Narrator: THE JET ENGINE.
IN JUST A FEW DECADES, IT’S CONQUERED THE SKIES.
Man: ONE OF OUR GE ENGINES TAKES OFF EVERY TWO SECONDS
AROUND THE WORLD EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY.
Narrator: IT’S ONE OF THE SAFEST FORMS OF TRAVEL EVER INVENTED.
BUT ITS BIRTH WAS A BATTLE OF BRAVERY AND INGENUITY.
Man: JUST LIKE WE HAD A SPACE RACE IN THE 1960s,
WE REALLY HAVE A JET RACE IN THE 1940s.
Man: YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO MAKE MISTAKES,
THEY ARE VERY UNFORGIVING.
THEY HAD A HUGE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS.
Man: ALL OF A SUDDEN MY STARBOARD ENGINE FLAMED OUT,
THE ENGINE STOPPED.
THIS WAS A REALLY SCARY, SCARY THING.
Narrator: THE SACRIFICE OF THESE PIONEERS
HAS TRANSFORMED SOCIETY,
CREATING A WHOLE NEW WAY OF TRAVELING.
Man: IT DID SHRINK THE WORLD.
Man: IF YOU BUY A LETTUCE IN THE SUPERMARKET,
HOW DID YOU GET IT?
THERE’S HALF A CHANCE IT WAS FLOWN TO YOU.
AND THE JET ENGINE DID THAT.
Man: IF THE JET ENGINE WAS REMOVED,
THE WORLD’S ECONOMY WOULD COLLAPSE.
Narrator: THIS IS THE STORY OF THE JET ENGINE,
TOLD BY THOSE WHO INVENTED IT, THOSE WHO PUSH IT TO NEW LIMITS,
AND THOSE WHO DREAM OF TAKING IT TO NEW HEIGHTS.
LOCKHEED’S BLACKBIRD SPY PLANE, THE LEGENDARY SR-71,
CAPABLE OF FLYING FASTER THAN ANY OTHER JET AIRCRAFT
IN HISTORY.
Maury Rosenberg: WE WOULD TAKE OFF,
PUT THE GEAR UP, LOWER THE NOSE A LITTLE BIT,
AND WE’D JUST START A CLIMB TO MACH 3 AND ABOUT 78,000 FEET.
GOD, WE LOVE THAT ENGINE.
[CHUCKLES]
Don Bulloch: YOU’RE ABOVE 95% OF THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE CURVATURE OF THE EARTH,
THE SKY IS BLACK, IT’S NOT BLUE, YOU CAN SEE STARS.
Narrator: IT’S THE 24th OF SEPTEMBER 1974,
AND PILOT MAURY ROSENBERG
AND HIS RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEMS OFFICER DON BULLOCH
ARE ON AN ENGINE TEST FLIGHT OUT OF OKINAWA IN JAPAN.
Bulloch: WE’RE DIRECTED ON THIS PARTICULAR MISSION
TO GO TAKE THE AIRPLANE TO TOP SPEED, WHICH WAS MACH 3.2.
AND AS WE’RE SLOWING DOWN, BACK TO MACH 3,
WE HAVE A BANG OR A BUMP.
AND THE AIRPLANE SHAKES PRETTY VIOLENTLY,
AND A LITTLE BIT OF SHUDDERING IN THE AIRPLANE.
Narrator: THEIR RIGHT ENGINE FAILS CATASTROPHICALLY,
MAKING THE BLACKBIRD UNSTABLE AND THREATENING THEIR LIVES.
Rosenberg: IT WAS REAL BUMPY,
AND WE’RE BOUNCING AROUND AND GETTING SLAMMED AROUND.
SO I LOOKED IN THE PERISCOPE, AND I SEE SMOKE.
I TOLD DON, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE’RE REALLY ON FIRE!
I HAVE A FIRE LIGHT ON THE RIGHT ENGINE.
