The Development of an Axial Flow Gas Turbine for Jet Propulsion

The paper reviews the technical development of the F2 jet propulsion engine, an axial flow gas turbine designed and manufactured by the Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Company, Limited, under contract from the Ministry of Aircraft Production.

An account is given of the preliminary work in 1938–9, in collaboration with the Royal Aircraft Establishment, on gas turbines for aircraft propulsion. The development of a simple jet engine of the axial flow type was started in July 1940. The first engine ran on bench test in December 1941. The first flights took place in June 1943 on a flying testbed, and in November 1943 on a jet-propelled aircraft. The evolution of engines of this type, leading up to the current F2/4 jet propulsion engine, is described.

Each main component of the engine—the axial flow compressor, the annular combustion chamber and the high temperature turbine—necessitated extensive development work in fields previously unexplored; the methods used in the development of these and other components are explained.

The F2 engine was the first British jet propulsion engine of axial flow type, and it is also unique amongst British engines in the straight-through design and annular combustion chamber that gives an exceptionally low frontal area.