Asiatic Petroleum Company ( APC ) was a joint venture between the Shell and Royal Dutch oil companies founded in 1903. It operated in Asia in the early 20th century. The corporate headquarters were on The Bund in Shanghai, China. The division tested the limits of corporate liability in the Lennard's Carrying Co Ltd v Asiatic Petroleum Co Ltd case.
119-531: The company was involved in the early developments of Frank Whittle in the jet engine field, a Mr. I Lubbock of the company devising a suitable combustion chamber design, known as the 'Lubbock Burner' and used in the Power Jets WU and subsequent engines. In 1951, China requisitioned all property belonging to the company in retaliation for the Hong Kong Government's requisitioning of
238-652: A 'Royal' prefix , and 'Leamington Priors' was renamed 'Royal Leamington Spa'. Queen Victoria had visited the town as a Princess in 1830 and as Queen in 1858. In 1840 the Victoria Bridge was opened, connecting the old and new towns, replacing an old, narrow, and inconvenient bridge. Nine years earlier, the opening of Portobello Bridge , a three-arch bridge over the River Avon, reconnected the town to neighbouring Warwick—an earlier bridge nearby having been condemned and demolished in 1830. The growth of Leamington
357-561: A Bottle , Ubisoft Leamington , Unit 2, Electric Square, Full Fat , Kwalee , Pixel Toys, Playground Games , Red Chain Games, Stickman Studios, Supersonic Software and Midoki. Codemasters are based at Southam near Leamington and were the initial impetus behind the cluster, providing many of the staff for the companies in Leamington. In 2013, Sega 's mobile platform studio Hardlight Studio set up in Leamington, and Exient opened
476-399: A Distinction in every subject, except mechanical drawing, where he was described as "a very able student. He works hard and has originality. He is suitable for experimental duties." His performance in the course was so exceptional that in 1934 he was permitted, though the scheme for RAF officers had been ended the year before, to take a two-year engineering course as a member of Peterhouse ,
595-459: A First. Without Air Ministry support, he and two retired RAF servicemen formed Power Jets Ltd to build his engine with assistance from the firm of British Thomson-Houston . Despite limited funding, a prototype was created, which first ran in 1937. Official interest was forthcoming following this success, with contracts being placed to develop further engines, but the continuing stress seriously affected Whittle's health, eventually resulting in
714-474: A US patent was made by Power Jets for an "Aircraft propulsion system and power unit" The W.1X engine powered the E.28/39 for taxi testing on 7 April 1941 at Brockworth near the factory in Gloucester, where it took to the air for two or three short hops of several hundred yards at about six feet from the ground. The definitive W.1 of 850 lbf (3.8 kN ) thrust ran on 12 April 1941, and on 15 May
833-473: A co-educational school for pupils aged 3 to 18, and The Kingsley School , a school for girls. Myton School in Warwick, although located just outside Leamington, includes parts of Leamington as being within its priority area . As well as these schools, Leamington children can attend Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar School for Girls , a state run selective school, Warwick School , an independent school for boys,
952-531: A compressor with a pressure ratio of 4:1, while the best current supercharger had only half that value. Besides publishing a paper on superchargers, Whittle wrote The Case for the Gas Turbine . According to John Golley, "The paper contained example calculations which showed the big increase in efficiency which could be obtained with the gas turbine at great height due to the beneficial effects of low air temperature. It also contained calculations to demonstrate
1071-596: A day and he suffered from various stress-related ailments such as frequent severe headaches, indigestion, insomnia, anxiety, eczema and heart palpitations, while his weight dropped to nine stone (126 lb / 57 kg). To keep to his 16-hour workdays, he sniffed benzedrine during the day and then took tranquillisers and sleeping pills at night to offset the effects and allow him to sleep. He admitted later he had become addicted to benzedrine. Over this period he became irritable and developed an "explosive" temper. On 30 June 1939, Power Jets could barely afford to keep
1190-464: A day, making it the largest of its kind in the UK. It is expected to create up to 1,500 jobs. There are a number of schools either located within Leamington, or which include Leamington in their priority (catchment) area. Those within Leamington include the state secondary schools of North Leamington School , Campion School , Trinity Catholic School , and the independent schools of Arnold Lodge School ,
1309-545: A large diameter, thin-walled, shaft almost as large as the turbine disc, "necked down" at either end where it connected to the turbine and compressor. In April, the Air Ministry issued contracts for W.2 production lines with a capacity of up to 3,000 engines a month in 1942, asking BTH, Vauxhall and the Rover Company to join. However, the contract was eventually taken up by Rover only. In June, Whittle received
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#17327800870661428-569: A leisure centre including swimming pool Newbold Comyn Leisure Centre , rugby grounds Leamington Rugby Union Football Club , Leamington Rugby Club – Youth Section and Old Leamingtonians Rugby Football Club , Leamington Cricket, Khalsa Leamington Hockey Club, Leamington Cycling club, Leamington Athletics club, Spa Striders Running Club, Royal Leamington Spa Canoe Club, Leamington Chess Club , formed in 1851, and municipal tennis courts. The Royal Leamington Spa Bowling Club in Victoria Park hosts
1547-459: A letter from Griffith, who was of the opinion that Whittle's "simple" design could not achieve the sort of efficiencies needed for a practical engine. After pointing out an error in one of Whittle's calculations, Griffith went on to comment that the centrifugal design would be too large for aircraft use and that using the jet directly for power would be rather inefficient. Griffith called the design "impracticable," as current materials could not achieve
1666-645: A letter of support for Whittle and the engine from Henry Tizard (chair of the Engine sub-committee of the Aeronautical Research Committee) in response to Whyte Falk then agreed to finance Whittle. With that the jet engine was finally on its way to becoming a reality. On 27 January 1936, the principals signed the "Four Party Agreement", creating " Power Jets Ltd" which was incorporated in March 1936. The parties were O.T. Falk & Partners,
