Using language understandable to those without an engineering background and avoiding complex mathematical formulae, Bill Gunston explains the differences between gas-turbine, jet, rocket, ramjet and helicopter turbo shaft aero engines and traces their histories from the early days through to today’s complex and powerful units as used in the latest wide-bodied airliners and high performance military jets.

The largest and heaviest transport aircraft, the highest flying reconnaissance aeroplanes and the fastest and most agile fighters are all powered by jet or gas-turbine engines. Throughout its first hundred years the technology of aerospace has moved ahead every single day. This updated edition of the popular book by aviation expert Bill Gunston examines all of the recent developments, such as Boeing's announcement to abandon plans for a stretched 747, to cut back on future development of the 767, and to develop a possible future passenger aircraft called the Sonic Cruiser. Gunston Uses language understandable to those without an engineering background, to describe how jet and gas-turbine engines and their derivatives work, and explains the differences between jet, gas-turbine, rocket, ramjet, turboprop and helicopter turboshaft engines.

It was not until Frank Whittle, a young RAF pilot, persisted with no official support and little money, that a practical jet engine was produced in the late 1930s. Even then, it was not put to use until near the end of World War Two. Today, every country in the world is linked by means of jet propelled aircraft. This book gives the story of how jet and turbine engines have been developed and refined over the years, together with a detailed and accessible description of how they work.

Traces the history and development of the jet engine

This absorbing, anecdotal history of gas turbine aircraft engine development in the United States was ten years in the making. It spans over 50 years of scientific discovery, corporate intrigue, and insight into the minds of the inventors, the sponsors, and the manufacturers. It conveys the danger of world war and the tension of the Cold War. Approximately 600 pages, it includes 19 chapters and 68 engine addenda, plus hundreds of photographs and figures, a comprehensive index, engine specifications, and performance ratings.

This landmark joint publication between the National Air and Space Museum and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics chronicles the evolution of the small gas turbine engine through its comprehensive study of a major aerospace industry. Drawing on in-depth interviews with pioneers, current project engineers, and company managers, engineering papers published by the manufacturers, and the tremendous document and artifact collections at the National Air and Space Museum, the book captures and memorializes small engine development from its earliest stage. Leyes and Fleming leap back nearly 50 years for a first look at small gas turbine engine development and the seven major corporations that dared to produce, market, and distribute the products that contributed to major improvements and uses of a wide spectrum of aircraft. In non-technical language, the book illustrates the broad-reaching influence of small turbinesfrom commercial and executive aircraft to helicopters and missiles deployed in recent military engagements. Detailed corporate histories and photographs paint a clear historical picture of turbine development up to the present. See for yourself why The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines is the most definitive reference book in its field. The publication of The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines represents an important milestone for the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). For the first time, there is an authoritative study of small gas turbine engines, arguably one of the most significant spheres of aeronautical technology in the second half o

The primary human activities that release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere are the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) to generate electricity, the provision of energy for transportation, and as a consequence of some industrial processes. Although aviation CO2 emissions only make up approximately 2.0 to 2.5 percent of total global annual CO2 emissions, research to reduce CO2 emissions is urgent because (1) such reductions may be legislated even as commercial air travel grows, (2) because it takes new technology a long time to propagate into and through the aviation fleet, and (3) because of the ongoing impact of global CO2 emissions. Commercial Aircraft Propulsion and Energy Systems Research develops a national research agenda for reducing CO2 emissions from commercial aviation. This report focuses on propulsion and energy technologies for reducing carbon emissions from large, commercial aircraftâ€" single-aisle and twin-aisle aircraft that carry 100 or more passengersâ€"because such aircraft account for more than 90 percent of global emissions from commercial aircraft. Moreover, while smaller aircraft also emit CO2, they make only a minor contribution to global emissions, and many technologies that reduce CO2 emissions for large aircraft also apply to smaller aircraft. As commercial aviation continues to grow in terms of revenue-passenger miles and cargo ton miles, CO2 emissions are expected to increase. To reduce the contribution of aviation to climate change, it is essential to improve the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to reduce emissions and initiate research into new approaches.