Who invented the jet engine?

Gas turbine engines (or jet engines) are widely used in modern aircraft engineering. Turbojet is the simplest type of it. You can see a typical engine of this kind in a diagram:

Sir Frank Whittle was born on the 1st of June, 1907, to the family of a mechanic. He was interesting in mechanics, engineering and flying from his early age and became an engineer air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine without exterior help. What is interesting here is that he didn't make a penny from this invention.

Without Air Ministry support, Whittle and two retired RAF servicemen formed Power Jets Ltd to build his engine with assistance from the firm of British Thomson-Houston. Despite limited funding, a prototype was created, which first ran in 1937. Official interest was forthcoming following this success, with contracts being placed to develop further engines, but the continuing stress seriously affected Whittle's health, eventually resulting in a nervous breakdown in 1940. In 1944 when Power Jets was nationalised he again suffered a nervous breakdown, and resigned from the board in 1946.

Whittle's contribution to aircraft engineering is invaluable. Do you want to find out more about jet engines? Watch this educational video to understand how they work:

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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16 Comments

David Birkby

Jim Redden - 1) The Heinkel 178 was a dreadful machine that was effectively powered by a hair dryer and could only just stay aloft. 2) All through the second world war German engines suffered from poor reliability and poor materials. The ME262 had to have its engines rebuilt every four or five hours. Compare this to the Gloster Meteor which had a service life far in excess of the ME262. (The Mk2 also had a better performance). 3) Whittle is most definitely the inventor of the jet engine. When Whittle filed his patent, Von Ohain was still in college. It is also a matter of public record that in 1934, the Nazis bought six copies of Whittle's patent from the British patents office in London. At the end of the war copies of this patent were found in virtually every research department and laboratory in Germany. Under interrofgation, Von Ohain's number 2, Gunderson, freely admiited that they regularly referred to Whittle's patent. There is even a passage in Von Ohain's memoirs where he admits this himself. Von Ohain might have been a significant pioneer and developer of the jet engine but in no way can he be considered an inventor or co-inventor. Shame on the British government for letting this go so far.

Debbie Dunton

I learned more from coherent comments in the comments section than I did from the original question/answer. A question/answer with, yet again, a very ambiguous answer.

Albeck1994

But whittle had a patent in 1932 4 years before ohain

Cassandra Cobb

Hans Von Ohain

James Mohn

I must be missing something. The original pantent for the Jet engine was given to Hans von Ohain and in most sources, he is credited with the invention of the jet engine. Where I have gone wrong. "Though Hans von Ohain was granted a patent for his turbojet engine in 1936, it was Ohain's jet that was the first to fly in 1939. It was't until 1941 that Whittle's jet first flew. Sir Frank Whittle was an English aviation engineer and pilot."

Jim Redden

Bill Coe yes bill, turbo props can be jet engines too i believe.

Bill Coe

Whittle patented a turbo jet in 1932. Whittle had his first engine running in 1937. Ohain and Hahn had theirs running in 1937. Who was first? Heinkel had the first aircraft to fly purely on turbojet power in 1939. You need to change the question to who had the first Patent for a jet (or turbojet) engine.

Bill Coe

The planes Heinkel was flying in the 30s were all prop planes, not jets.

Sarah Hearn-vonFoerster

Co-designers, actually. Ohain and Whittle: Ohain, the first operational design; Whittle, the first patent. Ohain's jet was the first to fly. What does that make this answer...again?

Dave Mac

This article should have mentioned how Germany was also developing the jet and produced a workable plane before the British. Was there a connection between the German and British efforts to build jets.

Algernon Bhoomz

The question reads..."Who invented the JET engine". The correct answer is Hans Von Ohain. Mr. Frank Whittle invented the Turbo engine.

Drue Luther

You guys please recheck your information on this one

Dennis Burnett

Am I the only one that noticed that the intake (compression) (except for the turbo fan addition at the end) were facing the wrong way for the rotation direction?

Jim Redden

before you credit whittle with inventing the jet engine, you might want to consider the fact that heinkel was flying his jet planes over the forests of bavaria in the 1930's. he came up with the heinkel 178 which competed withe the messerschmidt 262 for a contract. the me 262 turned out to be a better plane. heinkel went on to invent the ejection seat because when pilots would bail out of a jet they would become entangled with the structure of the aircraft, so heinkel came up with an ejection seat.

Ron Shields

I hate these bullshit questions. Both Whittle and Ohain are credited. Do your damn research before posting such questions. http://inventors.about.com/od/famousinventors/fl/The-History-of-the-Jet-Engine.htm Much like the inventor of the radio is Tesla and not Marconi as everyone is taught.

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Who invented the jet engine?

Whittle's contribution to aircraft engineering is invaluable. Do you want to find out more about jet engines? Watch this educational video to understand how they work:

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