1785-687: A much smaller scale. Karobes Limited , with its headquarters in Queensway, was one of Britain's major suppliers of accessories for cars between World War II and the 1970s. Commercial parks for service providers and light industry and offices are primarily located to the south of the town: Althorpe Street Industrial Estate, Queensway Trading Estate, Shires Gate Trading Estate and Sydenham Industrial Estate. In June 2014, Detroit Electric announced that they would be building their SP.01 all-electric roadster in Leamington Spa. Leamington Spa and
1904-463: A nervous breakdown in 1940. In 1944 when Power Jets was nationalised he again suffered a nervous breakdown, and resigned from the board in 1946. In 1948, Whittle retired from the RAF and received a knighthood . He joined BOAC as a technical advisor before working as an engineering specialist with Shell , followed by a position with Bristol Aero Engines . After emigrating to the U.S. in 1976 he accepted
2023-730: A physical training instructor at Halton to build up his physique, only to fail again six months later, when he was told that he could not be given a second chance, despite having added three inches to his height and chest. Undeterred, he applied again under an assumed name and presented himself as a candidate at the No 2 School of Technical Training RAF Cranwell . This time he passed the physical and, in September that year, 364365 Boy Whittle, F, started his three-year training as an aircraft mechanic in No. 1 Squadron of No. 4 Apprentices Wing, RAF Cranwell, because RAF Halton No. 1 School of Technical Training
2142-414: A place on the officer training course at Cranwell . He excelled in his studies and became an accomplished pilot. While writing his thesis he formulated the fundamental concepts that led to the creation of the turbojet engine, taking out a patent on his design in 1930. His performance on an officers' engineering course earned him a place on a further course at Peterhouse , Cambridge , where he graduated with
2261-585: A police station, the complex houses a magistrates' court , and the Crown Court , County Court , and other agencies such as the Probation Service and Victim Support . It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 4 March 2011. An oak tree just to the northeast of the town centre is marked by a plaque stating that it commemorates the Midland Oak , a tree that grew near the spot and
2380-552: A popular place for shopping. In 1832 the town's main hospital, Warneford Hospital , opened, named after philanthropist Samuel Wilson Warneford . At first a semi-private affair it was taken over by the National Health Service after the Second World War, before succumbing to budget cuts and closing in 1993. Leamington is closely associated with the founding of lawn tennis . The first tennis club in
2499-523: A promotion to wing commander . On 19 July 1940, Power Jets abandoned effort to vaporize fuel, and adopted the controlled atomising burner for the combustion chamber, developed by Isaac Lubbock of Asiatic Petroleum Company (a joint venture of Shell and Royal Dutch) In the words of Whittle, "the introduction of the Shell system may be said to mark the point where combustion ceased to be an obstacle to development." The size of Power Jets also increased with
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#17327800870662618-408: A report noting the limitations his concept. The report said "the internal combustion turbine will not be rendered practical by the revolutionary design of some lucky inventor. The steam turbine engineer and the metallurgist ... are the people with whom the future development of the turbine rests" Whittle recorded that he found the response depressing. Pat Johnson remained convinced of the validity of
2737-596: A satellite studio. Former companies were Blitz Games Studios , FreeStyleGames , Bigbig Studios and Titus Software UK Limited . Local hospitals include the Leamington Spa Hospital and the Warwickshire Nuffield Hospital . On 13 July 2021 a coronavirus "mega lab" was opened in the town. Named after English chemist Rosalind Franklin , the laboratory is intended to be capable of processing hundreds of thousands of samples
2856-420: A scholarship to a secondary school which in due course became Leamington College for Boys , but when his father's business faltered there was not enough money to keep him there. He quickly developed practical engineering skills while helping in his father's workshop, and being an enthusiastic reader spent much of his spare time in the Leamington reference library, reading about astronomy, engineering, turbines, and
2975-770: A small mosque and a Hindu temple. In 2009, the Sikh community built the Gurdwara Sahib Leamington and Warwick in Warwick which also serves Leamington. There are also Christadelphian and Jehovah's Witnesses meeting halls in the town. Eden Court in Lillington is a residential tower block and one of several tall landmarks. In December 2010, the Warwickshire Justice Centre was completed in Newbold Terrace. As well as
3094-468: A surprise for he had never previously flown a seaplane, but he nevertheless increased his reputation as a pilot by flying some 20 different types of floatplanes, flying boats, and amphibians. While at Felixstowe, Whittle met with the firm of Armstrong Siddeley , and their technical advisor W.S. Farren . The firm rejected Whittle's proposal, doubting material was available to sustain the required very high temperatures. Whittle's turbojet proposal required
3213-478: A version of Power Jet's set-up at Waterloo Mill, associated with their Barnoldswick factory, near Clitheroe . Rover was working on an alternative to Whittle's "reverse-flow" combustion chambers, by developing a "straight-through" combustion chamber and turbine wheel. Rover referred to the engine as the B.26, sanctioned by the Directorate of Engine Development, but kept secret until April 1942, from Power Jets,
3332-492: A well-known independent consulting aeronautical engineer and patent engineer. Bramson was initially sceptical but after studying Whittle's ideas became an enthusiastic supporter. Bramson introduced Whittle and his two associates to the investment bank O.T. Falk & Partners, where discussions took place with Lancelot Law Whyte and occasionally Sir Maurice Bonham-Carter . The firm had an interest in developing speculative projects that conventional banks would not touch. Whyte
