Sir Frank Whittle

"Sir Frank Whittle (centre) the jet engine pioneer whose first engine ran successfully 50 years ago saw one of its direct descendants, the V2500 turbofan, at Rolls-Royce, Derby. The V2500 is 18 times more powerful than the first Whittle unit (WU) but uses less than one third as much fuel per pound of thrust. Here Sir Frank views the assembly of the high pressure compressor rotor. The first WU ran on 12 April 1937 at Whittle's Power Jets company at Lutterworth only 35 miles from where Rolls-Royce's Derby plant now stands." 13 August 1987

Compressor Descendants Direct Jets Less Lutterworth Pound Pressure Rotor Royces Successfully Thrust Turbofan Uses Whittle

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