Timeline of jet power
Encyclopedia
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
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
and Japan based on British and German designs respectively. For some time after the World War II
, British designs dominated, but by the 1950s there were many competitors, particularly in the US with its huge arms-buying programme.
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
. 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
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
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
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Japan based on British and German designs respectively. For some time after the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, British designs dominated, but by the 1950s there were many competitors, particularly in the US with its huge arms-buying programme.
Ancient times
- OrdovicianOrdovicianThe Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
period: the first known cephalopodCephalopodA cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda . These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a set of arms or tentacles modified from the primitive molluscan foot...
s: they swim by a natural built-in reciprocating hydrojet. - 1st century AD: AeolipileAeolipileAn aeolipile , also known as a Hero engine, is a rocket style jet engine which spins when heated. In the 1st century AD, Hero of Alexandria described the device, and many sources give him the credit for its invention.The aeolipile Hero described is considered to be the first recorded steam engine...
described by Hero of AlexandriaHero of AlexandriaHero of Alexandria was an ancient Greek mathematician and engineerEnc. Britannica 2007, "Heron of Alexandria" who was active in his native city of Alexandria, Roman Egypt...
– steam jet/rocket engine on a bearing - 13th century AD: rocket power used for weaponry by Chinese
The leadup (1791-1929)
- 1791: John BarberJohn Barber (engineer)John Barber was an English coalmaster and inventor. He was born in Nottinghamshire, but moved to Warwickshire in the 1760s to manage collieries in the Nuneaton area. For a time he lived in Camp Hill House, between Hartshill and Nuneaton, and later lived in Attleborough...
receives BritishKingdom of Great BritainThe former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
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 ParsonsCharles Algernon ParsonsSir Charles Algernon Parsons OM KCB FRS was an Anglo-Irish engineer, best known for his invention of the steam turbine. He worked as an engineer on dynamo and turbine design, and power generation, with great influence on the naval and electrical engineering fields...
patents the steam turbineSteam turbineA steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
. In the patent application he notes that the turbine could be driven "in reverse" to act as a compressorGas compressorA gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas...
. 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 LavalGustaf de LavalKarl Gustaf Patrik de Laval was a Swedish engineer and inventor who made important contributions to the design of steam turbines and dairy machinery.-Life:De Laval was born at Orsa in Dalarna...
introduces nozzles design of small steam turbines. - 1900: Sanford Alexander MossSanford Alexander MossSanford Alexander Moss was an aviation engineer, he was the first to use a turbocharger on an aircraft engine.-Biography:...
publishes a paper on turbocompressors. He builds and runs a testbed example in 1903. - 1903: Ægidius EllingÆgidius EllingJens William Ægidius Elling was a Norwegian researcher, inventor and pioneer of gas turbine who is considered to be the father of the gas turbine. He built the first gas turbine that was able to produce more power than needed to run its own components.Elling was born in and grew up in Oslo, Norway...
builds a gas turbine using a centrifugal compressorCentrifugal compressorCentrifugal compressors, sometimes termed radial compressors, are a sub-class of dynamic axisymmetric work-absorbing turbomachinery.The idealized compressive dynamic turbo-machine achieves a pressure rise by adding kinetic energy/velocity to a continuous flow of fluid through the rotor or impeller...
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 ratioCompression ratioThe 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...
, and the turbine is not based on a Parsons-like "fan", but a Pelton wheelPelton wheelThe Pelton wheel is an impulse turbine which is among the most efficient types of water turbines. It was invented by Lester Allan Pelton in the 1870s. The Pelton wheel extracts energy from the impulse of moving water, as opposed to its weight like traditional overshot water wheel...
-like arrangement. The engine is so inefficient, at about 3% thermal efficiencyThermal efficiencyIn thermodynamics, the thermal efficiency is a dimensionless performance measure of a device that uses thermal energy, such as an internal combustion engine, a boiler, a furnace, or a refrigerator for example.-Overview:...
, that the work is abandoned. - 1908: Hans Holzwarth starts work on extensive research on an "explosive cycle" gas turbine, based on the Otto cycleOtto cycleAn Otto cycle is an idealized thermodynamic cycle which describes the functioning of a typical reciprocating piston engine, the thermodynamic cycle most commonly found in automobile engines....
. 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 LorinRené LorinRené Lorin , a graduate of the Ecole Centrale Paris, invented the ramjet. In 1908 he patented a subsonic ramjet design.Lorin published the principles of a ramjet in articles in the journal L'Aérophile from 1908 to 1913, expressing the idea that the exhaust from internal combustion engines could be...
patents a design for the ramjetRamjetA ramjet, sometimes referred to as a stovepipe jet, or an athodyd, is a form of airbreathing jet engine using the engine's forward motion to compress incoming air, without a rotary compressor. Ramjets cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed and thus cannot move an aircraft from a standstill...
engine. - 1909: Marconnt proposes a modification of Lorin's design using a resonant compression chamber, creating the pulsejet.
