Jets

Jets

One of the great scientific advances made during World War 2, was the perfection of the jet propulsion engine. The idea of this engine was not new indeed, it traces its lineage back through centuries to the first rocket. But only under the lash of war emergency were the technical problems solved that had long impeded the construction of practical jet propulsion engines.

Aerial warfare placed a premium on speed. The limit of propellor-driven craft was reached at about 400 miles per hour, by the famous P-38 Lightning planes and the airmen asked for still more speed. It was supplied to them by jet propulsion. Applications of this principle also aided conventional planes in take-off, created "buzz" bombs and a whole new series of projectiles, and was actually on the point of revolutionizing warfare when the conflict came to an end. But the development of jet propulsion for peacetime purposes continues, at such a rapid pace that what is written today may be obsolete tomorrow.