Power Jets

Infobox Company
name = Power Jets

type = Limited company
foundation = 1936
location_city = Rugby
location_country = England, UK
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industry = aero-engine
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dissolved = merged with RAE forming NGTE Pyestock
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Power Jets Ltd was a United Kingdom company set up by Frank Whittle for the purpose of designing and manufacturing jet engines.

Founded on January 27, 1936, the company consisted of Whittle, Rolf Dudley-Williams, James Collingwood Tinling, and Lancelot Law Whyte of investment bankers O T Falk & Partners.

Initial premises were hired from British Thomson-Houston (BTH) at Rugby, Warwickshire.

The Power Jets WU design was the first turbojet to run, and the Power Jets W.1 powered the Gloster E.28/39, the first jet aircraft to fly in the United Kingdom. The W.1 was also the first jet engine built in the United States where, as the General Electric I-A, it powered the Bell P-59A Airacomet. The Power Jets W.2 was intended to be produced by Rover, but because of delays was later transferred to Rolls-Royce where it entered production as the Welland, powering early versions of the Gloster Meteor.

A version of the Power Jets W.2/700 was intended for the supersonic Miles M.52 research aircraft, but the aircraft was never completed. The M.52 version of the W.2/700 was one of the first engines designed with a reheat jetpipe, i.e., an afterburner.

On 28 March, 1944, after discussions with the Air Ministry, Whittle reluctantly agreed to the nationalisation of Power Jets Ltd. for £135,000, and the company became Power Jets (Research and Development) Ltd.

After the Second World War the company was merged with the Turbine Division of the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Farnborough, to form the National Gas Turbine Establishment (NGTE Pyestock).

Engine designs

* WU
* W.1
* W.2
* W.2/700

ee also

*Frank Whittle
*Turbojet
*Alan Arnold Griffith