- 1910: RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n inventor Henri CoandăHenri CoandaHenri Marie Coandă 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 controversial claim disputed by some and supported by others...
builds the Coandă-1910Coanda-1910The Coandă-1910, designed by Romanian inventor Henri Coandă, was the first full-size attempt at a jet aircraft. Built as a sesquiplane, it featured an experimental aircraft engine which Coandă called the "turbo-propulseur," a centrifugal compressor propulsion system with a multi-bladed rotary fan...
which he exhibits at the International Aeronautic Salon in Paris. In the 1950s he said he tested it December 1910 at the airfield in Issy-les-Moulineaux, that it was the first motorjetMotorjetA 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 :...
, and that it crashed and burned on its first brief flight. He was contradicted by some aviation historians who said that the aircraft never flew and that its ducted fan engine did not burn fuel in the airstream. - 1916: Auguste Rateau suggests using exhaust-powered compressors to improve high-altitude performance, the first example of the turbochargerTurbochargerA turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
. - 1917: Sanford Alexander MossSanford Alexander MossSanford Alexander Moss was an aviation engineer, he was the first to use a turbocharger on an aircraft engine.-Biography:...
starts work on turbochargerTurbochargerA turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
s at General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, which goes on to be the world leader in this technology. - 1917: J.S. Harris patents a "Motor Jet" design.
- 1920: W.J. Stern reports to the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
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 turbine engine. It uses multiple stages in both the compressor and turbine, combined with a single very large combustion chamberCombustion chamberA combustion chamber is the part of an engine in which fuel is burned.-Internal combustion engine:The hot gases produced by the combustion occupy a far greater volume than the original fuel, thus creating an increase in pressure within the limited volume of the chamber...
. Although sightly different in form, the design is significantly similar to future jet engines in operation. - 1923: Edgar Buckingham at the United States National Bureau of Standards 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. http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19930091225_1993091225.pdf
- 1925: Wilhelm Pape patents a constant-volume engine design.
- 1926: Alan Arnold GriffithAlan Arnold GriffithAlan Arnold Griffith was an English engineer, who, among many other contributions, is best known for his work on stress and fracture in metals that is now known as metal fatigue, as well as being one of the first to develop a strong theoretical basis for the jet engine.-Early work:A. A...
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 airfoilAirfoilAn airfoil or aerofoil is the shape of a wing or blade or sail as seen in cross-section....
, going on to mathematically demonstrate that a practical engine is definitely possible and showing how to build a turbopropTurbopropA turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
. - 1927: Aurel StodolaAurel StodolaAurel Boleslav Stodola was an engineer, physicist, and inventor. He was an ethnic Slovak. He was a pioneer in the area of technical thermodynamics and its applications and published his book Die Dampfturbine in 1903...
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 EstablishmentRoyal Aircraft EstablishmentThe Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough...
. Known as Anne, the tests are successful and plans are made to build a complete compressor-turbine assembly known as Betty. - 1929: Frank WhittleFrank WhittleAir Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
'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 StechkinBoris StechkinBoris Sergeyevich Stechkin was Russian scientist, engineer and inventor. He developed a theory of heat engines and was involved in construction of many Soviet aircraft engines...
publishes first theory of supersonic ramjet, based on compressible fluid theory.
First turbojet engines (1930-1938)
- 1930: Whittle presents a complete jet engine design to the Air MinistryAir MinistryThe Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
. They pass the paper to Griffiths, 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 compressorCentrifugal compressorCentrifugal compressors, sometimes termed radial compressors, are a sub-class of dynamic axisymmetric work-absorbing turbomachinery.The idealized compressive dynamic turbo-machine achieves a pressure rise by adding kinetic energy/velocity to a continuous flow of fluid through the rotor or impeller...
would make his proposal useless for aircraft applications. - 1930: Whittle receives official notice that the Air MinistryAir MinistryThe Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
is not interested in his concepts, and that they don't even feel that it is worthy of making secret. He is devastated, but friends in the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
convince him to patentPatentA patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
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 CampiniSecondo CampiniSecondo Campini 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 propulsion and in 1932 demonstrated a jet-powered boat in Venice...
patents his motorjetMotorjetA 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 :...
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 OhainHans von OhainHans Joachim Pabst von Ohain was a German engineer, one of the inventors of jet propulsion.Frank Whittle, who patented in 1930 in the United Kingdom, and Hans von Ohain, who patented in 1936 in Germany, developed the concept independently during the late 1930s...
writes his thesis at the University of Göttingen, describing an engine similar to Frank WhittleFrank WhittleAir Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
'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, to build his a prototype of his engine design at Hahn's garage.
- 1934: Secondo CampiniSecondo CampiniSecondo Campini 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 propulsion and in 1932 demonstrated a jet-powered boat in Venice...
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-WilliamsRolf Dudley-WilliamsSir Rolf Dudley Dudley-Williams, 1st Baronet was a British aeronautical engineer and Conservative Party politician.-Royal Air Force career:...
and James Collingwood TinlingJames Collingwood TinlingJames Collingwood Burdett Tinling 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....
with a proposal to set up a company to develop his design and Power JetsPower JetsPower Jets Ltd was a United Kingdom company set up by Frank Whittle for the purpose of designing and manufacturing jet engines.-History:Founded on January 27, 1936, the company consisted of Whittle, Rolf Dudley-Williams, James Collingwood Tinling, and Lancelot Law Whyte of investment bankers O T...
