Because i think Hans Van Ohain, who invented it for this plane called the Heinkel He 178, was of German origin. However for the U.K., i often hear Frank Whittle was the inventor of the first Jet Engine.
Who or what country, nation, deserves the most credit for the invention, development of the Jet Engine?
Anonymous
There IS such a thing as a technology being invented by more than one person at the same time, you know
USAFisnumber1
The British guy named Whittle invented the jet engine. However his design was pretty much a dead end. The German design could easily be made bigger and more efficient and every jet engine today is an expansion of the German design.
Anonymous
UK invented it. Whittle DID have a test flight in '41, Before Nazi Germany. . So, UK. Same with Otto-Cycle engine--just because proto not put in a car and driven means Nothing. Engine was invented and worked on the stand. So, ID care if Nazi Germany actually developed it into a fighter. . England gets dibs, it's in aircraft engine history. Remember; England laid ground work for Atom Bomb. The US picked up the ball.
Much harder to Invent than to Improve Harder to simplify and still have a reliable design. I'll bet the Nazis built on Whittle's work? Edison was often first to US patent office .
All inventors that publish get dibs. Roentgen first published on the X Ray even though Crookes and even Franklin inadvertently produced them. Tesla invented radio, he had documents in US patent office long before Marconi, who had actually transmitted a mile in Italy. Wright brothers' patent on powered flight disputed by Glen Curtis, finally settled in Wrights' favor after all 3 dead in 1947.
F
Frank Whittle patented the first usable jet engine, with the Germans close behind and the Germans produced the first jet plane. Both had jet aircraft flying albeit in small numbers, in combat during WW2.
After the war , German technology was up for grabs and extensively benefitted both USA and Russia. Meanwhile USA and Britain “collaborated “ on her technology.
In practice , this meant all Britain’s jet technology was given to the USA for little in return.
Pratt & Whitney did what the Americans excelled in during the war, producing unremarkable technology in huge quantities, but they were not jet Pioneers . Rolls Royce were involved with Whittle and their works leading work with supercharging proved highly relevant to gas turbines.
david
Science has a tendency to be as derivative as it is inspiring. Whittle was the 1st to *PATENT* a jet propelled aircraft, Heinkel was the 1st to create one that flew *ONLY* under jet power. But for the 1st *JET ENGINE* (even if your only thinking about turbine engines) you're going back to about 1600 with This guy from the Ottoman empire (I've to find the book).