Full name: Sir Frank Whittle Born: 1st June 1907 Invention/Achievement: The Jet Engine Date of introduction/Achievement: First flight 15th May 1941 Died: 9th August 1996

Frank Whittle, whose genius was to transform aviation, was initially rejected by the Royal Air Force, failing his physical.  Determined to become a pilot, he worked on his physique and was accepted, joining No. 1 Squadron of Cranwell Aircraft Apprentices on a three year course as an aircraft mechanic.  Despite finding the discipline irksome, Whittle soon displayed his mastery of the theory and practice of aircraft engineering.  

An astute commanding officer noticed this and his exceptional mathematical ability and obtained a place for him on an officer training course at RAF Cranwell.  Once again he proved to be an outstanding student.  Training on the Avro 504 he went solo after 13.5 hours and progressed to the Bristol fighter.  

He was however reprimanded several times for his unsanctioned aerobatics and daredevil flying.  Nevertheless, he graduated in 1928 aged 21, second in his intake.  For his course thesis on "Future Developments in Aircraft Design", he envisaged aircraft powered by compressed air from a conventional internal combustion engine.  He realised this was impractical and considered the idea of a turbine as compressor.  He developed the idea during his postings to 111 Squadron at Hendon and an instructor's course at Wittering.  He took his ideas to the Air Ministry but they weren't interested.  

In 1934 Whittle took a two-year engineering course at Peterhouse College, Cambridge.  With the assistance of two former RAF colleagues, backing from British Thompson Houston and bank finance he formed Power Jets Ltd.  

The Air Ministry still showed no interest and the company ran into financial difficulties.  Despite this, in 1937 a prototype was produced and by 1939 official backing was forthcoming and work started on the "Whittle Supercharger Type W.1".  

In 1940 the Ministry contracted the Gloster Aircraft Company to produce an aircraft to use Whittle's jet engine.  Gloster E28/39 first flew on 15th May 1941 for 17 minutes.  

In 1944 the Gloster Meteor Jet Fighter went into service with the RAF.  

In 1948, Whittle retired from the RAF and was knighted.  He worked for BOAC, Shell Oil and Bristol Aero Engines before emigrating to the USA, where he died in 1996.