, Ltd is created. - 1936: von Ohain is introduced to Ernst HeinkelErnst HeinkelDr. Ernst Heinkel was a German aircraft designer, manufacturer, Wehrwirtschaftführer in the Third Reich, and member of the Nazi party. His company Heinkel Flugzeugwerke produced the Heinkel He 178, the world's first turbojet aircraft and jet plane, and the Heinkel He 176, the first rocket aircraft...
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 RostockRostockRostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
-area factory. - 1936: Junkers starts work on axial-flow turbopropTurbopropA turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
designs under the direction of Herbert WagnerHerbert A. WagnerHerbert Alois Wagner was an Austrian scientist who developed numerous innovations in the fields of aerodynamics, aircraft structures and guided weapons...
and Adolf Müeller. - 1936: Junkers Motoren (Jumo) is merged with Junkers, formerly separate companies.
- 1936: A stationary gas turbine is installed at the Sun Oil refinery in Marcus HookMarcus Hook, PennsylvaniaMarcus Hook is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population peaked in the 1920s with 5,324 inhabitants. 2,314 inhabitants were counted at the recent 2000 census. Marcus Hook's current mayor is James Schiliro. The borough calls itself "The Cornerstone of Pennsylvania"....
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... - 1936: French engineer René LeducRené LeducRené Leduc was a French engineer who is much acclaimed for his work on ramjets. In 1949 he created the first aircraft to fly under the power of ramjets alone, the Leduc 0.10....
, having independently re-discovered René LorinRené LorinRené Lorin , a graduate of the Ecole Centrale Paris, invented the ramjet. In 1908 he patented a subsonic ramjet design.Lorin published the principles of a ramjet in articles in the journal L'Aérophile from 1908 to 1913, expressing the idea that the exhaust from internal combustion engines could be...
's design, successfully demonstrates the world's first operating ramjetRamjetA ramjet, sometimes referred to as a stovepipe jet, or an athodyd, is a form of airbreathing jet engine using the engine's forward motion to compress incoming air, without a rotary compressor. Ramjets cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed and thus cannot move an aircraft from a standstill...
. The Armée de l'Air orders a prototype aircraft, the Leduc 010, a few months later. - March, 1937: The Heinkel HeS 1Heinkel HeS 1The Heinkel HeS 1 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 optical microphone that could be used to record sound directly to film. Siemens bought the...
experimental hydrogenHydrogenHydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
fuelled centrifugal engine is tested at Hirth. - April, 1937: Whittle's experimental centrifugal engine is tested at the British Thomson-HoustonBritish Thomson-HoustonBritish Thomson-Houston was a British engineering and heavy industrial company, based at Rugby, Warwickshire, England. They were known primarily for their electrical systems and steam turbines. They were merged with the similar Metropolitan-Vickers company in 1928, but the two maintained their own...
plant in RugbyRugby, WarwickshireRugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county... - September, 1937: von Ohain's Heinkel HeS 1Heinkel HeS 1The Heinkel HeS 1 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 optical microphone that could be used to record sound directly to film. Siemens bought the...
is converted to run on gasolineGasolineGasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
. Ernst HeinkelErnst HeinkelDr. Ernst Heinkel was a German aircraft designer, manufacturer, Wehrwirtschaftführer in the Third Reich, and member of the Nazi party. His company Heinkel Flugzeugwerke produced the Heinkel He 178, the world's first turbojet aircraft and jet plane, and the Heinkel He 176, the first rocket aircraft...
gives the go-ahead to develop a flight-quality engine and a testbed aircraft to put it in. - 1937: Hayne ConstantHayne ConstantHayne Constant, C.B., C.B.E., F.R.S, F.R.Ae.S. was an English mechanical and aeronautical engineer who developed jet engines during World War II....
, Griffith's partner at the RAERoyal Aircraft EstablishmentThe Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough...
, starts negotiations with Metropolitan-VickersMetropolitan-VickersMetropolitan-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, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
(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 MinistryAir MinistryThe Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
to start work with Constant. - 1938: György JendrassikGyörgy JendrassikGyörgy Jendrassik , Hungarian physicist and mechanical engineer.Jendrassik completed his education at Budapest's József Technical University, then at the University of Berlin attended lectures of the famous physicists Einstein and Planck. In 1922 he obtained his diploma in mechanical engineering in...
starts work on a turboprop engine of his own design. - April, 1938: Hans Mauch takes over the RLMReich Air Ministrythumb|300px|The Ministry of Aviation, December 1938The Ministry of Aviation was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany...
rocket development office. He expands the charter of his office and starts a massive jet development project, under Helmut SchelpHelmut SchelpHelmut 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 concepts still used today...