3451-500: A year he was posted to the Central Flying School , then at RAF Wittering , for a flying instructor's course. He became a popular and gifted instructor, and was selected as one of the entrants in a competition to select a team to perform the "crazy flying" routine in the 1930 Royal Air Force Air Display at RAF Hendon . He destroyed two aircraft in accidents during rehearsals but remained unscathed on both occasions. After
3570-488: Is a civil parish in the Warwick District , an administrative division of the county of Warwickshire , it thus falls under the jurisdiction of Warwickshire County Council , based in Warwick as the upper-tier authority. Between 1875 and 1974 Leamington was a municipal borough . As part of the 1974 local government reform it was merged with Warwick , Kenilworth and Whitnash , and surrounding rural areas into
3689-461: Is adjoined to the north-east. Just outside the town lie the villages of Old Milverton to the north and Radford Semele 2.5 miles (4 km) to the east. Leamington has several suburbs; the town has encompassed the former village of Lillington , directly to the north of the town centre. Other suburbs include Milverton to the northwest, Campion Hills to the east, and Sydenham the east. The rapidly expanding Heathcote (or "Warwick Gates") district to
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3808-411: Is adjoined with the neighbouring towns of Warwick and Whitnash , and the village of Cubbington ; together these form a conurbation known as the "Royal Leamington Spa Built-up area" which in 2011 had a population of 95,172. Leamington lies around 9 miles (14 km) south of Coventry , 20 miles (32 km) south-east of Birmingham , and 81 miles (130 km) north-west of London . Leamington
3927-669: Is also home to two national educational charities – The Smallpeice Trust and The Arkwright Scholarships Trust . They specialise in making young people aware of how STEM fields studied in school can lead to fulfilling and exciting careers in science and engineering sectors of industry. Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum is located in the Royal Pump Rooms, on the Parade. It holds a collection of over 12,000 objects, including fine and decorative arts, as well as items relating to local and social history. It provides exhibitions in
4046-465: Is credited with co-creating the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 for a similar invention which was technically unfeasible at the time. Whittle's jet engines were developed some years earlier than those of Germany's Hans von Ohain , who designed the first-to-fly turbojet engine as well as Austria’s Anselm Franz . Whittle demonstrated an aptitude for engineering and an interest in flying from an early age. At first he
4165-587: Is provided by local bands in a variety of venues. In December 2005 the band Nizlopi from Leamington, reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart with "JCB" . The Woodbine Street Recording Studios has been used by several well-known music acts such as Paul Weller , Ocean Colour Scene , Felt , The Specials , and local band The Shapes , whose single "Batman in the Launderette" charted first in 1979. Classical music concerts are organised throughout
4284-410: Is today referred to as a motorjet ; an air compressor using a conventional piston engine to provide compressed air to a combustion chamber whose exhaust was used directly for thrust – essentially an afterburner attached to a piston engine driven air compressor. The idea was not new and had been talked about for some time in the industry, but Whittle's aim was to demonstrate that at increased altitudes
4403-426: Is very low." This led to three provisional specifications being filed, as the group sought to develop a jet-propelled aeroplane. The arrangement was that Williams and Tinling would have a quarter share each of the commercial rights but they would not approach any existing company in the aircraft industry. The agreement soon bore fruit, and in 1935, through Tinling's father, Whittle was introduced to Mogens L. Bramson,
4522-645: The 2005 general election , where James Plaskitt won with a majority of just 266 votes. In the 2010 general election the seat returned to the Conservative Party, with Chris White winning the seat by 3,513 votes. White remained the MP until the 2017 general election , when the seat was won by Matt Western of the Labour Party with a narrow majority, he retained his seat at the 2019 general election with his majority reduced from 1,206 to 789, and again at
4641-580: The 2024 election with a greatly increased majority of 12,412. Buildings in the town include a variety of Georgian and early Victorian architecture , and listed buildings such as the Grade II listed Lansdowne Crescent in neo-classical style, designed by William Thomas between 1835 and 1838. Amongst the Anglican churches in Leamington is the Gothic parish church All Saints' Church , and St John
4760-561: The Air Ministry enough to fund development with a contract for £5,000 to develop a flyable version. However, it was not until March 1938 that a contract was signed, when Power Jets became subject to the Official Secrets Act , limiting the ability to raise additional funds. In January 1938, BTH invested £2,500. In December 1937, Victor Crompton became Power Jets’ first employee, as an assistant to Whittle. Because of
4879-589: The Heinkel He 178 , powered by the Heinkel HeS 3 . There is little doubt that Whittle's efforts would have been at the same level or even more advanced had the Air Ministry taken a greater interest in the design. When war broke out in September 1939, Power Jets had a payroll of only 10 and Griffith's operations at the RAE and Metropolitan-Vickers were similarly small. Whittle's smoking increased to three packs
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4998-750: The Hispano-Suiza aircraft factory in Madrid in 1936, but Leret was executed months later by Francoist Moroccan troops after commanding the defence of his seaplane base near Melilla at the onset of the Spanish Civil War . His plans were hidden from the Francoists and secretly handed to the British embassy in Madrid a few years later when his wife, Carlota O'Neill , was released from prison. Despite lengthy delays in their own programme,
5117-693: The Luftwaffe beat the British efforts into the air by nine months. A lack of cobalt for high-temperature steel alloys meant the German designs were always at risk of overheating and damaging their turbines. The low-grade alloy production versions of the Junkers Jumo 004 , designed by Dr. Anselm Franz and which powered the Messerschmitt Me 262 would typically last only 10–25 hours (longer with an experienced pilot) before burning out; if it
