushering in the age of wide-body transports.
1975
* 26 December 1975: Tu-144S the first supersonic jet airliner went into mail and freight service between Moscow and Alma-Ata in preparation for passenger services, which commenced November 1977.
1976
* 21 January: Concorde, the supersonic jet airliner, enters passenger service with British Airways and Air France.
1978
* 1 June: Tu-144 withdrawn from scheduled passenger service after 55 passenger flights due to reliability and safety problems.
1983
* 4 October 1983: Thrust2 turbojet-powered car gets the land speed record to 1149 km/h.
1997
* 15 October 1997: ThrustSSC first supersonic car, powered by two turbofans takes the land speed record to 1,228 km/h.
2002
* HyShot scramjet ignited and operated.
2003
* 31 January - GE90-115B receives FAR 33 certification; currently holds the world record for thrust and engine (fan) size for a gas turbine powered engine at 127,900 lb
f of thrust and 128 inches, respectively
[http://www.geae.com/aboutgeae/presscenter/ge90/ge90_200325a.html]
* 26 November: Concorde retires from service
2004
* Hyper-X first scramjet to maintain altitude
2007
* Hyper-X first airbreathing (scram)jet to attain Mach 10
See also
* Timeline of rocket and missile technology
* Jet engine
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jet power
Aviation timelines
History of mechanical engineering
Technology timelines
20th century in transport