Development of Jet and Turbine Aero-engines, The

Journal of Transport History, The, Mar 1999 by Lyth, Peter

It concentrates on two extraordinary aircraft: the rocket-powered Bell X-1 and the turbojet-powered Douglas D-558. Both originated in late 1944, when it was realised that the aerodynamic problems encountered by aircraft flying at transonic speeds - in particular the phenomenon of 'compressibility' and its attendant shock waves - could not be solved with models in wind tunnels. The bullet-shaped Bell X-1 broke the sound barrier in October 1947 - the world's first supersonic flight. The D-558-2 (Sky-- rocket), with swept wings and a combined jet and rocket propulsion system, touched Mach 2-0 in 1953.

The American supersonic research programme lasted for well over a decade, although it was somewhat overshadowed by the introduction of supersonic fighters like the F-100 Super Sabre in 1953. Although Hallion declines to stress the point, the programme enabled the Americans to catch up and overtake the British in jet aircraft design in the post-war years and made a particular contribution to the future design of wings and control surfaces. In Britain the Ministry of Supply had decided to abandon manned supersonic flights in 1946, partly out of concern for pilots' lives but more generally because of financial stringency. According to Sir Roy Fedden, this decision set British jet aircraft design back by ten years and the deficit became clear in 1958, when the first successful jet airliner, the Boeing 707, demonstrated in its wing geometry and engine positioning what the Americans had learnt from their military research programme.

The value of these two volumes for transport historians lies in the mass of detail and, in the case of Gunston, in the helpful illustrations, which guide the layman towards a better understanding of the jet's mysteries. For those interested in air transport they should prove valuable works of reference.

Peter Lyth, Deutsches Museum Munich