AEROPLANE
It is no exaggeration to state that the jet engine has changed the world. Whether in military or civil terms, it has helped defi ne an era, and not just in aviation. To mark the 80th anniversary of the maiden fl ight by a pure jet-powered aircraft, the Heinkel He 178, Aeroplane presents a special section dedicated to some of the ways in which jets have pushed the boundaries — from pioneering developments, through new technologies such as vertical and supersonic fl ight, to preserved classics
DATABASE
17IN-DEPTH PAGES
DEVELOPMENT
Unlike the situation in Britain, German officialdom gave fulsome support for jet propulsion
On 27 August 1939, a small, shoulder-wing monoplane rolled along the runway at the Heinkel works airfield at Marienehe in Rostock. Its strange, whining engine note swelled as it picked up speed, and the exhaust roared as it passed the observers on the ground. Correcting for a slight leftward trim of the controls, Flugkapitän Erich Warsitz completed his first circuit of the airfield. Enjoying the diminutive machine’s handling, and contrary to his original plan, Warsitz decided to push the throttle forward and to complete a second circuit. Throttling back, he came down for a gentle…