. Mauch spurns HeinkelHeinkelHeinkel Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight.-History:...
and Junkers, concentrating only on the "big four" engine companies, Daimler-BenzDaimler-BenzDaimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
, BMWBMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, JumoJumoJumo is 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 the GOOD organization, providing a social engagement...
and Bramo. Mauch and Schelp visit all four over the next few months, and find them uninterested in the jet concept. - 1938: A small team at BMWBMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
led by Hermann Östrich builds and flies a simple thermojet. They turn to true jet engine design almost immediatey. - 1938: The Heinkel He 178Heinkel He 178|-See also:*List of firsts in aviation-Bibliography:* Warsitz, Lutz: The First Jet Pilot - The Story of German Test Pilot Erich Warsitz, Pen and Sword Books Ltd., England, 2009, ISBN 9781844158188.-External links:...
V1 jet testbed is completed, awaiting an engine. - 1938: The Heinkel HeS 3Heinkel HeS 3The Heinkel HeS 3 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, piloted by Erich Warsitz on 27 August 1939...
"flight quality" engine is tested. This is the first truly usable jet engine. The engine flies on a Heinkel He 118Heinkel He 118-See also:-References:* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Doubleday, 1972. ISBN 0-385-05782-2....
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 engine is tested at Junkers.
- 1938: MesserschmittMesserschmittMesserschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...
starts the preliminary design of a twin-engine jet fighter under the direction of Waldermar Voight. This work develops into the Messerschmitt Me 262Messerschmitt Me 262The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
.
1939, Flight
- Arkhip Mikhailovich LyulkaArkhip Mikhailovich LyulkaArkhip Mikhailovich Lyul'ka , was a Soviet scientist and designer of jet engines of Ukrainian origin, head of the OKB Lyulka, member of the USSR Academy of Sciences....
develops early turbofan engine at Kharkov Aviation Institute. - A stationary gas turbine is installed in a new electrical generating plant in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
- A 2200 hp gas turbine is built by Asea Brown BoveriAsea Brown BoveriABB is a Swiss-Swedish multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, and best known for its robotics. ABB operates mainly in the power and automation technology areas. It ranked 143rd in Forbes Ranking ....
and used to power an experimental trainTrainA train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
in Switzerland. - BMW's team led by Hermann Östrich tests their axial-flow design.
- Bramo starts work on two axial-flow 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 BMWBMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, who abandon their own jet project under Östrich, placing him in charge of Bramo's efforts. - Summer: JumoJumoJumo is 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 the GOOD organization, providing a social engagement...
is awarded a contract to develop an axial-flow engine, starting work under Anselm FranzAnselm FranzDr. Anselm Franz 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 turboshaft designs in the U.S...
. Müller decamps with half the team to HeinkelHeinkelHeinkel Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight.-History:...
. - Frank WhittleFrank WhittleAir Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
's patent drawingPatent drawingA patent application or patent may contain drawings, also called patent drawings, illustrating the invention, some of its embodiments , or the prior art...
for his engine is published in the German magazine Flugsport.
- August: Heinkel He 178 V1Heinkel He 178|-See also:*List of firsts in aviation-Bibliography:* Warsitz, Lutz: The First Jet Pilot - The Story of German Test Pilot Erich Warsitz, Pen and Sword Books Ltd., England, 2009, ISBN 9781844158188.-External links:...
, the first jet-powered aircraft, flies for the first time, powered by the HeS 3B. - September: A team from the Air MinistryAir MinistryThe Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
visits Power Jets once again, but this time Frank WhittleFrank WhittleAir Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
demonstrates a jet engine at full power for a continuous 20-minute run. They are extremely impressed, and immediately offer contracts 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, making the possibility of financial rewards for Power Jets slim. - September: The Air Ministry also contracts Gloster to build an experimental airframe for testing Whittle's engines, the Gloster E.28/39Gloster E.28/39|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* James, Derek N. Gloster Aircraft since 1917. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-807-0.* Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II. London: Chancellor Press, 1994. ISBN 1-85152-668-4.* Morgan, Eric B. "A New Concept of...
- After hearing of Whittle's successful demonstration, Hayne Constant realizes that exhaust thrust is practical. The Metrovick efforts are immediately reworked into a turbojet design, the Metrovick F.2Metrovick F.2The Metropolitan-Vickers F.2 was an early turbojet engine and the first British design to be based on an axial-flow compressor. It was considered too unreliable for use during the war, and never entered production...
. - November: Müller's team restarts work on their axial-flow design at Heinkel, now known as the Heinkel HeS 30Heinkel HeS 30-Further reading:*German Jet Engine and Gas Turbine Development 1930-1945, Antony Kay, Airlife Publishing, 2002....
. - René Anxionnaz of France's Rateau company received a patentPatentA patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
on an advanced jet design incorporating bypass. - Leist joins Dailmer-Benz and starts work on an advanced contra-rotating turbofanTurbofanThe turbofan is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used for aircraft propulsion. A turbofan combines two types of engines, the turbo portion which is a conventional gas turbine engine, and the fan, a propeller-like ducted fan...
design, the DB 6001 - A shakeup at the RLMReich Air Ministrythumb|300px|The Ministry of Aviation, December 1938The Ministry of Aviation was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany...
's engine division places Helmut SchelpHelmut SchelpHelmut 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 concepts still used today...
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, and 500 and up for rockets.
1940
- The Campini Caproni CC.2 flies for first time. The flights were highly publicized, and for many years the Italians were credited with having the first jet-powered aircraft.
