In April 1941 Britain's first jet left the ground at a grass airfield 4 miles from Gloucester Cathedral. It was the start of a revolution in air travel, military and civilian. During the 1940s Britain's first-ever jet aircraft, the world's first jet fighter in squadron service and the first jet to hold the world air-speed record were all designed, built and flown in the Gloucester and Cheltenham area. The story of Frank Whittle's invention and dogged development of the jet engine is well known. But the account of how his invention was put into the air has never been fully told. This book tells the story of how the men and women of north Gloucestershire made Whittle's engine fly.

The pilot’s son delivers “a fascinating read and an invaluable insight in to the workings of pre- and wartime test flying under the Third Reich” (Military Aircraft Monthly). On 27 August 1939, Flugkapitan Erich Warsitz became the first man to fly a jet aircraft, the Heinkel He 178, and in June of the same year he flew the first liquid-fuel rocket aircraft, the Heinkel He 176. His legendary flying skills enabled him to assist the pioneering German aircraft and engine design teams that included Wernher von Braun and Ernst Heinkel. He repeatedly risked his life extending the frontiers of aviation in speed, altitude and technology and survived many life-threatening incidents. This book is written by Erich’s son who has used his father’s copious notes and log books that explain vividly the then halcyon days of German aviation history. Warsitz was feted by the Reich’s senior military figures such as Milch, Udet and Lucht and even Hitler keenly followed his experimental flying. Little is known of this pioneer period because of the strict secrecy which shrouded the whole project—it is a fascinating story that tells of the birth of the jet age and flight as we know it today. The book includes many unseen photographs and diagrams. “This book is nothing short of a gem for anyone interested in real aviation history . . . through Lutz Warsitz’s words, readers share the emotions— apprehension, loyalty, fear, frustration and elation—of being part of some of aviation’s most significant advances.” —Pacific Wing Magazine “More than just a good read. An historical document of inestimable value in the aviation pioneering field.” —Airnews

In April 1941 Britain's first jet left the ground at a grass airfield 4 miles from Gloucester Cathedral. It was the start of a revolution in air travel, military and civilian. During the 1940s Britain's first-ever jet aircraft, the world's first jet fighter in squadron service and the first jet to hold the world air-speed record were all designed, built and flown in the Gloucester and Cheltenham area. The story of Frank Whittle's invention and dogged development of the jet engine is well known. But the account of how his invention was put into the air has never been fully told. This book tells the story of how the men and women of north Gloucestershire made Whittle's engine fly.

From the dawn of human flight to today, Seattle has hosted flying history from dirigibles and fabric biplanes to jumbo jets, from epic pioneering flights to innovative companies making world travel routine. This book recaptures that historical awe and connects it with a sense of place. These subjects may span decades of existence or represent a single day's events. Some are inspiring places of creativity and innovation, some are grim accident sites. All have some significance to the story of flight in the region. Do you know the exact spot of the first airplane flight in the area? How about where The Boeing Company began? Where did the top secret XB-29 prototype crash during its urgent WWII test program? Where did the first non-stop flight across the Pacific end? This book will answer those questions and many more as we dig into the aviation archaeology of the "Jet City" and its surroundings.

The remarkable story of the early days of jet development as told by the 'father of the jet engine', Frank Whittle. For aviation enthusiasts and readers of Ian Mackersey, Duncan Campbell-Smith and Graham Hoyland. On the evening of 15th May 1941, a small group gathered at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire to watch as the Gloster-Whittle E.28/39 made its maiden flight - Britain's first jet-engined aeroplane. This book chronicles the story behind that historic event. Sir Frank Whittle, who eleven years earlier, at the age of 22, had applied for his patent for a turbo-jet engine, here sets on record his own pioneering work and that of the small company, Power Jets Ltd, which he helped to form in 1936 to develop the engine. The dreams of his youth were brought to fruition in an invention that not only revolutionised military aircraft but set Britain ahead of the world in civil aviation, bringing the inventor a knighthood at the age of 41. Written in non-technical language and drawing upon his own comprehensive diaries and correspondence, Sir Frank Whittle describes his hard and often bitter struggle with engineering problems, with financial difficulties and with the frustrations arising out of official policy, which came at great personal cost and which eventually led to the downfall of Power Jets. Jet: The Story of a Pioneer chronicles the pioneering work of Sir Frank Whittle and his determination to turn his idea into reality. 'an honest story told first hand by the pioneer engineer, flight-rated military officer, and persevering genius that was Sir Frank Whittle' - enginehistory.org

Our stories of industrial innovation tend to focus on individual initiative and breakthroughs. With Making Jet Enginesin World War II, Hermione Giffard uses the case of the development of jet engines to offer a different way of understanding technological innovation, revealing the complicated mix of factors that go into any decision to pursue an innovative, and therefore risky technology. Giffard compares the approaches of Britain, Germany, and the United States. Each approached jet engines in different ways because of its own war aims and industrial expertise. Germany, which produced more jet engines than the others, did so largely as replacements for more expensive piston engines. Britain, on the other hand, produced relatively few engines—but, by shifting emphasis to design rather than production, found itself at war's end holding an unrivaled range of designs. The US emphasis on development, meanwhile, built an institutional basis for postwar production. Taken together, Giffard's work makes a powerful case for a more nuanced understanding of technological innovation, one that takes into account the influence of the many organizational factors that play a part in the journey from idea to finished product.