Development of the modern gas turbine aero engine

摘要

Today when boarding a 747, or similar type of aircraft, passengers can have complete confidence in those large fan jet engines hanging from beneath the wings - but it was not always so! In 1929/30 Frank Whittle, an engineer and pilot in the RAF filed a patent for a gas turbine engine suitable for aircraft propulsion. However, the "powers that be" failed to see the importance of the engine, so due to the shortage of funds, development was slow. Germany however, saw the potential and succeeded in flying a jet propelled aircraft just prior to the outbreak of World War Two. In 19.52, Frank Whittle became the first recipient of the Society of Engineers Churchill Medal and was made an Honorary Fellow of the Society. During the early 1950s, Britain had four major producers of aircraft engines: Armstrong Siddeley, Bristol, De Havilland and Rolls-Royce. Each of these companies was involved in intense research and development on their own range of gas turbines. Later, mergers took place: Armstrong Siddeley with Bristol in 1958/9 to become Bristol Siddeley Engines that later absorbed De Havilland and in 1968 Bristol Siddeley merged with Rolls-Royce under the Rolls-Royce banner to become one large company able to compete with the huge American firms of Pratt &Witney and General Electric.