Abstract
The aviation industry has come a long way to reach where it is today. The key individuals who contributed to the growth and advancement of this field are known as aviation pioneers, and they fall into different categories based on their individual contributions. This paper explores the various types of aviation pioneers and focuses on Sir Frank Whittle by detailing his invention coupled with how it contributed to the future of aviation.
Introduction
This report describes the different aviation pioneer types and provides examples of notable people from aviation history. In addition, it focuses on Sir Frank Whittle by giving a brief biography about him, explaining his important contribution to the advancement of flight, and describing the pioneer type that he represents. The report also offers a brief explanation of how Whittle’s contribution affected the future of aviation. Finally, the conclusion summarizes the main points that have been highlighted throughout the paper. This report is based on Sir Frank Whittle and his contribution to the aviation industry. The information comes from books.
Aviation Pioneer Types
Pioneers of aviation contributed to the development of the industry in diverse fields. The different types of aviation pioneers include those who worked in the spheres of science, support, aviation, manufacturing, design, and construction (Boyne, 1994, p. 49). Scientific pioneers worked on theories, principles, and discoveries in aviation. Design pioneers developed conceptual models of air travel while their construction-focused counterparts built aircraft prototypes. Pioneers who worked with manufacturing built commercial aircraft, while aviators garnered major awards and records in the industry. Support pioneers incorporated organizations to promote the aviation industry. Sir Frank Whittle was a design and science pioneer. See Appendix 1 for more examples.
Aviation Pioneer Biography
This section focuses on the aviation pioneer Sir Frank Whittle and his unique contribution to the industry as a design and science pioneer. Born on 1 June 1907 to a mechanical engineer in Coventry, Whittle enlisted in the Royal Air France (RAF) in 1923 at the tender age of 16 (Golley, 1987). By the time he graduated from the RAF in 1928 at the age of 21, Whittle had soaring ambitions of revolutionizing the aviation industry. Specifically, he had plans to produce “higher speeds and greater altitude for the propeller-driven aircraft of the time” (Whittle, 1953). In his graduation thesis, he outlined how he would replace the then-widely-used piston engines with gas turbine-driven propellers. To many people at the time, this ambition was no more than a surreal dream; even the Air Ministry turned down his proposal, calling it an “impracticable design” (Golley, 1997). However, Whittle continued working on his concept and eventually created the world’s first turbojet engine. Because he could not get manufacturers to produce his engine, he formed a company, Power Jets Ltd., to achieve his vision. In 1937, he completed his inaugural test of the jet engine, and the first plane powered by this engine took off on 15 May 1941 (Longyard, 1994). Power Jets received funding from various private investors, but in 1944, the company was nationalized, and Whittle became the Chief Technical Advisor (Nahum, 2004). Two years later, Whittle suffered a mental breakdown and resigned from his position at the nationalized Power Jets. He retired from the RAF in 1948 due to ill health and died in August 1996.
Aviation Pioneer’s Effect on the Future of Aviation
Whittle’s novel idea quickly crystallized into reality after the nationalization of Power Jets. The government developed the Gloster Meteor, which used the W.1 turbojet engine (Grant, 2007). Afterward, the British government brought the Americans on board by letting General Electric (GE) use Whittle’s concept to produce the Bell XP-59. Other players like Rolls-Royce and Lockheed also began developing turbojet projects, and soon after, the Soviets released the turbojet-powered MiG-15 jet fighter. GE continued to work on Whittle’s turbojet engine, and by 1953, the J-57 engine became operational (Grant, 2007). This engine was later used in the commercial aviation industry’s Boeing 707 model. GE improved the turbojet engine through several iterations until the invention of the J-79, an engine that could attain supersonic speed. Later, the fanjet was invented. GE’s current turbofan, the GE 90, can produce up to 400,000 Newtons of thrust and is used in most commercial planes. In this way, it is clear that Whittle’s idea of a turbojet engine revolutionized the aviation industry significantly. Without Whittle’s idea and invention, contemporary planes would not be in the position to move at supersonic speed and lift thousands of pounds in the air.
Conclusion
Through his design and invention of the turbojet engine, Sir Frank Whittle became one of the key aviation pioneers in the fields of design and science. Whittle’s dream materialized when the first turbojet-powered aircraft took off in 1945. Both governmental agencies and private corporations have developed and improved the turbojet engine over the years, and there is no doubt that Whittle’s invention influenced the future of aviation significantly. Whittle’s legacy remains in the fact that most of today’s commercial planes use the GE 90 turbojet engine.
References
Boyne, W. J. (1994). Clash of wings. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Golley, J. (1987). Whittle: the true story. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd.
Golley, J. (1997). Genesis of the Jet: Frank Whittle and the Invention of the Jet Engine. Marlborough, UK: Crowood Press.
Grant, R.G. (2007). Flight: The complete history. New York, NY: DK Publishing.
Longyard, W. H. (1994). Who’s Who in Aviation: 500 Biographies History. New York, NY: Presidio Press.
Nahum, A. (2004). Frank Whittle: Invention of the Jet. London, UK: Icon Books Ltd.
Whittle, F. (1953). Jet: The story of a pioneer. London, UK: Frederick Muller Ltd.
Appendices
Appendix 1
A table showing the different Aviation Pioneer Types and the corresponding Pioneers together with their achievements.
Appendix 2
