Special Collections & Archives, Wright State University Libraries

MS-241 Frank Whittle Papers

Access and Provenance

The Whittle Papers were accessioned into the Wright State University's Department of Special Collections and Archives in September, 1992. They were donated by General Electric Aircraft Engines, Cincinnati, Ohio (Eric Falk). The deed of gift imposes no restrictions on the use of material(s) in this collection.

Series Listing
Series 1: Design and Technical Reports
Series 2: Correspondence
Series 3: Photographs
Series 4: Technical Drawings and Charts
Series 5: Miscellaneous

Brief Biographical Sketch

Frank Whittle first proposed the use of the gas turbine for jet propulsion in a science thesis in 1928. His thesis, Future Development of Aircraft, was his fourth term project at the R.A.F. College. Whittle filed British Patent No. 374206 for his idea in January of 1930. The British Air Ministry did not take much interest in the idea at that time due mostly to the unavailability of materials necessary to build such a powerplant.

Whittle did not let the idea rest though. After a brief posting as a flying Instructor, Group Captain Whittle attended the R.A.F. Officers Engineering Course (1932-1934). From there he continued his graduate studies in Mechanical Sciences at Cambridge University. In 1936, Whittle teamed up with J.C.B. Tinling and R.D. Williams to form Power Jets Ltd. The R.A.F. was supportive of Whittle and allowed him to pursue his research and development with Power Jets Limited and the British Thomson-Houston Co., Rugby, to produce a working jet engine. In April 1937, the first engine was started and run up to 13,600 r.p.m. In July 1939, the Gloster Aircraft Co. was contracted to build an aircraft for the new engine. The Gloster E28/39 (nicknamed the Squirt)took to the air on 14 May, 1941 with Whittle's engine, the W1. In the years to follow, much testing and improvement was completed before reliable production models came about. The Whittle engine technology was shared with the United States, and became the foundation for the American jet aircraft program.

Scope and Content

Series 1 consists of design and technical reports; basic jet concepts, research and development, and bench and flight testing of gas turbine aircraft engines. The reports are arranged chronologically. The bulk of these reports were prepared by Power Jets Limited, a company in which Sir Frank Whittle played an elemental role. This series also includes reports by The British Air Ministry, The National Gas Turbine Establishment, as well as reports from a variety of other sources. The reports are rich with early jet aircraft technology at it's begging stage. Many of today's standard jet aircraft concepts are shown in their developmental phase. Ideas that where new and innovative in the 1930s-1940s, like water injection, afterburners, special jet fuel, inlet guide vane designs, turbo-props, thrust reversers, supersonic jets, etc. are discussed in these reports as possibilities for development.

Besides the test data on early British jets, some test data on America's first Jet aircraft, the Bell YP-59, is included. Many of the reports carry interesting photographs, schematics, and technical drawings. Anyone studying the stepping stones to jet power will find these reports essential.

Series 2 contains correspondence, internal and external, mostly of Power Jets Limited and The British Air Ministry. It is arranged chronologically, with some groupings on specific subjects. Trip reports show the sharing technology between various agencies within the British aircraft manufacturing communities as well as sharing with the United States. Most of the correspondence is technical in nature, and some reports are included as part of memos and letters. Security concerns and patent information are among the non-technical topics which show up in this series.

Series 3 contains loose photographs which were not part of technical reports. Most of the photographs are dated, but most are not labeled specifically. Many of the photographs are of various types of jet engines. There are also some interesting photographs of compressor flamage caused by foreign objects.

Series 4 consists of loose drawings and charts which were not part of any specific technical report. One large fold-out engine drawing is especially informative with different systems color coded. An organizational chart of Power Jets Ltd. is also included in this series.

Series 5 is made up of miscellaneous documents having to do with jet aircraft and engines. There are two bibliographies of technical reports which will be of great use to researchers. This series also includes early histories of British Jet aircraft development, and a script for a motion picture about jet aircraft.