- NACANational Advisory Committee for AeronauticsThe National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was a U.S. 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 and personnel transferred to the newly created National Aeronautics and...
(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 JATOJATOJATO is an acronym for jet-fuel assisted take off. It is a system for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small rockets....
, or jet assisted takeoff. - von Ohain's larger Heinkel HeS 8 (-001) engine is tested.
- BMW's P.3302 (-003) axial-flow engine is tested
- September: Glider testing of the Heinkel He 280Heinkel He 280The 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 of technical and political factors led to it being...
twin-jet fighter begins, while it waits for the HeS 8 to mature. - September: Henry TizardHenry TizardSir Henry Thomas Tizard FRS was an English chemist and inventor and past Rector of Imperial College....
visits the United States to show them many of the advanced technologies the British are working on and looking for US production (the Tizard MissionTizard MissionThe Tizard Mission officially the British Technical and Scientific Mission was a British delegation that visited the United States during the Second World War in order to obtain the industrial resources to exploit the military potential of the research and development work completed by the UK up...
). Among many other details, Tizard first mentions their work on jet engines. - October: RoverRover (car)The Rover Company is a former British car manufacturing company founded as Starley & Sutton Co. of Coventry in 1878. After developing the template for the modern bicycle with its Rover Safety Bicycle of 1885, the company moved into the automotive industry...
is selected to build the flight-quality Power Jets W.1. They set up shop at a disused mill in BarnoldswickBarnoldswickBarnoldswick is a town and civil parish within the West Craven area of the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England just outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is built in the shadow of Weets Hill, and Stock Beck, a...
, but also set up a parallel effort at another factory in ClitheroeClitheroeClitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
staffed entirely by their own engineers. Frank WhittleFrank WhittleAir Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
is incensed. - November: The Junkers Jumo 004Junkers Jumo 004The Jumo 004 was the world's first turbojet engine in production and operational use, and the first successful axial compressor jet engine ever built. Some 8,000 units were manufactured by Junkers in Germany during late World War II and powered the operational Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter,...
axial-flow engine is tested. - November: Gloster Aircraft CompanyGloster Aircraft CompanyThe Gloster Aircraft Company, Limited, known locally as GAC, was a British aircraft manufacturer. The company produced a famous lineage of fighters for the Royal Air Force : the Grebe, Gladiator, Meteor and Javelin. It also produced the Hawker Hurricane and Hawker Typhoon for the parent company...
's proposal for a twin-engine jet fighter is accepted, becoming the Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
. - December: Whittle's flight-quality W.1X runs for the first time.
- The Lockheed CorporationLockheed CorporationThe Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
starts work on the L-1000Lockheed J37The Lockheed J37 was one of the first turbojet engines designed in the United States. It was not considered very important when it was first introduced in the 1930s and development was allowed to languish. By the time it was developed enough for production use, other engines, often...
axial-flow engine, the United States's first jet design. - The Northrop CorporationNorthrop CorporationNorthrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...
starts work on the T-37 Turbodyne, the United States's first turbopropTurbopropA turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
design. - After only two years of development, the Jendrassik Cs-1Jendrassik Cs-1The 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:...
turboprop engine is tested. Designed to produce 1000 hp, combustion problems limit it to only 400 hp when it first runs. Similar problems plagued early Whittle designs, but help was immediately available from the rest of the industry. It appears György JendrassikGyörgy JendrassikGyörgy Jendrassik , Hungarian physicist and mechanical engineer.Jendrassik completed his education at Budapest's József Technical University, then at the University of Berlin attended lectures of the famous physicists Einstein and Planck. In 1922 he obtained his diploma in mechanical engineering in...
had no similar talent pool to draw on.
1941
- February: The Air MinistryAir MinistryThe Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
places an order for 12 Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
. - February: NACANational Advisory Committee for AeronauticsThe National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was a U.S. 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 and personnel transferred to the newly created National Aeronautics and...
starts testing their "Propulsive duct engine", a ramjetRamjetA ramjet, sometimes referred to as a stovepipe jet, or an athodyd, is a form of airbreathing jet engine using the engine's forward motion to compress incoming air, without a rotary compressor. Ramjets cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed and thus cannot move an aircraft from a standstill...
, 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 (-001) engines. The HeS 8's continue to have reliability issues.
- May: The Gloster E.28/39Gloster E.28/39|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* James, Derek N. Gloster Aircraft since 1917. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-807-0.* Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II. London: Chancellor Press, 1994. ISBN 1-85152-668-4.* Morgan, Eric B. "A New Concept of...
flies for the first time. Over the next few weeks, the top speed soon passes any existing propeller aircraft. - Müller's Heinkel HeS 30Heinkel HeS 30-Further reading:*German Jet Engine and Gas Turbine Development 1930-1945, Antony Kay, Airlife Publishing, 2002....
(-006) axial-flow engine runs for first time. - General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
is awarded a USAAFUnited States Army Air ForcesThe United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
contract to develop a turbopropTurbopropA turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
engine, leading to the TG-100 / TG-31 / XT-31 series, and later the J35Allison J35|-See also:-External links:*...
