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Which British engineer independently developed a turbojet engine in the 1930s?

Frank Whittle developed a British turbojet independently of German work.

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  1. Igor Sikorsky
  2. Frank Whittle ✔
  3. Charles Lindbergh

Why: Frank Whittle worked on turbojet engines in Britain while Hans von Ohain independently developed them in Germany. Germany flew a jet in 1939, and Britain followed in 1941.

Huh, didn't know that: Whittle's engine powered Britain's first jet airplane flight in May 1941.

The dad joke
Why was Frank Whittle never bored? His ideas were always jet-setting.
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References

Answer: Frank Whittle. Frank Whittle worked on turbojet engines in Britain while Hans von Ohain independently developed them in Germany. Germany flew a jet in 1939, and Britain followed in 1941.

  1. Altitude Wind Tunnel, World War II Efforts, NASA www.nasa.gov/altitude-wind-tunnel-world-war-ii-efforts
    British engineer Frank Whittle and the German Hans von Ohain independently developed versions of the jet engine.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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