Container Listing

Box File Description Dates
SERIES 1: DESIGN AND TECHNICAL REPORTS
1 1 The theories and inventions forming the basis of developments undertaken by Power Jets Ltd. - Frank Whittle 1936
2 Report # 159 - First tests on an experimental gas turbine - Frank Whittle 1938
3 Gyrone W 1, Design sheets 1940
4 Gyrone W 2, Design sheets 1940
5 Some general comments on the high speed centrifugal compressors 1941
6 W2/500 Design calculations 1942
7 No. 3 Design thruster augmenter for W2/500 1942
8 Estimated performance of W.R.1. 1942
9 Dimensional analysis leading to correction of test results 1942
10 W2/500 Supercharger test report 1942
11 Summary of tests 4 to 17, W1A No. 2 series W1/317A 1942
12 No. 4 Thrust augmenter for W2/700 - Projects dept. note No. D.106 1942
13 Gas turbine developments at Power Jets Ltd. - Engine Dept. 1943
14 Performance testing in flight - Report A.11 2b 1943
15 Bench test of G.E.C. type 1A2. engine no. 23 Ex-Bell aircraft type YP-59A RJ.362 (Port) 1943
16 Flight tests of Rolls-Royce W.2.B. Engine No. 141 in E.28/39 aircraft W.4046/G, Series IV tests 1943
17 Comparison of bench tests results of the G.C.C. engines N.22 and 23 during flight tests of the Bell Aircraft, type YP-59A, No. RJ.362 1944
18 Combustion report No. 370 - The spill-controlled burner 1944
19 Handling of engine test results 1944
20 Summary of strip, rebuild, and bench rating tests, G.E.C. engine No. 22, Ex Bell Aircraft YP-59A, R.J.362/G 1944
21 Bench calibrations of C.E.G. type 1A2 turbine engines No.'s 22 and 23 after series III flight tests in Bell YP-59A Aircraft 1944
22 Report on the special projects mission to U.S.A. - By H.Constant 1944
23 Flight tests of W2/500 turbine engine No. 5 in E.28/39 aircraft No. W.4041/G flight series II 1944
24 Principles of governing P.T.L. power units - H. Kuhl - ZWB report U&M.1272 1944
25 Flight calibration and estimating performance - W2/700 No. 10. Series 2A. in E.28/39 1944
26 Performance tests of power jets W2/700 engines in an F.9/40 aircraft - Power Jets Memorandum No. M.1019 1944
27 Take-off boost with refrigerant 1944
28 T.N. No. Engine 247 - Flight tests of Meteor 1944
2 1 W2/500 Aero Engine - Running and servicing notes 1944
2 Drawings and schematics for W2/500 Aero engine - Running and servicing notes report 1944
3 The Whetstone full scale compressor and gas turbine test Rig 1 - Memorandum No. 1058 1945
4 Power Jets L.R.1. Engine - Projects Dept. Report A.137
5 Gas Turbine for aircraft propulsion - Rolls Royce Limited 1945
6 Proposals for new Supersonic engine 1945
7 Some general notes on gas turbine testing - Technical service note #102 1945
8 The aircraft gas turbine part 1 - Ministry of Aircraft Production 1946
9 Performance of Meteor EE.221 - W2/700 engines 1946
10 Fluid flow through cascades of aerofoils - Paper for the sixth International Congress for Applied Mechanics - National Gas Turbine Establishment 1946
11 Power Jets L.R.1. Engine - Projects Dept. note no. D.125 1946
12 Performance graphs for Meteor EE.221 - W2/700 engine no.'s 44 and 34 1946
13 Flight tests of metropolitan - Vickers F.2 turbine engine No. 3 in tail of Lancaster LL 735/G - Series III tests - National gas turbine establishment report # 10 1947
14 Flight tests of Power Jets W2/700 engines in Meteor I aircraft no. EE.215 fitted with the MK.VIII exhaust reheat Afterburner system national gas turbine report Number 21 1947
15 DeHavilland Goblin 2 jet propulsion unit 1947
16 Use of carbon dioxide gas in kerosene fuel tanks to minimize explosion risks - Effect on performance of Meteor III (Derwent I) Aircraft - National gas turbine establishment report #R.23 1948
17 The thrust spoiler in relation to the aircraft jet turbine: Development and tests on W2/700 type engine - National gas turbine establishment report #R.26 1948
