Frank Whittle

Frank Whittle was born on 1 June 1907 in Coventry, the son of a mechanic. He showed an early interest in engineering and flying and joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as an apprentice in 1923. He qualified as a pilot and an officer and studied engineering at Cambridge University. He wrote a thesis on the future of high-speed flight and proposed a new type of engine that used a gas turbine to produce a jet of hot air. He patented his idea in 1930 but the Air Ministry was not interested in funding his research. Whittle formed his own company, Power Jets Ltd, with the help of two retired RAF officers and a private investor. He received some assistance from British Thomson-Houston, an electrical engineering firm, to build his prototype engine. The first test run took place in 1937 and was successful. However, Whittle faced many difficulties in securing official support and funding for his project, as well as competition from other engineers who were working on similar designs. In 1941, the first flight of an aircraft powered by a Whittle engine took place at RAF Cranwell. The plane was a Gloster E28,39, a small experimental aircraft that reached a speed of 370 mph 595 kmh. This was a historic achievement that proved the feasibility of jet propulsion. However, it was too late to have a significant impact on World War II, as Germany had already developed and deployed its own jet fighters, such as the Messerschmitt Me 262. Whittle continued to improve his engines and worked with Rolls-Royce to produce more powerful and reliable models. His engines were used in the Gloster Meteor, the first operational jet fighter of the RAF, which entered service in 1944. Whittle also collaborated with American engineers who were developing their own jet engines based on his designs. Whittle retired from the RAF in 1948 with the rank of air commodore and was knighted for his services to aviation. He moved to the United States in 1976 and became a research professor at the US Naval Academy. He also received many honors and awards from both countries, including the Order of Merit, the highest civilian honor in Britain. Whittle died of lung cancer on 9 August 1996 at his home in Columbia, Maryland. He was buried at RAF Cranwell and his ashes were later moved to Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey, where a memorial stone was unveiled in 2000.