5236-530: The Royal Pump Room Gardens and Victoria Park . Although originally founded around its spa industry, Leamington today has developed into a centre for retail, and digital industries, which has gained it the moniker "silicon spa". In 2023 The Sunday Times named Leamington as the best place to live in the Midlands . In the 2021 census Leamington had a population of 50,923. Leamington
5355-537: The Spa Centre and the amateur The Loft , with outdoor summer productions in Jephson Gardens. Leamington also has two cinemas: the Spa Centre and a multiplex. There are a number of sports clubs and leisure facilities in Leamington Spa, including the oldest purpose built Real Tennis court in the world at Leamington Tennis Court Club, the football club Leamington F.C. , a disc golf course Quarry Park ,
5474-467: The parliamentary constituency of Warwick and Leamington . From the 1997 general election until the 2010 general election the constituency was represented in parliament by James Plaskitt of the Labour Party ; until then this had been a Conservative safe seat , counting former British prime minister Anthony Eden among its Members of Parliament (MPs). The seat became highly marginal at
5593-405: The tanker Yung Hao . This article about a natural gas or petroleum-related company is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Frank Whittle Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle , OM , KBE , CB , FRS , FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer . He
5712-583: The 36 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses . Earlier, in January, when the company formed, Henry Tizard , the rector of Imperial College London and chairman of the Aeronautical Research Committee (ARC), had prompted the Air Ministry's Director of Scientific Research to ask for a write-up of the design. The report was once again passed on to Griffith for comment, but was not received back until March 1937 by which point Whittle's design
5831-718: The Air Ministry refused to pay it the patent was allowed to lapse. Shortly afterwards, in May, he received mail from Rolf Dudley-Williams , who had been with him at Cranwell in the 1920s and Felixstowe in 1930. Williams arranged a meeting with Whittle, himself, and another by-then-retired RAF serviceman, James Collingwood Tinling . The two proposed a partnership that allowed them to act on Whittle's behalf to gather public financing so that development could go ahead. Whittle thought improvements to his original idea could be patented, noting, "Its virtue lies entirely in its extremely low weight, and that it will work at heights where atmospheric density
5950-452: The Air Ministry, Whittle and, together, Williams and Tinling. Falk was represented on the board of Power Jets by Whyte as chairman and Bonham-Carter as a director (with Bramson acting as alternate ). Whittle, Williams and Tinling retained a 49% share of the company in exchange for Falk and Partners putting in £2,000 with the option of a further £18,000 within 18 months. As Whittle was still a full-time RAF officer and currently at Cambridge, he
6069-527: The Baptist's Church . St Mark's Church on Rugby Road was designed by George Gilbert Scott Jr. in 1879. It is a Gothic revival design, in red brick with stone dressings. It was endowed by the Carus-Wilson family, in memory of Frances Carus-Wilson (d.1872), wife of Sir Trevor Wheler . There is a Roman Catholic church, St Peter's Church , two United Reformed churches ( one being in Lillington ),
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#17327800870666188-596: The Controller of Research and Development, and the Director of Scientific Research. Leamington Spa Royal Leamington Spa , commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply Leamington ( / ˈ l ɛ m ɪ ŋ t ən / ), is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire , England. Originally a small village called Leamington Priors , it grew into a spa town in the 18th century following
6307-402: The F.9/40, but the engine was replaced with the W.2B, having a designed static thrust of 1,800 pounds-force (8,000 N). An experimental version of the W.1, designated W.1X, was used as a mock-up for the E.28 installation. A second E.28 was powered by the W.1A, that incorporated W.2 features such as air cooling of the turbine and a different compressor intake. On 26 March 1940, the jet engine
6426-547: The King's High School for Girls , Warwick's twin school and Princethorpe College , a mixed independent school in the nearby village of Princethorpe . Leamington is the location of the first of Warwickshire College 's six sites, and additionally another site is located just outside the town. The closest higher education institutions are the University of Warwick , in southwestern Coventry, and Coventry University . Leamington
6545-626: The Leamington Shopping Park (formerly The Shires Retail Park ), even though it sits within the boundaries of Warwick . It opened in 1989. Tourism was initially driven by the spring waters. The arrival of the Warwick and Napton Canal (later amalgamated into the Grand Union Canal ) officially opened in 1799 as the primary means of cargo transport and led to growth in other industries until rail gradually took over in
6664-548: The Model Aircraft Society, where he built working replicas. The quality of these attracted the eye of the Apprentice Wing commanding officer, who noted that Whittle was also a mathematical genius. He was so impressed that in 1926 he recommended Whittle for officer training at RAF College Cranwell. For Whittle, this was the chance of a lifetime, not only to enter the commissioned ranks but also because
6783-470: The W.1-powered E.28/39 took off from Cranwell at 7:40 pm, flying for 17 minutes and reaching a maximum speed of around 340 mph (545 km/h). At the end of the flight, Pat Johnson, who had encouraged Whittle for so long said to him, "Frank, it flies." Whittle replied, "Well, that's what it was bloody well designed to do, wasn't it?" Within days the aircraft was reaching 370 mph (600 km/h) at 25,000 feet (7,600 m), exceeding
6902-595: The W.U. and then lend it back to them, injecting cash, and placed an order for a flyable version of the engine, referred to as the Power Jets W.1 and Power Jets W.2 . By then, the Ministry had a tentative contract with the Gloster Aircraft Company for a simple aircraft specifically to flight-test the W.1, the single-engine Gloster E.28/39 . Whittle had already studied the problem of turning
7021-471: The Warwick District, which has its offices in Leamington. Since the 2023 elections , Warwick District Council has been run by a coalition of the Labour Party and Green Party , it was previously run by a Conservative -led minority administration. In 2002 Leamington Spa became a civil parish and gained a new Town (parish) Council , as the most local tier of government. Leamington is part of