. - Work on the Jendrassik Cs-1 ends. Intended to power a twin-engine heavy fighterHeavy fighterA heavy fighter is a fighter aircraft designed to carry heavier weapons or operate at longer ranges. To achieve acceptable performance, most heavy fighters were twin-engined, and many had multi-place crews....
, the factory is selected to produce Daimler-Benz DB 605Daimler-Benz DB 605|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
engines under license for the Messerschmitt Me 210Messerschmitt Me 210The Messerschmitt Me 210 was a German heavy fighter and ground-attack aircraft of World War II. The Me 210 was designed to replace the Bf 110 in heavy fighter role; design started before the opening of World War II. The first examples of the Me 210 were ready in 1939, but they proved to have poor...
instead. - October: A Power Jets W.2B is sent to General Electric to start production in the US. Sanford Alexander MossSanford Alexander MossSanford Alexander Moss was an aviation engineer, he was the first to use a turbocharger on an aircraft engine.-Biography:...
is lured out of retirement to help on the project. - The Switzerland turbine-powered trainTrainA train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
enters testing.
1942
- The Metrovick F.2Metrovick F.2The Metropolitan-Vickers F.2 was an early turbojet engine and the first British design to be based on an axial-flow compressor. It was considered too unreliable for use during the war, and never entered production...
is given test rating delivering between 1,800 and 2,000 lbf (8.9 kN) - Metrovick start on "thrust augmentation" adding a turbine and propellors to a F2/2 which will lead to the F.3 (a high bypass design) with an extra 1600 lbf (7,117.2 N) 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 Messerschmitt Me 262Messerschmitt Me 262The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
flies for the first time, powered by a Junkers Jumo 211Junkers Jumo 211|-See also:-References:* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7-External links:*...
piston engine in the nose. The BMW 003 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 MesserschmittMesserschmittMesserschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...
Me 110 - The Daimler-Benz 007 axial-flow 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.
- The British order a single-engined jet design from de HavillandDe HavillandThe de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...
- July 18, 1942: The Messerschmitt Me 262Messerschmitt Me 262The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
, the first jet-powered fighter aircraft, flies for the first time under jet power. - July: Frank WhittleFrank WhittleAir Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
visits the United States to help with General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
'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 1600 lbf (7,117.2 N) thrust. They also start work on an improved version, the I-40, with 4000 lbf (17.8 kN) 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-forceKilogram-forceA kilogram-force , or kilopond , is a gravitational metric unit of force. It is equal to the magnitude of the force exerted by one kilogram of mass in a gravitational field...
(kgf). - Westinghouse starts work on an axial-flow engine design, the WE-19Westinghouse J30-See also:...
. - October: The Bell XP-59P-59 AiracometThe Bell P-59 Airacomet was the first American jet fighter aircraft, designed and built during World War II. The United States Army Air Forces was not impressed by its performance and cancelled the contract when fewer than half of the aircraft ordered had been produced. Although no P-59s went...
flies, powered by a General Electric Type I-A (W.1). - The Fieseler Fi 103 V-1 pulsejet powered "flying bomb" (cruise missileCruise missileA cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
) flies for the first time. - Armstrong SiddeleyArmstrong SiddeleyArmstrong 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 motor cars and aircraft engines.-Siddeley Autocars:...
starts work on an axial-flow design, the ASX. - December: After meeting held at a pub, Rover agrees to hand over the jet development to Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce LimitedRolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
, in exchange for their Rolls-Royce MeteorRolls-Royce MeteorThe Rolls-Royce Meteor was a British tank engine of the Second World War.It was developed from the Rolls-Royce Merlin aero-engine by W. A. Robotham and his chassis design and development division at Belper, as they were not involved in aero-engine work...
tank engine factory.
1943
- January 1: Rolls takes over the Rover plants, although the official date is several months later. Stanley HookerStanley HookerSir Stanley George Hooker was a jet engine engineer, first at Rolls-Royce where he worked on the earliest designs such as the Welland and Derwent, and later at Bristol Aero Engines where he helped bring the troubled Proteus and Olympus to market, and then designed the famous Pegasus.Stanley George...
leads a team including Fred MorleyFred MorleyFrederick Morley was a professional cricketer who was reckoned to be the fastest bowler in England during his prime...
, Arthur RubbraArthur RubbraArthur Alexander Cecil Rubbra CBE was an English engineer who designed many of Rolls-Royce's successful aero engines.-Early life:...
and Harry PearsonHarry PearsonHarry Eyre Pearson was an English first-class cricketer, who played four matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1878 and 1880....
. Several Rover engineers decide to stay on as well, including Adrian LombardAdrian LombardAdrian Albert Lombard, CBE was an English aeronautical engineer. Despite having no formal training in aerodynamics, he became one of the world's foremost designers of jet engines...
, 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 at Rolls, the W.2B/23, soon to be known as the Rolls-Royce WellandRolls-Royce Welland-Bibliography:* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7-External links:*...
, starts production. - The parallel Rover design effort, the W.2B/26, is tested. It 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-ChalmersAllis-ChalmersThe Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. of West Allis, Wisconsin, is an American company known for its past as a manufacturer with diverse interests, perhaps most famous for their bright Persian Orange farm tractors...
