Gloster E.28-39

Gloster E.28-39
Land	Uk
Type	Straalmotor vliegtuigen
Eerste vlucht	15 mei 1941
Gebouwd	2 prototypes

Fotogalerij van een Gloster E.28-39, The Gloster E.28/39, (also referred to as the “Gloster Whittle”, “Gloster Pioneer”, or “Gloster G.40”) was the first British jet-engined aircraft to fly. It was designed to test the Whittle jet engine in flight, leading to the development of the Gloster Meteor.

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Gloster E.28-39 WalkAround
Fotograaf	Ondrej Skarka
Lokalisatie	Onbewust
Foto 's	15

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Gloster E28-39 (Prototype) Walk Around
Fotograaf	Unknow
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Gloster E28-39 Walk Around
Fotografen	Howard Mason, Mark Hayward
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Foto 's	31

Gloster E28-38

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The Dawn of British Jet Propulsion

De Gloster E.28/39 was not intended to be a fighter, but a flying laboratory. Designed to test Sir Frank Whittle’s revolutionary gas turbine engine, it was a “no-frills” aircraft built around a single central air duct. When it first took to the sky on May 15, 1941, it sounded like nothing the British public had ever heard—a high-pitched whistle rather than the roar of a piston. While the Germans had flown a jet first (the He 178), the E.28/39 was far more sophisticated and stable, proving that jet aircraft were not just possible, but the inevitable future of aviation.

Attribute	Technical Specification (Prototype W4041)
Role	Experimental Research Aircraft
Bemanning	1 (Test Pilot)
First Flight	May 15, 1941 (RAF Cranwell)
Krachtbron	1 × Power Jets W.1 centrifugal-flow turbojet
Static Thrust	860 lbf (3.8 kN) — later models reached 1,700 lbf
Maximum Speed	338 mph (544 km/h) initially; 466 mph (750 km/h) with W.2/500
Service Ceiling	32,000 ft (9,800 m)
Bewapening	None (Provision for 4 × .303 Brownings was never used)

Design Engineering: The Centrifugal “Squirt”

Straight-Through Flow: The air entered through a single hole in the nose, split into two ducts to pass around the pilot’s cockpit, and merged again at the engine intake. This allowed for a very clean aerodynamic nose but contributed to the aircraft’s “tubby” appearance.
Whittle’s Centrifugal Engine: Unlike modern axial-flow jets, Whittle’s W.1 engine used a centrifugal compressor (like a turbocharger). It was simpler to build but required a large-diameter fuselage to house the circular engine and its ten combustion chambers.
Tricycle Landing Gear: The E.28/39 was the first British single-engine aircraft to use a nose-wheel configuration. This was essential to keep the jet exhaust parallel to the ground, preventing it from scorching the grass or tarmac during takeoff.
High-Speed Stability: As the aircraft reached higher speeds than any previous Gloster design, small “finlets” were added to the horizontal stabilizers to improve rudder effectiveness and directional stability.

Historic Milestones and Legacy

The First “Hop”: During high-speed taxi trials in April 1941 at Hucclecote, the aircraft unintentionally lifted off for several short “hops,” making it technically the first time a British jet left the ground.
Gerry Sayer: Gloster’s Chief Test Pilot, Gerry Sayer, was the man who made the historic first flight. He described the aircraft as “exceptionally smooth” compared to the vibrating piston planes of the era.
The Missing Guns: The original Air Ministry specification (E.28/39) actually called for four machine guns. However, because the early engines were underpowered, every ounce of weight was saved, and the weapons were deleted to prioritize flight data.
Survival: The first prototype (W4041) survived the war and now takes pride of place in the Science Museum in London. It remains the most important physical artifact of the British jet age.