Frank Whittle
A visionary RAF officer who, battling official skepticism, single-handedly pioneered the turbojet engine and ushered in the age of jet flight.
1907–1996 (age 89)·British Royal Air Force engineer and air officer·Birthday: June 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Frank Whittle was a brilliant, stubborn mind whose ideas were perpetually ahead of their time. As a young Royal Air Force cadet in the 1920s, he wrote a thesis proposing aircraft propulsion by gas turbine jet, a concept the Air Ministry dismissed as impractical. Undeterred, he patented his design in 1930 while still in his twenties. For years he struggled to find funding, watching his patent lapse as he continued to refine his theories. It wasn't until 1937, with the support of private backers, that he successfully ran the world's first viable turbojet engine. His work, developed in parallel but independently of Germany's Hans von Ohain, fundamentally transformed aviation. The relentless stress of his crusade took a toll on his health, but his persistence gifted Britain a crucial technological lead during World War II and reshaped global travel and warfare forever.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Frank was born in 1907, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Frank Was Born
The biggest hits of 1907
Frank's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1907Born
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Started school
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1920Became a teenager
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1923Could drive
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1925Could vote
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1928Turned 21
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1937Turned 30
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1947Turned 40
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 50
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 60
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 70
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 80
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Died at 89
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
Key Achievements
- Patented the fundamental design for a turbojet engine in January 1930.
- Successfully ran the world's first practical turbojet engine, the Whittle Unit (W.U.), in April 1937.
- Saw the first flight of a British jet aircraft, the Gloster E.28/39, powered by his engine, in May 1941.
- Was knighted in 1948 for his revolutionary contributions to aviation engineering.
Did You Know?
He joined the Royal Air Force as an apprentice at the age of 16 and became a pilot officer.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, one of the highest scientific honors in the UK.
Despite his monumental achievement, he suffered from poor health, including a nervous breakdown from overwork.
He emigrated to the United States in 1976 and taught at the U.S. Naval Academy until his death.
“The engine must be the basis of any major advance in aircraft performance.”