, later becoming the J36. Lockheed is awarded a contract to develop what would become the P-80 Shooting StarP-80 Shooting StarThe Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces. Designed in 1943 as a response to the German Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter, and delivered in just 143 days from the start of the design process, production models were flying but...
, 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". TurbopropTurbopropA turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
designs become the T series, also starting at 30. - June: Metrovick F.2Metrovick F.2The Metropolitan-Vickers F.2 was an early turbojet engine and the first British design to be based on an axial-flow compressor. It was considered too unreliable for use during the war, and never entered production...
/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 4000 lbf (17.8 kN).
- Frank WhittleFrank WhittleAir Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
's W.2B/700 engine is tested, fitted to a Vickers WellingtonVickers WellingtonThe Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
Mk II bomber. - March: Westinghouse's X19A axial-flow engine is bench tested at 1165 lbf (5,182.2 N).
- Miles AircraftMiles AircraftMiles was the name used to market the aircraft of British engineer Frederick George Miles, who designed numerous light civil and military aircraft and a range of curious prototypes...
test an all-moving tailplane as part of the Miles M.52Miles M.52The Miles M.52 was a turbojet powered supersonic research aircraft project designed in the United Kingdom in the mid 1940s. Design work was undertaken in secrecy between 1942 and 1945. In 1946 the Air Ministry prudently but controversially changed the project to a series of unmanned rocket-powered...
supersonicSupersonicSupersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
research aircraft design effort. - A Welland-powered prototype Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
flies. - The Goblin-powered de Havilland VampireDe Havilland VampireThe de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
flies. - Lyul'ka VDR-2 axial-flow engine tested, the first Soviet jet design.
- The General Electric J31General Electric J31|-See also:...
, their version of the W.2B/23, is tested. - November: The Metrovick F.2 is tested on a modified Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
. 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 2700 lbf (12,010.2 N) but not developed further, moving on to 10 stage F2/4
1944
- BMWBMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
tests the 003R, a 003 with an additional rocket engine for them and produce an even more powerful engine. In a short 6-month period they design and build the Rolls-Royce NeneRolls-Royce Nene|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgman, L, Jane's fighting aircraft of World War II. Crescent. ISBN 0-517-67964-7-External links:* *...
at 5000 lbf (22.2 kN), but it sees only limited use in the United Kingdom. - 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 EstablishmentNational Gas Turbine EstablishmentThe National Gas Turbine Establishment in Fleet, part of the Royal Aircraft Establishment , UK was the prime site in the UK for design and development of gas turbine and jet engines. It was created by merging the design teams of Frank Whittle's Power Jets and the RAE turbine development team run...
. - June: Design work on a gas turbine engine for powering tanks begins under the direction of Müller, who left HeinkelHeinkelHeinkel Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight.-History:...
in 1942. The first such system, the GT 101GT 101The German Army's development division, the Heereswaffenamt , studied a number of gas turbine engines for use in tanks starting in mid-1944. Although none of these were fitted operationally, the GT 101 reached a production quality stage of development and was considered for installation in the...
, is completed in November and fit to a Panther tankPanther tankPanther is the common name of a medium tank fielded by Nazi Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. It was intended as a counter to the T-34, and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV; while never replacing the latter, it served alongside it as...
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 TrentRolls-Royce TrentRolls-Royce Trent is the name given to a family of high bypass turbofan aircraft engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. All are developments of the RB211 with thrust ratings of . Versions of the Trent are in service on the Airbus A330, A340, A380, Boeing 777, and 787, and variants are in...
, is not further developed, but is test flown on a modified Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
. - The Junkers Ju 287Junkers Ju 287-Bibliography:* Hitchcock, Thomas H. Junkers 287 . Acton, MA: Monogram Aviation Publications, 1974. ISBN 0-914144-01-4.-External links:*...
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 6600 lbf (29,358.3 N).
- The J35Allison J35|-See also:-External links:*...
, a development of an earlier turbopropTurbopropA turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
effort, runs for the first time. - FordFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
builds a copy of the V-1's engine, known as the PJ-31-1. - The Ishikawajima Ne-20Ishikawajima Ne-20|-See also:- References :* -National Air and Space Museum...
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 ramjet-powered aircraft, under construction at the MontaudranMontaudranMontaudran is a suburb of Toulouse situated to the south east of the city , by the Hers-Mort river. It is notable thanks to the Aéropostale company and its aerodrome which was the base for the aeronautical pioneers between 1917 and 1933 who established the first commercial air routes with postal...
airfield near ToulouseToulouseToulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, France unbeknownst to German occupation authorities, is heavily damaged by a Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
bombing raid. - April: The Messerschmitt Me 262Messerschmitt Me 262The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
first enters combat service Germany. - June: The Messerschmitt Me 262 enters squadron service in Germany.
- July: The Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
enters squadron service in the United Kingdom. - An effort starts in Germany to build a simple jet fighter, the Volksjäger. The contract is eventually won by the Heinkel He 162Heinkel He 162The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger was a German single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft fielded by the Luftwaffe in World War II. Designed and built quickly, and made primarily of wood as metals were in very short supply and prioritised for other aircraft, the He 162 was nevertheless the fastest of...
