Frank Whittle - early jet engine control issue
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Frank Whittle - early jet engine control issue
I was wondering if someone could help me understand this.
I remember watching a film (can't remember) soem time ago that was a story of Frank Whittle developing the jet engine.
In one scene it showed what I believe to be an early test engine (H1 ?), the throttle was opened, the engine gradually increased in speed then all of a sudden the speed increased really fast.
The throttle was closed but the engine carried on accelerating (runaway) until it blew up. Why ?
I would have thought if the throttle was closed then less fuel would be flowing into the engine so less combustion thus resulting in the engine slowing down.
I am sorry I do not know the name of the film but I believe it was the story of Frank Whittle and the jet engine (good film).
I remember watching a film (can't remember) soem time ago that was a story of Frank Whittle developing the jet engine.
In one scene it showed what I believe to be an early test engine (H1 ?), the throttle was opened, the engine gradually increased in speed then all of a sudden the speed increased really fast.
The throttle was closed but the engine carried on accelerating (runaway) until it blew up. Why ?
I would have thought if the throttle was closed then less fuel would be flowing into the engine so less combustion thus resulting in the engine slowing down.
I am sorry I do not know the name of the film but I believe it was the story of Frank Whittle and the jet engine (good film).
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From Sir Frank Whittle's own description of the problem.
The reason for the uncontrolled acceleration was that prior bleeding of fuel lines had created a pool of fuel in the combustor. "The ignition of this was the cause of the 'runaway.' A drain was quickly fitted to ensure that this could not happen again".
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I happened to be passing the base at Lutterworth in the 50's and saw a Lancaster with the rear turret removed and a jet booster protruding from the arse end.
It took off like a Pigeon off a Town Hall roof.
It took off like a Pigeon off a Town Hall roof.
I keep reading that the first flight of the Gloster E28 was also the first flight of a Whittle jet engine. Is this true? If so, why wasn't it tried out on a testbed aircraft with some piston engines first?
Pressures of war?
I cannot give a definitive answer to that question but Power Jets was operating on a bare minimum of funds, they couldn't possibly arrange the acquisition and modification of an aircraft for that purpose. From the Air Ministry's point of view this engine was something entirely new, necessitating a new airframe to show what the engine could do. Also modifying a bomber or transport would take an operational aircraft away from the front line. I guess that in peacetime the cautious approach would have been used, but with the war they needed to move forward with the program.
I cannot give a definitive answer to that question but Power Jets was operating on a bare minimum of funds, they couldn't possibly arrange the acquisition and modification of an aircraft for that purpose. From the Air Ministry's point of view this engine was something entirely new, necessitating a new airframe to show what the engine could do. Also modifying a bomber or transport would take an operational aircraft away from the front line. I guess that in peacetime the cautious approach would have been used, but with the war they needed to move forward with the program.
