The jet race and the Second World War

In the 1930s, as nations braced themselves for war, the German military build-up caught Britain and the United States off-guard, particularly in aviation technology.

The unending quest for speed resulted in the need for radical alternatives to piston engines.

In Germany, Dr. Hans von Ohain was the first to complete a flight-worthy turbojet engine for aircraft.

The Germans led the jet race throughout the war, producing the first jet aircraft for combat operations.

In Britain, the doggedly determined Frank Whittle also developed a turbojet engine, but without the support enjoyed by his German counterpart.

In America, General Electric copied the Whittle designs, and Bell Aircraft contracted to build the first American jet plane.

After a lacklustre start, the Americans forged ahead, and had numerous engine and airframe programmes in development by the end of the war.

This book tells how, despite lagging behind the Germans in the 'jet race' throughout the war, the Allies rose to technological prominence on the ashes of the German defeat.

This analysis of the jet race uncovers all the excitement in the high-stakes race to develop effective jet engines for warfare and transport. It analyses the development of a technology crucial to 20th century warfare and compares the jet engine programmes of Britain, Germany, and the U.S.A. during the Second World War.