W.1 | |
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The Whittle W.1X at the National Air and Space Museum | |
Type | Turbojet |
Manufacturer | Power Jets |
First run | 14 December 1940 |
Major applications | Gloster E.28/39 |
Developed into | General Electric I-A |
The Power Jets W.1 (sometimes called the Whittle W.1[1]) was a British turbojet engine designed by Frank Whittle and Power Jets. The W.1 was built under contract by British Thomson-Houston (BTH) in the early 1940s. It is notable for being the first British jet engine to fly, as the "Whittle Supercharger Type W1",[2] powering the Gloster E.28/39 on its maiden flight at RAF Cranwell on 15 May 1941.[3] The W.1 was superseded by the Power Jets W.2.