Gloster E.28/39

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloster_E.28/39

The Gloster E.28/39, (also referred to as the Gloster Whittle, Gloster Pioneer,
or Gloster G.40) was the first British jet-engined aircraft and first flew in
1941. It was the third jet to fly after the German Heinkel He 178 (1939) and the
Italian Caproni Campini N.1 motorjet (1940).

The E.28/39 was the product of a specification which had been issued by the Air
Ministry for a suitable aircraft to test the novel jet propulsion designs that
Frank Whittle had been developing during the 1930s. Gloster and the company's
chief designer, George Carter, worked with Whittle to develop an otherwise
conventional aircraft fitted with a Power Jets W.1 turbojet engine. Flying for
the first time on 15 May 1941, a pair of E.28/39 aircraft were produced for the
flight test programme. Following initial satisfactory reports, these aircraft
continued to be flown to test increasingly refined engine designs and new
aerodynamic features. Despite the loss of the second prototype, due to improper
maintenance causing a critical aileron failure, the E.28/39 was considered to be
a success.

The E.28/39 contributed valuable initial experience with the new type of
propulsion and led to the development of the Gloster Meteor, the first
operational jet fighter to enter service with the Allies. The first prototype
continued test flying until 1944, after which it was withdrawn from service; in
1946, it was transferred to the Science Museum in London, where it has been on
static display ever since; full-scale replicas have been created.

The E.28/39 was powered by a Power Jets W.1 turbojet engine behind the pilot and
the fuel tank. The engine exhaust was directed through the centre of the
fuselage, the jetpipe terminating about two feet behind the rudder. A nose
air-intake led the air through bifurcated ducts around the cockpit. A fuel tank,
containing up to 82 Imp gal, was behind the cockpit, alleged to have been
adopted as a countermeasure against the impact of negative g, which posed the
risk of causing the engine to flame out, which was hard to re-light during
flight.

The E.28/39 lacked features that would be considered key to a fighter, such as a
radio. The original engine was started by an Austin Seven car engine, connected
by a flexible drive; this arrangement was replaced by an electronic starter
system that used a ground booster battery instead. The cockpit, which was
entered past a sliding canopy, lacked pressurisation or any form of climate
control, such as heating. Pilots were intended to wear electrically-heated
flight suits but the lack of a generator and limited battery capacity, the
latter being devoted to the automated sensors and recording devices that
captured the results of each flight, meant this was not possible; pilots had to
put up with the cold.

John Grierson said:

"The main impressions of my first jet-propelled flight were first of the
simplicity of operation. The throttle was the only engine control; there were no
mixture or propeller levers, supercharger or cooling-gill controls and the fuel
system had simply one low-pressure valve between the tank and the engine pump,
and one high-pressure valve between the pump and the engine. There was no
electric booster pump. Secondly the absence of vibration or the sensation of
effort being transmitted to the pilot's seat was outstanding."

and...

"The very favourable impressions of jet propulsion obtained ... have all been
endorsed by subsequent flights ... The E.28 is a most pleasant little aeroplane
to handle, particularly on account of the excellent field of vision from the
pilot's seat ...."


Role
Experimental prototype

National origin
United Kingdom

Manufacturer
Gloster Aircraft Company

Designer
George Carter

First flight
15 May 1941

Status
Retired

Primary user
Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE)

Number built
2 prototypes


The first prototype was fitted with the 1,700 lbf (7.6 kN) thrust W2/500 and was
flown to 42,000 ft, but level speed at altitude was not attempted due to fuel
shortage. The pilot commented in his report on a need for cockpit heating and a
larger fuel tank. The aircraft continued flight tests until 1944. By that time,
more advanced turbojet-powered aircraft were available. The Gloster E.28/39 was
later able to achieve high speeds, highest being 505 mph at 30,000 feet with a
W.2/700 engine and it proved to be a capable experimental platform and exhibited
a "good climb rate and ceiling". Experience with the E.28/39 paved the way for
Britain's first operational jet fighter aircraft, the Gloster Meteor. The Meteor
was powered by the Rolls-Royce Welland engine, which was the next stage in
development from the Power Jets W.1.

Specifications (Gloster E.28/39)

General characteristics
Crew: One
Length: 25 ft 4 in (7.74 m)
Wingspan: 29 ft 0 in (8.84 m)
Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.70 m)
Wing area: 146 ft² (13.6 m²)
Airfoil: G.W.2-section
Empty weight: 2,886 lb (1,309 kg)
Loaded weight: 3,748 lb (1,700 kg)
Fuel capacity: 81 gallons
Powerplant: 1 × Power Jets W.1 turbojet, 860 lbf (3.8 kN)

Performance
Maximum speed: 338 mph (544 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m)
Range: 410 mi (656 km)
Endurance: 56 minutes
Service ceiling: 32,000 ft (9,755 m)
Rate of climb: 1,063 ft/min (5.9 m/s)
Thrust/weight: 0.21

Armament

Guns: None fitted but provision for four 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns



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