7140-612: The annual National Lawn Bowls Championships . The town has several parks and gardens, including the Jephson Gardens , close to the Royal Pump Rooms and next to the River Leam. These were seriously damaged in the floods of 1998, but have been restored and improved with funding from the National Lottery . The other side of the River Leam, on Priory Terrace features the "Elephant Walk" 19th-century slipway down to
7259-544: The commanding officer of the base. This set in motion a chain of events that almost led to the engines being produced much sooner than actually occurred. Earlier, in July 1926, A. A. Griffith had published a paper on compressors and turbines, which he had been studying at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE). He showed that such designs up to this point had been flying "stalled", and that by giving
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#17327800870667378-645: The company an emergency loan of £250. On 27 July, Falk's option expired, but they agreed to continue financing Power Jets by loan. Also in July, Whittle's post-graduate stay at Cambridge was over, but then he was placed on the Special Duty List so he could work full-time on the engine. On 1 November, Williams, Tinling and Whittle took control of Power Jets. Whittle was promoted to squadron leader in December. Tizard pronounced it "streaks ahead" of any other advanced engine he had seen, and managed to interest
7497-503: The compressed air for the burner, a turbine could be used to extract some power from the exhaust and drive a compressor, similar as in a turbocharger . The remaining exhaust thrust would power the aircraft. On 27 August 1928, Pilot Officer Whittle joined No. 111 Squadron , Hornchurch, flying Siskin IIIs . His continuing reputation for low flying and aerobatics provoked a public complaint that almost led to his being court-martialled. Within
7616-418: The compressor blades an aerofoil-shaped cross-section their efficiency could be dramatically improved. The paper went on to describe how the increased efficiency of these sorts of compressors and turbines would allow a jet engine to be produced, although he felt the idea was impractical, and instead suggested using the power as a turboprop . At the time most superchargers used a centrifugal compressor , so there
7735-471: The course was that each student had to produce a thesis for graduation: Whittle decided to write his on potential aircraft design developments, notably flight at high altitudes and speeds over 500 mph (800 km/h). In Future Developments in Aircraft Design he showed that incremental improvements in existing propeller engines were unlikely to make such flight routine. Instead he described what
7854-465: The degree to which range would depend on height with turbojet aircraft." Every officer with a permanent commission was expected to take a specialist course, and as a result Whittle attended the Officers School of Engineering at RAF Henlow in 1932. He obtained an aggregate of 98% in all subjects in his entrance exam, which allowed him to complete a shortened one-year course. Whittle received
7973-454: The effort (they regarded it as long-range research and set up work on an axial flow turbine at the RAE with Hayne Constant in 1937 ), and having no production facilities of its own, Power Jets entered into an agreement with steam turbine specialists British Thomson-Houston (BTH) to build an experimental engine facility at a BTH factory in Rugby, Warwickshire . Work progressed quickly, and by
8092-492: The end of the year 1936 the prototype detail design was finalised and parts for it were well on their way to being completed, all within the original £2,000 budget. However, by 1936, Germany had also started working on jet engines ( Herbert A. Wagner at Junkers and Hans von Ohain at Heinkel ) and, although they too had difficulty overcoming conservatism, the German Ministry of Aviation (Reichsluftfahrtministerium)
8211-432: The engine although intensive development was started on all features of the new combustion chambers. By this point it was clear that Gloster's first airframe would be ready long before Rover could deliver an engine. Unwilling to wait, Whittle cobbled together an engine from spare parts, creating the W.1X ("X" standing for "experimental") which ran for the first time on 14 December 1940. Shortly afterwards an application for
8330-412: The first railway station at the current location was opened. As the popularity of spa resorts declined towards the end of the 19th century, the focus of Leamington's economy shifted towards becoming a popular place of residence for retired people and for members of the middle class , many of whom relocated from Coventry and Birmingham . Its well off residents led to the development of Leamington as
8449-523: The future must produce 2,000 hp with one moving part: a spinning turbine and compressor.' However O.T. Falk & Partners specified they would only invest in Whittle's engine if they had independent verification that it was feasible. They financed an independent engineering review from Bramson (the historic "Bramson Report" ), which was issued in November 1935. It was favourable and together with
8568-543: The hazardous nature of the work being carried out, development was moved largely from Rugby to BTH's lightly used Ladywood foundry at nearby Lutterworth in Leicestershire in 1938. Tests with a reconstructed W.U. engine commenced on 16 April 1938, and proceeded until a catastrophic failure of the turbine on 6 May. Yet, the engine ran for 1 hour and 45 minutes, and generated a thrust of 480 pounds-force (2,100 N) at 13,000 rpm . Another W.U. engine reconstruction
8687-481: The high temperatures. Griffith did say "the internal combustion turbine will almost certainly be developed into a successful engine, but before this can be done the performance of both compressors and turbines will have to be greatly improved. However it has been of real interest to investigate your scheme and I can assure you that any suggestion submitted by people in the Service is always welcome." Whittle received
8806-417: The idea, and had Whittle patent the idea in January 1930. Since the RAF was not interested in the concept they did not declare it secret, meaning that Whittle was able to retain the rights to the idea, which would have otherwise been their property. Johnson arranged a meeting with British Thomson-Houston (BTH), whose chief turbine engineer seemed to agree with the basic idea. However, BTH did not want to spend
