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How did Frank Whittle’s jet engine power the first British jet aircraft?

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Large jet engine with exposed metal components and fan blades, mounted on a stand outdoors. — jet engine Jet engine.

Frank Whittle’s jet engine powered the first British jet aircraft, the Gloster E.28/39, by utilizing a turbojet design that he had pioneered.31

Whittle, an English aviation engineer, first conceived the idea of replacing piston engines with a gas turbine in 1928. His design employed centrifugal-flow compression, where air is thrown radially outward to achieve compression, offering a compact and lightweight power plant. Following the outbreak of World War II, the British government provided the necessary support to develop his invention, which was subsequently fitted into the specially built Gloster E.28/39 airframe. This aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight on May 15, 1941.231

This technology eventually evolved into the Gloster Meteor, which entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1944, marking a significant milestone in British aviation engineering during the war.34