Gloster E.28/39

Gloster E.28/39
Devon SA, Royal Air Force official photographer · Public domain · source
Name	Gloster E.28/39
Type	Experimental jet aircraft
Manufacturer	Gloster Aircraft Company
First flight	15 May 1941
Primary user	Royal Air Force

Gloster E.28/39.

The Gloster E.28/39 was the United Kingdom's first turbojet-powered fixed-wing aircraft, a prototype that validated turbojet propulsion concepts and influenced post-war jet fighters. Conceived under Air Ministry specification E.28/39, it connected research at Rae and Winter, development at Gloster Aircraft Company, and propulsion by Frank Whittle's Power Jets organisation, integrating advances from Royal Aircraft Establishment, de Havilland, Supermarine, and other British aviation firms.

Design and Development

Design and Development traces collaboration among Air Ministry (United Kingdom), Power Jets (R&D), and industrial partners including Gloster Aircraft Company, Vickers-Armstrongs, and Metropolitan-Vickers, influenced by earlier work at RAF College Cranwell and testing programs at A&AEE Boscombe Down. The project responded to Specification E.28/39 issued by the Air Ministry (United Kingdom) and followed theoretical studies by Frank Whittle and demonstrations at Rae and Winter sites. The airframe incorporated aerodynamic lessons from Supermarine Spitfire, structural techniques from Hawker Hurricane, and engine integration practices related to Rolls-Royce turbomachinery research. Wind tunnel validation occurred at facilities associated with Royal Aircraft Establishment and University of Bristol, while materials sourcing involved firms like Aluminium Company of America and Imperial Chemical Industries. Flight test planning coordinated with Royal Air Force test pilots drawn from units including No. 616 Squadron RAF and liaison with personnel from Ministry of Aircraft Production.

Operational History

The Operational History covers maiden flights at RAF Cranwell and operational trials at Boscombe Down, with notable appearances before officials from Air Ministry (United Kingdom), Ministry of Aircraft Production, and observers from allied services including delegations from United States Army Air Forces and Soviet Air Forces. Test pilots such as Flight Lieutenant Philip Lucas and technicians from Power Jets conducted performance trials that informed designs by Gloster, de Havilland, and Fairey Aviation Company. The aircraft's demonstrations influenced procurement choices by Royal Air Force, development programs at Hawker Siddeley, and policy discussions involving figures from Winston Churchill's administration and ministries including Ministry of Supply. Export and intelligence interest involved delegations from United States Navy, Curtiss-Wright, and representatives linked to General Electric's later turbojet projects. Operational milestones intersected with wartime events such as curriculum changes at Empire Test Pilots' School and contributions to post-war aviation strategy debated at meetings like those at Imperial War Cabinet.

Technical Description

Technical Description details the single-seat, low-wing monoplane layout with a fuselage-mounted Power Jets W.1 turbojet, fuel systems derived from standards used by Supermarine, and controls influenced by ergonomic studies at Royal Aircraft Establishment. The aircraft featured stressed-skin construction using aluminium alloys supplied by Imperial Chemical Industries and jointing techniques similar to those in De Havilland Mosquito production. Landing gear design paralleled solutions tested on Fairey Battle prototypes, while instrumentation suites incorporated avionics elements consistent with ASV radar research and flight-test instrumentation practices from Royal Aircraft Establishment. The cooling, lubrication, and air intake arrangements reflected collaborations with Rolls-Royce engineers and manufacturing methods used by Metropolitan-Vickers and English Electric. Performance characteristics measured in trials informed propulsion scaling used in designs by Gloster Meteor, de Havilland Vampire, and later jets such as English Electric Canberra.

Production and Variants

Production and Variants notes that only a small number of prototypes were completed, built by Gloster Aircraft Company under subcontracts with Ministry of Aircraft Production and component suppliers including Vickers-Armstrongs, Metropolitan-Vickers, and de Havilland Engine Company. Proposed variants considered alternative powerplants by Rolls-Royce and General Electric (United States), structural adaptations akin to projects at Hawker Siddeley, and experimental modifications for high-altitude trials similar to work by Avro and Short Brothers. The limited production run contrasted with mass-production programs for aircraft like Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, but the prototype's data directly influenced serial production decisions for Gloster Meteor and naval adaptations considered by Fairey and Blackburn Aircraft.

Survivors and Preservation

Survivors and Preservation records that original airframes and components entered museum collections including Science Museum, London, Royal Air Force Museum, and repositories such as Brooklands Museum and Fleet Air Arm Museum. Conservation efforts involved curators from institutions like Imperial War Museum, technicians from Gloster Aircraft Company's legacy organisations, and archival contributions by historians affiliated with RAF Museum, National Air and Space Museum, and university archives at University of Cambridge. Exhibits and restored examples have been displayed in conjunction with materials from Power Jets archives, photographs from Boscombe Down trials, and technical papers preserved in collections associated with Royal Aeronautical Society and National Archives (United Kingdom).

Category:Gloster aircraft