University of Missouri, St. Louis IRL @ UMSL Theses UMSL Graduate Works 8-25-2017 Designing Simplicity to Achieve Technological Improvement: The General Electric J79 Turbojet Engine; Innovations, Achievements and Effects Matt .C Brimer
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://irl.umsl.edu/thesis Part of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Military History Commons, Political History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Brimer, Matt .,C "Designing Simplicity to Achieve Technological Improvement: The General Electric J79 Turbojet Engine; Innovations, Achievements and Effects" (2017). Theses. 307. https://irl.umsl.edu/thesis/307 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the UMSL Graduate Works at IRL @ UMSL. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of IRL @ UMSL. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Designing Simplicity to Achieve Technological Improvement: The General Electric J79 Turbojet Engine; Innovations, Achievements and Effects By Matt Brimer A Thesis for a Master of Arts in History Submitted to The Graduate School of the University of Missouri-St. Louis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts In History December 2017 Advisory Committee Peter Acsay, Ph.D. Chair of Committee Daniel Rust, Ph.D. Carlos Schwantes, Ph.D. Brimer, Matt, 2017, UMSL, p.1 Abstract With the beginning of powered, manned flight, the piston engine drove a propeller or multiple propellers to provide the thrust for lift required to overcome the forces of drag and gravity for flight. As aircraft speeds gradually increased over time, the power needed to overcome the aerodynamic inefficiencies of the propeller to greater speeds and altitudes were quickly realized as a hindrance to the potential of aircraft.