18 The advantages of high inlet temperature for gas turbines and effectiveness of various methods of cooling blades - The American Society of Mechanical Engineers Paper #48-A-105 1948
19 Centrifugal V. axial flow compressors for marine and industrial gas turbines 1949
20 Centrifugal V. axial flow compressors for aircraft gas turbines 1949
21 Oil smoke screening with gas turbine engined aircraft - Part 1. Interim report - Royal Aircraft Establishment 1949
22 Endurance flight test of a Vampire I Aircraft using neat fuel to specification RDE/F/KER/206 - National gas turbine establishment Memorandum No. M.61 1949
23 Design of an air cooled jet pipe suitable for installation in a Valiant Aircraft 1952
3 1 Flight tests of Rolls-Royce Conway engine at R. Co. 5 and R. Co. 8 ratings in Ashton F.T.B. W.B.491 - National gas turbine establishment Nt. #296 1957
2 The birth of an engine: British practice in aviation engine procurement and development 1957
3 Fuel atomizers for gas turbines - Shell Petroleum Co. Ltd. - Technical Report #1.C.T./15 No date
4 The advent of the aircraft turbine No date
5 Handling of engine test results No date
6 Modern methods of testing aero-engines and power plants No date
7 The bypass jet engine - Turbines jets and rockets subcommittee- Aeronautical Research Council No date
8 A note on production, design, development, and research, with special references to Aircraft Gas Turbine Plant No date
9 Descriptive Memorandum of Gyrone W.1. as installed in Gloster Aircraft E.28/39 No date
10 National Gas Turbine Establishment - Engine running progress reports June '47 - June '50
SERIES 2:CORRESPONDENCE
11 Correspondence (Including trip reports) 1940
12 Correspondence (Including trip reports) 1941
13 Updated correspondence found filed with 1941 documents No date
14 Correspondence dealing with projected compound engines 1941
15 Correspondence (Movable Guide Vane Info.) 1942
16 Correspondence dealing with Rolls-Royce - Rover B.26 engine development 1942
17 Correspondence/Patent information 1942-1944
18 Correspondence dealing with Rolls-Royce takeover from Rover (18 continued) 1942-1943
19 Correspondence 1943
20 Correspondence 1944
4 1 Correspondence - Weekly flight progress reports of Gloster E.28/39 aircraft 1944-1945
2 Correspondence dealing with L.R.1 axial flow compressor design 1945
3 Correspondence (Radio broadcast script) 1945
4 Correspondence (Power Jets Ltd. Employee Lists) 1946
5 Correspondence dealing with reheat (afterburner) development 1950-1952
SERIES 3: PHOTOGRAPHS
6 Photographs of Gloster E.28/39 1941-1945
7 Photographs of W2/700.M engine cross section 1945
8 Photographs of jet engines 1949-1950
9 Photographs of forgiven objects damage to compressor section of jet engine 1949
10 Photographs of Stanfford Cripps and Co. visit to Whetstone 1945
11 Photographs of thrust reverser 1950
SERIES 4: TECHNICAL DRAWINGS AND CHARTS
12 Drawings of jet engines 1940
13 Drawing (Graphs) of L.R.1 axial flow compressor 1945
14 Organizational chart for the National Gas Turbine Establishment No date
15 Chart 1 - Experimental and Pre-Production Program No date
SERIES 5: MISCELLANEOUS
16 Power Jets listing of technical reports 1944
17 Gas turbine power plant bibliography 1947
18 Basis for script of instructional film No date
19 Talk to Dominion Personnel by Wing Commander Less - Part played by Power Jets Ltd. in the development of Jet Propulsion No date
20 "Turbo Jet" - Movie script No date
21 "Topics Related to the Air Technical Efforts During the Last Ten Years of Japanese Navy within my Personal Experience" -Osama Nagano No date
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Last updated 05 June 2001