8925-401: The lights on when yet another visit was made by Air Ministry personnel. This time Whittle was able to run the third reconstructed W.U. at 16,000 rpm for 20 minutes without any difficulty. One of the members of the team was the Director of Scientific Research, David Randall Pye , who walked out of the demonstration utterly convinced of the importance of the project. The Ministry agreed to buy
9044-762: The low air density would greatly reduce resistance in proportion to speed." Of the few apprentices accepted into the Royal Air Force College, Whittle graduated in 1928 at the age of 21 and was commissioned as a pilot officer in July. He ranked second in his class in academics, won the Andy Fellowes Memorial Prize for Aeronautical Sciences for his thesis, and was described as an "exceptional to above average" pilot. However, his flight logbook also showed numerous red ink warnings about showboating and overconfidence, and because of dangerous flying in an Armstrong Whitworth Siskin he
9163-437: The lower outside air density would increase the design's efficiency. For long-range flight, using an Atlantic-crossing mailplane as his example, the engine would spend most of its time at high altitude and thus could outperform a conventional powerplant. According to Whittle, "...I came to the general conclusion that if very high speeds were to be combined with long range, it would be necessary to fly at very great height, where
9282-438: The massive W.U. into a flyable design, with what he described as very optimistic targets, to power a little aeroplane weighing 2,000 lb with a static thrust of 1,389 lb. The designed maximum thrust for the W.1 was 1,240 pounds-force (5,500 N), while that for the W.2, was 1,600 pounds-force (7,100 N) The W.2 was to be flown in the twin-engine Gloster Meteor fighter, at the time known by its Air Ministry specification as
9401-497: The mid 19th century, The canal supplied coal to the gasworks on Tachbrook Road, providing gas to light the town from 1835. Pig iron , coke and limestone were delivered by canal, allowing a number of foundries to be established in Leamington, specialising in cast iron stoves . Today the Eagle Foundry, dating from at least 1851, continues to manufacture Rangemaster Aga stoves. The Imperial Foundry, dating from around 1925,
9520-534: The oldest college of Cambridge University , graduating in 1936 with a First in the Mechanical Sciences Tripos . The Ministry gave him permission to spend a further year after graduation working with the aerodynamicist Melvill Jones . On 1 February 1934, he was promoted to the rank of flight lieutenant . Still at Cambridge, Whittle could ill afford the £5 renewal fee for his jet engine patent when it became due in January 1935, and because
9639-602: The performance of the contemporary Supermarine Spitfire fighters. Success of the design was now evident, and in 1941, Rolls-Royce , Hawker Siddeley , the Bristol Aeroplane Company , and de Havilland became interested in gas turbine aircraft propulsion. Under Harold Roxbee Cox , the Gas Turbine Collaboration Committee was created to give a forum for all the companies for exchange of information. The stress on Whittle
9758-628: The popularisation of its water which was reputed to have medicinal qualities. In the 19th century, the town experienced one of the most rapid expansions in England. It is named after the River Leam , which flows through the town. The town contains especially fine ensembles of Regency architecture , particularly in parts of the Parade , Clarendon Square and Lansdowne Circus. The town also contains several large public parks, such as Jephson Gardens ,
9877-682: The position of NAVAIR Research Professor at the United States Naval Academy from 1977 to 1979. In August 1996, Whittle died of lung cancer at his home in Columbia, Maryland. In 2002, Whittle was ranked number 42 in the BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons . Whittle was born in a terraced house in Newcombe Road, Earlsdon , Coventry, England, on 1 June 1907, the eldest son of Moses Whittle and Sara Alice Garlick. When he
9996-655: The rediscovery of spa waters, which had been known in Roman times, and their rediscovery in 1784 by William Abbotts and Benjamin Satchwell led to their commercialisation, with invalids beginning to resort here in 1786. Six of the seven wells were drilled for; only the original spring at the site of the Aylesford Well, adjacent to the Parish Church, occurred naturally. The old village of Leamington Priors
10115-496: The river located near the suspension bridge in Jephson Gardens. It was specifically constructed so that circus elephants in winter quarters in Leamington could be watered. Other parks are the Mill Gardens on the opposite bank of the river to Jephson Gardens, Victoria Park , the Royal Pump Room Gardens , The Dell and Newbold Comyn which includes the nature reserves Welches Meadow and Leam Valley. The Leamington Observer
10234-401: The second incident an enraged Flight Lieutenant Harold W. Raeburn said furiously, "Why don't you take all my bloody aeroplanes, make a heap of them in the middle of the aerodrome and set fire to them – it's quicker!" Whittle showed his engine concept around the base, where it attracted the attention of Flying Officer Pat Johnson, formerly a patent examiner. Johnson, in turn, took the concept to
10353-517: The southwest, though often referred to as part of Leamington, actually lies mainly within the boundaries of Warwick, with parts in Whitnash and the parish of Bishop's Tachbrook. The main road running through the town centre is the Parade (called Lillington Lane until 1860). This shopping street contains high street chains and The Royal Priors shopping mall. Leamington Spa falls under three tiers of local government, county, district and parish: it
10472-461: The surrounding area, known as Silicon Spa, is a significant global centre for the video game industry , with a higher than average proportion of digital media companies involved in games development, digital design and publishing, and over a thousand employed directly in game development. Companies based in or around the town include Third Kind Games, Super Spline Studios, Lab42, Sumo Leamington, Caperfly, Widgit Software, DNA Interactive, Fish in
10591-439: The team pressed ahead, and the Power Jets WU (Whittle Unit, or W.U.) engine began test runs on 12 April 1937. Initially, the W.U. showed an alarming tendency to race out of control, due to issues with the fuel injection, before stable speeds were reached. However, by August, Whittle acknowledged a major reconstruction effort was needed to solve the combustion problem and compressor efficiency. On 9 July, Falk & Partners gave
