Evolution of the Jet Engine Thought the course of time man has constantly sought to better both himself and mankind through creation and invention. From the first time a caveman rubbed two sticks together and discovered fire to the design and development of the Saturn 5 rocket which propelled by that same fire carried man from the earth to the moon. One can argue over whether on not this invention or that was the greatest. I intend to focus my attention on evolution of just one of those technologies the jet engine, and show the importance of its impact in our world. In the early 1920’s, new technology was being developed to enable aircraft to fly higher and faster. This early development of aircraft technology was hindered by the depression until World War II pulled the United States out of economic hardship. Jet engine design has been critical in keeping aircraft in line with other countries’ developing technology. All over the world, countries were racing to be the first with a jet engine powered aircraft. During World War II the quest for air superiority resulted in the need for better, faster aircraft. As a result, the jet engine was created. A simple jet engine can be described as a device that compresses large amounts of high velocity air which mixes with fuel, ignites, and then is propelled out the aft end of the aircraft. Able to keep itself going once started, the jet engine is truly a marvel of the twentieth century. Two people are credited with this wonderful invention: Dr. Hans von Ohain (German) and Sir Frank Whittle (British). Ohain actually created the first engine while Whittle was the first to acquire a patent in 1930. However, Ohain’s jet was the first to fly in 1939, while Whittle was able to get his in the air in 1941. Ohain’s jet engine was tested in a lab in Sep. 1937 and first tested on a plane developed by Ernst Heinkel the Heinkel He178 on Aug. 27th, 1939. The Firm, Power Jets Ltd., got a contract for Whittle’s engine, the W1, July 7th, 1939. The Maiden flight was on May 15th, 1941 with pilot Lieutenant P. E. G. Sayer flying the craft, the Gloster E28/39. The craft flew at roughly 400 mph and the engine produced 1000lbs.
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
This edu website describes how the impact of invention of the airplane by the wright brothers created a new world of technology. It proves my thesis because it explains how commercial & potential of aviation came to being because of the wright brothers. This is a secondary source because it draws conclusions from primary sources and because it's a review of what happen and what came into being.
Planes have developed immensely through the years. The Wright brothers developed the first plane in 1903.
In the 1900's, transportation and weapons became important for the different wars that the United States were involved in. Planes were one of the most significant inventions in the 20th century. Being able to fly from place to place was a new lifestyle for America's military. In World War II, military planes were a huge part of the war, and without them, many things that happened, would not have happened. As America was getting involved with Japan, they needed a more powerful plane. That plane that they needed was known as the B-29 Superfortress. The B-29 had a greater impact on Japan than any other plane because of the amount of destroyed resources in Japan, the most destructive firebomb in history, and the dropping of the first atomic bomb.
In the years WW2 was being fought plane designs progressed in leaps and bounds. From the old and obsolete designs of biplanes and triplanes the planes turned into worlds first Jet fighter, from ugly twin engine
"Wrights’ Perspective on the Role of Airplanes in War." Wright Stories Wright Brothers Inventing The Airplane History of Flight Kitty Hawk Wright Contemporaries Military Airplane RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr.
To begin, the war gave a new perspective of aircraft, ostensibly revisiting and rewriting the previous role and feeling towards aircraft. During major battles, airplanes were used primarily to report enemy infantry and artillery. While it was true aircraft were very useful for reconnaissance purposes, they were capable of much more. Pilots at first had only a pistol to protect themselves in case of danger. When pilots demanded that machine guns be fitted to their airplanes, the air f...
Following World War II and the jet engine technology that emerged largely toward its end, aerospace engineers knew well that the technology had great potential for use in the commercial aviation industry. The Comet was the first aircraft to utilize jet propulsion; however, its designers failed to consider the metallurgy of the aircraft’s materials under flight conditions or the consequences of their atypical window design. The aircraft was designed by Britain’s De Havilland Aircraft Company and entered service in May 1952. After a year of service, however, the design issues mentioned above resulted in the failure of several Comet aircraft. Extensive evaluations revealed that repeated pressurization stress on the aircraft’s main cabin had caused its structure to fail.
Technology changed during World War II , things like planes were made even more deadly. During World War II , the United States became involved in the war because of the Japanese attack called Pearl Harbor. The Japanese were then punished for their actions in Pearl Harbor by atomic bombs. The U.S. officially joined World War II after the Pearl Harbor attack. The role of aircraft in World War II is significant because of the planes and pilots that attacked Pearl Harbor, battles involving planes, and the United States Air Force.
(Morgan 67). When the jet engine was thought of back in the 1920's the world
The airplane has been modified from the balloons used in the Civil War to have a powerful role in combat. During the Civil War battles were fought on the ground and people rarely took to the air. Most aircraft of the late nineteenth century were made of mechanical wings or lighter than air. Observers used balloons on the battlefield to report the status of advancing troops. Gliders were used for observations but were limited to where they could be used. During the late 1890s the American war department placed more of a focus on developing a heavier than air flying machine. In 1903 Orville Wright in North Carolina made the first fight of the modern aircraft which resulted in more research in the development of the airplane.
The history of flying dates back as early as the fifteenth century. A Renaissance man named Leonardo da Vinci introduced a flying machine known as the ornithopter. Da Vinci proposed the idea of a machine that had bird like flying capabilities. Today no ornithopters exist due to the restrictions of humans, and that the ornithopters just aren’t practical. During the eighteenth century a philosopher named Sir George Cayley had practical ideas of modern aircraft. Cayley never really designed any workable aircraft, but had many incredible ideas such as lift, thrust, and rigid wings to provide for lift. In the late nineteenth century the progress of aircraft picks up. Several designers such as Henson and Langley, both paved the way for the early 1900’s aircraft design. Two of the most important people in history of flight were the Wright Brothers. The Wright Brothers were given the nickname the “fathers of the heavier than air flying machine” for their numerous flights at their estate in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville and Wilbur Wright created a motor-powered biplane in which they established incredible feats of the time. The Wright Brothers perfected their design of the heavier than air flying ma...
The jet engine is a great mechanical piece of engineering. It has been used in almost all aircraft since its invention. This one improvement in aircraft allowed aircraft to fly higher, faster, and more efficient. The turbocharged engine invented by GE was the main building block for other engines. Since its invention, the jet engine has been the workhorse for all jet powered aircraft.
This creation leads to the invention of many other rocket weapons used in World War II. Relating to space flight, Robert H. Goddard explored the use of rocket propulsion to reach altitudes as high as the moon in 1912, proved that rockets will work in a vacuum of space and that it doesn’t need air to push against, shot a scientific payload in a rocket flight in 1929, developed a gyro control mechanism for rocket flight in 1932, received U.S. patent for a multi-stage rocket in 1914, developed pumps fit for rocket fuels, and launched a rocket with a motor rotated on gimbals in 1937. (Garner,
Aircraft are one of the biggest areas of advancement in the past. Military aircraft have become more sophisticated in variety, effectiveness, and maneuverability techniques in recent years. After it was found that aircraft could be very useful in war, they started to become a necessity of war. After World War 2, technological advances in aircraft began. The advances include stealth, targeting, maneuverability, etc.