, to be powered by the BMW 003. - December: Northrop's T-37 turboprop is tested. The design never matures and work is later stopped in the late 1940s.
1945
- The Nakajima Kikka flies for the first time on August 7, 1945, powered by two Ishikawajima Ne-20Ishikawajima Ne-20|-See also:- References :* -National Air and Space Museum...
turbojets, making it the first Japanese jet aircraft to fly. - Stanley HookerStanley HookerSir Stanley George Hooker was a jet engine engineer, first at Rolls-Royce where he worked on the earliest designs such as the Welland and Derwent, and later at Bristol Aero Engines where he helped bring the troubled Proteus and Olympus to market, and then designed the famous Pegasus.Stanley George...
scales the Nene down to Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
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. This performance is so outstanding that immediate development of more powerful engines is considered unimportant. - The Junkers 022 turbopropTurbopropA turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
runs. - An afterburnerAfterBurnerThe AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs.Originally, portablemonopoly.net was a website created to petition Nintendo to put some kind of light in their Game Boy Advance system...
equipped Jumo 004 is tested. - Lyul'ka VDR-3 axial-flow engine tested.
- Lyul'ka TR-1Lyul'ka TR-1-See also:-External links:*...
axial-flow engine tested. - The RB.39 Rolls-Royce ClydeRolls-Royce Clyde|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
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 WyvernWestland WyvernThe Westland Wyvern was a British single-seat carrier-based multi-role strike aircraft built by Westland Aircraft that served in the 1950s, seeing active service in the 1956 Suez Crisis...
, 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 CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
1946
- January: A dispirited Frank WhittleFrank WhittleAir Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
resigns from what is left of Power Jets. Gradually the company is broken up, with only a small part remaining to administer its patentPatentA patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s. - Development of the Rolls-Royce DartRolls-Royce Dart|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:*...
starts. The Dart would go on to become one of the most popular turbopropTurbopropA turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
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 world's first ramjetRamjetA ramjet, sometimes referred to as a stovepipe jet, or an athodyd, is a form of airbreathing jet engine using the engine's forward motion to compress incoming air, without a rotary compressor. Ramjets cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed and thus cannot move an aircraft from a standstill...
powered aircraft, finally completes its maiden flight in ToulouseToulouseToulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, France. The aircraft's rate of climb exceeds that of the best contemporary turbojet powered fighters.
1950
- late 1950 Rolls-Royce ConwayRolls-Royce ConwayThe Rolls-Royce RB.80 Conway was the first by-pass engine in the world to enter service. Development started at Rolls-Royce in the 1940s, but it was used only briefly in the late 1950s and early 1960s before other turbofan designs were introduced that replaced it. The Conway powered versions of...
the worlds first production turbofanTurbofanThe turbofan is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used for aircraft propulsion. A turbofan combines two types of engines, the turbo portion which is a conventional gas turbine engine, and the fan, a propeller-like ducted fan...
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 CometDe Havilland CometThe de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
, enters service with BOACBoacBoac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
.
1953
- The de Havilland GyronDe Havilland Gyron|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:** - A 1957 Flight magazine article on the 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.
1958
- October - The Boeing 707Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
enters service with Pan AmericanPan American World AirwaysPan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
. This aeroplane is largely credited with ushering in the Jet AgeJet ageThe Jet Age is a period of history defined by the social change brought about by the advent of large aircraft powered by turbine engines. These aircraft are able to fly much higher, faster, and farther than older piston-powered propliners, making transcontinental and inter-continental travel...
having huge commercial success with few operating problems unlike its competitors. This plane helped establish BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
as one of the leading makers of passenger aircraft in the world.
1968
- 30 June - TF39 high bypass turbofan of 43,300 lbf (193 kN) enters service on the C-5 GalaxyC-5 GalaxyThe Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
transport ushering in the age of wide-body transports.
1975
- Tu-144S the first supersonicSupersonicSupersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
jet airliner went into service on 26 December 1975, flying mail and freight between Moscow and in preparation for passenger services, (commenced November 1977).
1976
- 21 January - ConcordeConcordeAérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
, the supersonicSupersonicSupersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
jet airliner, enters service with British AirwaysBritish AirwaysBritish Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
and Air FranceAir FranceAir France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
1983
- Thrust2Thrust2Thrust2 is a British designed and built jet propelled car, which held the world land speed record from 4 October 1983 to 25 September 1997.The car was designed by John Ackroyd and driven by Richard Noble. On October 4, 1983 the car reached a top speed of and broke the record at . This was...
turbojet-powered car gets the land speed recordLand speed recordThe land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
which it holds from 4 October 1983 for 14 years till 15 October 1997
1997
- ThrustSSCThrustSSCThrustSSC, also spelt Thrust SSC by secondary sources, is a British jet-propelled car developed by Richard Noble, Glynne Bowsher, Ron Ayers and Jeremy Bliss....
powered by two turbofans takes the land speed record on the 15 October 1997
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 lbf of thrust and 128 inches, respectively
- 26 November - ConcordeConcordeAérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
retires from service
2007
- Hyper-X first airbreathing (scram)jet to attain Mach 10