10710-568: The theory of flight. At the age of 15, determined to be a pilot, Whittle applied to join the RAF . In January 1923, having passed the RAF entrance examination with a high mark, Whittle reported to RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire as an Aircraft Apprentice . He lasted only two days: just five feet tall and with a small chest measurement, he failed the medical. He then put himself through a vigorous training programme and special diet devised by
10829-411: The town's waters in the 19th century led to the town's initial growth, making tourism Leamington's primary industry in the 19th century. In the 1950s, a lights festival held in Jephson Gardens drew large crowds. In the town centre there are a variety of shops from high street chains to independent retailers, plus an indoor shopping centre, The Royal Priors . There is an out of town retail park called
10948-459: The town. Spa water can still be sampled outside the building. Leamington became a popular spa resort attracting the wealthy and famous, with numerous Georgian townhouses to accommodate visitors. Construction of what is now the Parade began in sections from 1808, the Regent Hotel in 1818, a town hall in 1830. and the Jephson Gardens in 1834. In 1838 Queen Victoria granted the town
11067-581: The training included flying lessons on the Avro 504 . While at Cranwell he lodged in a bungalow at Dorrington . Being an ex-apprentice amongst a majority of ex- public schoolboys , life as an officer cadet was not easy for him, but he nevertheless excelled in the courses and went solo in 1927 after only 13.5 hours’ instruction, quickly progressing to the Bristol Fighter and gaining a reputation for daredevil low flying and aerobatics. A requirement of
11186-585: The visual arts and about the history of the town, supported by workshops, talks and other events. There are several local community centres. Since 1978, the annual free festival and celebration of alternative culture called the Peace Festival has been held in the Pump Room Gardens, however the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and not been held since 2019. Live music
11305-435: The war effort, increasing from 25 employees in January 1940 to 70 in September 1940. Meanwhile, work continued with the W.U., which eventually went through nine rebuilds in an attempt to solve the combustion problems that had dominated the testing. On 9 October the W.U. ran once again, this time equipped with Lubbock or "Shell" atomising-burner combustion chambers. Combustion problems ceased to be an obstacle to development of
11424-466: The west of Leamington, on the opposite bank of the Avon, with parts of Warwick (Myton and Heathcote) extending to the southwest and south of Leamington. Also contiguous with Leamington, directly to the south, with no natural border, is the smaller town of Whitnash . Whitnash and Warwick are themselves contiguous with new housing developments within the parish of Bishop's Tachbrook . The village of Cubbington
11543-587: The world was formed in 1872 by Major Henry Gem and Augurio Pereira who had started playing tennis in the garden of Pereira. It was located just behind the former Manor House Hotel and the modern rules of lawn tennis were drawn up in 1874 in Leamington Tennis Club. During the Second World War , Leamington was bombed a number of times during The Blitz ; although this caused substantial damage it caused relatively few casualties. The town
11662-714: The year in the Leamington and Warwick area, including the International String Quartet series at the Royal Pump Rooms. The Assembly , is a 1,000 capacity music venue attracting national and international artists, and was awarded 'Live Music Venue of the Year' at the 2010 Music Week Awards. and the Leamington Spa Competitive Festival for Music Dance and Drama is staged annually. Two theatres are located in Leamington:
11781-609: The £60,000 it would cost to develop it, and this potential brush with early success went no further. In January 1930, Whittle was promoted to flying officer . In Coventry, on 24 May 1930, Whittle married his fiancée, Dorothy Mary Lee, with whom he later had two sons, David and Ian. Then, in 1931, he was posted to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Felixstowe as an armament officer and test pilot of seaplanes, where he continued to publicise his idea. This posting came as
11900-475: Was accelerated too quickly, the compressor would stall and power was immediately lost, and sometimes it exploded on their first startup. Over 200 German pilots were killed during training. Nevertheless, the Me 262 could fly far faster than allied planes and had very effective firepower. Although Me 262s were introduced late in the war they shot down 542 or more allied planes and in one allied bombing raid downed 32 of
12019-607: Was also home to the Free Czechoslovak Army; a memorial in the Jephson Gardens commemorates the bravery of Czechoslovak parachutists from Warwickshire. Leamington is divided by the River Leam running east to west, which is susceptible to flooding in extreme weather, with especially heavy floods in 1998 and 2007 . The Leam is a tributary of the River Avon , which it joins just to the west of Leamington. The ancient town of Warwick lies adjoined directly to
12138-409: Was disqualified from the end-of-term flying contest. Whittle continued working on the motorjet principle after his thesis work but eventually abandoned it when further calculations showed it would weigh as much as a conventional engine of the same thrust. Pondering the problem he thought: "Why not substitute a turbine for the piston engine?" Instead of using a piston engine driven compressor to provide
12257-597: Was expressed in a 27 May 1941 letter to Henry Tizard : The responsibility that rests on my shoulders is very heavy indeed. We are faced with two alternatives – either we place a powerful weapon in the hands of the Royal Air Force or, if we fail to get our results in time, we may have falsely raised hopes and caused action to be taken which may deprive the Royal Air Force of hundreds of aeroplanes that it badly needs. In mid-1941, relations between Power Jets and Rover had continued to deteriorate. Rover had established
12376-544: Was formed to build a new bath house north of the River Leam. A new saline spring was found on land close to the river, belonging to Bertie Greatheed , a wealthy plantation owner and landowner from Guy's Cliffe , and a member of the syndicate. In 1814, the Royal Pump Rooms and Baths were opened on the site, designed by C.S. Smith, who also designed The Regent Hotel and the Upper Assembly Rooms in
