"While still a cadet he wrote a thesis contending that planes would need to fly at high altitudes, where air resistance is much lower, in order to achieve long ranges and high speeds. During 1929 while at Central Flying School he conceived the idea of using the Gas Turbine as a means of power for producing jet thrust but the Air Ministry failed to take any action in support of the project. By 1930 he applied for a patent on the Turbo-jet engine, as well as performing ‘crazy flying’ at the RAF Pageant, Hendon. During 1931/32 Whittle was a Floatplane and Catapult Test Pilot and subsequently posted to School of Engineering, Henlow. In 1935 he was unable to renew his patent because of financial problems and, since the Air Ministry were not interested, his patent details were published worldwide.
A Testing Time For Frank Whittle
In 1936 Whittle secured financial backing and, with approval from the Air Ministry, formed Power Jets Ltd. in Lutterworth and started to develop the Turbo-jet engine. While working on his project he gained First Class Honours at Cambridge University. He was then posted to the Special Duties List so that he could continue his work.
He also patented the Turbo-fan and other enhancements to his original idea. Test runs were made in April 1937, at the BTH works in Rugby. This was the world’s first Turbo-jet unit and it was called the W.U. The Government immediately realised the potential of the jet engine and signed a contract for further development in 1939.
The Jet Engine Was Born
By April 1941 the new engine, now designated the W1, was ready for flight testing. The first flight of an allied Turbo-jet, the Gloster E28/39, was made on 15th May 1941 at Cranwell. By October the Americans had heard of the project and asked for the details and an engine. A Power Jets team and a W1X engine were flown to Washington to enable General Electric to examine it and begin construction. The Americans developed the idea and their Bell XP-59A Airacomet was airborne on 2nd October 1942. Prior to this the Rover Company in the UK had been given the secrets of the Whittle Engine by the Air Ministry in 1940, in order to prepare for mass production of the W2 Engine for the Gloster Meteor. On their failure to do so, this work was handed over by the Ministry to Rolls Royce in 1943, who successfully completed the task allotted to them"
By '44 the RAF had the Meteor in service but what if Whittle had secured backing in 1935, the patents had not gone worldwide and the secrets had gone direct to Rolls Royce instead of Rover?
The thought of a squadron of jets appearing over the English Channel as Dunkirk loomed........