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Sir Frank Whittle Document of the Month April 2020 Anniversary of the first ground test of the jet engine in Rugby, Warwickshire in 1937 (CR2975/178 & PH458/3) 12th April marks the anniversary of the first ground test of the jet engine in Rugby, Warwickshire in 1937. Therefore, April’s Document of the Month showcases documents we hold at the record office in relation to Sir Frank Whittle. Sir Frank Whittle Sir Frank Whittle was the inventor of the jet engine. He was born on 1st June 1907 at 72 Newcombe Road, Earsldon, Coventry. The son of Moses Whittle and Sarah Alice (nee Garlick) who were both originally from Bolton, Lancashire.1 2 The family moved to Leamington Spa when Moses Whittle purchased a small engineering business there in 1916. Whittle attended Milverton School and later won a scholarship to Leamington College at age 11. He eventually was accepted as an aircraft apprentice at the RAF College, Cranwell in 1923 and after passing out in 1928 was posted to a fighter squadron.1 3 In 1929 he attended the Central Flying School at Wittering undertaking a flying instructors’ course1 and went on to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment in Felixstowe,4 before being posted to the RAF Officers’ engineering course at Henlow.1 He entered Cambridge University in 1934 and graduated with First-Class Honours in the Mechanical Sciences Tripos in 1936.1 3 Whittle worked on his jet engine designs in the main turbine workshop at the British Thomson- Houston Company in Rugby, Warwickshire; and it was in the gallery where the first ground test was conducted on 12th April 1937. Soon after this, operations were relocated a few miles away to Lutterworth.1 By the time of his retirement in 1948 he had achieved the rank of Air Commodore and had won awards and accolades for his development of the jet engine1 – The Gold Medal of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1944,4 Freedom of the Borough of Leamington Spa in 1944,4 Kelvin Medal in 1947,4 Knighted in 19481 3 and the Order of Merit in 19861 - to name but a few! In the 1970’s Frank Whittle emigrated to the USA and married his second wife Hazel S. Hall, having previously been married to Dorothy Mary Lee with whom he had two sons. He lived in Columbia Maryland, holding a research position and lecturing at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. In 1996, he passed away at home with his ashes being returned to England to be interred at RAF College Cranwell in 1998.1 1 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Whittle, Sir Frank (1907-1996). https://www.oxforddnb.com : accessed 3 March 2020. 2 Census records. England. Coventry, Warwickshire. 02 April 1911. WHITTLE, Moses. RG14. ED 18. https://www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 3 March 2020. 3 Encyclopaedia Britannica. Sir Frank Whittle, British Inventor and Aviator. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frank-Whittle : accessed 3 March 2020. 4 Warwickshire County Record Office. File relating to Frank Whittle. Document reference: CR2975/178. 1 Document of the Month April 2020 Warwickshire County Record Office. File relating to Frank Whittle – Kelvin Medal Presentation Brochure. Document reference: CR2975/178. Development of the jet engine It was while he was at RAF Cranwell, Whittle started formulating ideas of the jet engine, with his final thesis ‘Future developments in aircraft design’ recognising that an aircraft wanting to travel great distance and at high speed would require it to fly at a high altitude and with jet propulsion.1 3 When at the Central Flying School at Wittering he focused on the idea of a gas turbine as the propellant. One of the flying instructors helped Whittle to draw up a patent for the idea in 1930.1 Unfortunately, the Air Ministry showed no interest in Whittle’s proposal for the jet engine.1 3 Undeterred, Whittle approached British Thomson-Houston turbine factory, Armstrong Siddeley and Bristol Aeroplane Company but due to the costs and materials involved in developing his jet engine they declined involvement.1 Whittle finally attracted some financial backing and along with others set up Power Jets Limited in 1936. A contract was placed with British Thomson-Houston, for design drawings of an experimental engine. Inevitably, there were re-drawings and adjustments to the initial design. 2 Document of the Month April 2020 Eventually this led to the ground-breaking first test run of Whittle’s prototype engine at the British Thomson-Houston factory on 12th April 1937.1 This is technically regarded as the invention of the jet engine; however, the first operational jet engine was designed and flown in Germany in 1939.3 It was at the outset of the second World War that The Air Ministry finally took an interest in Whittle’s jet engine with one of his designs being fitted to a Gloster E28/39 frame which took its maiden voyage in May 1941.1 3 By 1944, the Gloster Meteor jet aircraft was in use by the RAF against the German V-1 flying bombs1 3 (buzz bomb, doodlebug). Warwickshire County Record Office. "Boys Wing Mode Aircraft Society, Cranwell 1924/5. Boy Whittle, back row, 4th from left” Document reference: PH458/3. 3 .
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