12495-435: Was given the title "Honorary Chief Engineer and Technical Consultant". Needing special permission to work outside the RAF, he was placed on the Special Duty List and allowed to work on the design as long as it was for no more than six hours a week. However he was allowed to continue at Cambridge for a year doing post-graduate work which gave him time to work on the turbojet. The Air Ministry still saw little immediate value in
12614-481: Was impressed by the 28-year-old Whittle and his design when they met on 11 September 1935: The impression he made was overwhelming, I have never been so quickly convinced, or so happy to find one's highest standards met... This was genius, not talent. Whittle expressed his idea with superb conciseness: 'Reciprocating engines are exhausted. They have hundreds of parts jerking to and fro, and they cannot be made more powerful without becoming too complicated. The engine of
12733-416: Was limited interest in the paper. Encouraged by his commanding officer, in late 1929 Whittle sent his concept to the Air Ministry to see if it would be of any interest to them. Whittle was invited to the Ministry and met an officer of the Ministry's Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and Griffith (at the time a member of the Aeronautical Research Committee). Afterwards, Whittle received
12852-404: Was listed as a potential war winner by Air Marshal Tedder , and given the associated priority. Power Jets also spent some time in May 1940 drawing up the W.2Y, a similar design with a "straight-through" airflow that resulted in a longer engine and, more critically, a longer driveshaft but having a somewhat simpler layout. To reduce the weight of the driveshaft as much as possible, the W.2Y used
12971-417: Was more supportive than their British counterpart. Von Ohain applied for a patent for a turbojet engine in 1935 but having earlier reviewed and critiqued Whittle's patents, had to narrow the scope of his own filing. In Spain, air-force pilot and engineer Virgilio Leret Ruiz had been granted a patent for a jet engine in March 1935, and Republican president Manuel Azaña arranged for initial construction at
13090-552: Was nine years old, the family moved to the nearby town of Royal Leamington Spa where his father, a highly inventive practical engineer and mechanic, purchased the Leamington Valve and Piston Ring Company, which comprised a few lathes and other tools and a single-cylinder gas engine , on which Whittle became an expert. Whittle developed a rebellious and adventurous streak, together with an early interest in aviation. After two years attending Milverton School, Whittle won
13209-509: Was on the southern bank of the River Leam, and early development was based around this. During the early 19th century, developers began concentrating the town's expansion on the land north of the river. This resulted in the Georgian centre of New Town with the Leam flowing between the two. By 1810, the town's existing bath houses could not cope with the increasing visitor numbers, and a syndicate
13328-478: Was originally a small village known as Leamington Priors . Its name came from Anglo-Saxon Leman-tūn or Lemen-tūn = "farm on the River Leam ". It was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Lamintone . For 400 years, the settlement was under the control of Kenilworth Priory , from which the older suffix derived. Leamington began to develop as a town at the start of the 19th century, due to
13447-554: Was rapid; at the time of the first national census in 1801, Leamington had a population of just 315, by 1851 this had grown to 15,724, and by 1901, the population had reached 26,888. The London and North Western Railway opened the first railway line into Leamington; a branch line from Coventry in 1844, followed by a branch to Rugby in 1851. In 1852 the Great Western Railway 's main line between Birmingham, Oxford and London opened through Leamington, upon which
13566-515: Was reputed to be at the centre of England . At the 2011 census , there were 49,491 residents in Leamington in 22,098 households, and the median age of Leamington residents was 34. In terms of ethnicity: In terms of religion, 51.5% of Leamington residents identified as Christian , 32.1% said they had no religion , 7.5% did not state any religion, 5.1% were Sikh , 1.5% were Hindu , 1.3% were Muslim , 0.4% were Buddhists , 0.3% were Jewish and 0.5% were from another religion. The popularity of
13685-435: Was started on 30 May 1938, but using ten combustion chambers to match the ten compressor discharge ducts. Avoiding a single large combustion chamber made the engine lighter and more compact. Tests commenced with this third W.U. on 26 October 1938. These delays and the lack of funding slowed the project. In Germany, Hans von Ohain had filed for a patent in 1935, which in 1939, led to the world's first flyable jet aircraft ,
13804-468: Was subsequently taken over by Ford , casting engine blocks until its closure in 2008. The prominent car parts manufacturer Automotive Products based in the south of the town grew from a small garage to occupy a large site. Throughout the 20th century, while tourism took a downturn, Automotive Products expanded and built a factory in the South of the town in 1928 that is still operative in 2009, although on
13923-399: Was turned down by the RAF but, determined to join the force, he overcame his physical limitations and was accepted and sent to No. 2 School of Technical Training to join No 1 Squadron of Cranwell Aircraft Apprentices. He was taught the theory of aircraft engines and gained practical experience in the engineering workshops. His academic and practical abilities as an Aircraft Apprentice earned him
14042-489: Was unable to accommodate all the aircraft apprentices at that time. Whittle hated the strict discipline imposed on apprentices and, convinced there was no hope of ever becoming a pilot, he at one time seriously considered deserting. However, throughout his early days as an aircraft apprentice (and at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell ), he maintained his interest in model aircraft and joined
14161-531: Was well along. Griffith had already started construction of his own turbine engine design and, perhaps to avoid tainting his own efforts, he returned a somewhat more positive review. However, he remained highly critical of some features, notably the use of jet thrust. The Engine Sub-Committee of ARC studied Griffith's report, and decided to fund Griffith's effort instead. Given this astonishing display of official indifference, Falk and Partners gave notice that they could not provide funding beyond £5,000. Nevertheless,
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