Narrator: IF THE FIRE SPREADS, IT COULD DESTROY THE PLANE.
THEY MUST SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE.
Bulloch: START THE FIRE CHECKLIST,
TO SHUT OFF THE FUEL
AND MAKE SURE WE STOP THE COMBUSTION IF WE CAN.
ENGINE FIRE CHECKLIST.
THROTTLE OFF, FUEL OFF.
Rosenberg: THROTTLE OFF, FUEL OFF.
FIRE LIGHT STILL ON.
Bulloch: REPEAT THE CHECKLIST, AND STILL HAVE A FIRE.
Narrator: THE LEFT ENGINE IS NOW ALL THAT’S KEEPING THEM FLYING.
Rosenberg: AND AS WE GOT THROUGH THAT CHECKLIST,
THE LEFT ENGINE FLAMES OUT.
Bulloch: AND AT THAT POINT, YOU SAID, OKAY,
SOMETHING REALLY SERIOUS IS GOING ON,
BECAUSE THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
Narrator: WITHOUT EITHER ENGINE,
THEY’RE NOW DROPPING OUT OF THE SKY.
Rosenberg: THIS AIRPLANE FALLS LIKE A ROCK,
AND ALL I CAN SEE BETWEEN MY KNEES IS THE OCEAN,
AND THE THOUGHT THAT’S GOING THROUGH MY MIND IS,
WE MIGHT HAVE TO BAIL OUT OF THIS AIRPLANE
IF I DON’T GET THIS LEFT ENGINE RUNNING.
Narrator: POWERED FLIGHT,
PIONEERED BY THE WRIGHT BROTHERS IN 1903,
HARNESSES PROPELLERS TO DRIVE A PLANE FORWARDS
BY PUSHING AIR BACKWARDS.
BUT THIS TECHNOLOGY IS GETTING CLOSE TO ITS LIMITS
BY THE LATE 1920s.
PROPELLERS SIMPLY CAN’T SPIN ANY FASTER.
Jeremy Kinney: A PROPELLER IS A ROTATING AIRFOIL.
AND AS A PROPELLER TURNS,
THE TIPS OF THE BLADES GO SUPERSONIC,
THEY HAVE SHOCK WAVES.
THAT LIMITS ITS EFFICIENCY, AND IT CAN’T GO FASTER.
SO THERE’S A PHYSICAL LIMITATION TO PROPELLERS
TAKING THE AIRPLANE HIGHER, FASTER AND FARTHER.
Narrator: IN THE 1920s, THIS PHYSICAL LIMIT STOPS AIRPLANES
FLYING FASTER THAN 360 MILES PER HOUR.
POWERED FLIGHT NEEDS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT APPROACH
TO BREAK THIS BARRIER.
AND IT COMES IN 1929, NOT FROM AN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER,
BUT FROM A BRILLIANT BRITISH PILOT.
HIS NAME IS FRANK WHITTLE,
AND HE’LL MAKE THE GREATEST CONTRIBUTION TO AVIATION
SINCE THE WRIGHT BROTHERS.
Ian Whittle: MY FIRST MEMORY OF DAD WAS,
I SUPPOSE WHEN I WAS ABOUT TWO AND HALF,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND HE WAS AN RAF OFFICER.
WE WERE CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT HE WAS A PILOT
BUT DIDN’T EVER SEEM TO BE FLYING ANY AIRPLANES.
Narrator: FRANK WHITTLE DOESN’T HAVE TIME TO FLY
BECAUSE HE’S WORKING DAY AND NIGHT ON HIS BIG IDEA--
A NEW PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR AIRPLANES.
Frank Whittle: THE THOUGHT: GET RID OF THE PISTON ENGINE
AND SUBSTITUTE A TURBINE.
YOU MIGHT SAY THAT CAME OUT OF THE BLUE.
AFTER THE IDEA HAD COME TO ME, I THOUGHT "MY GOODNESS,
WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THIS BEFORE?"
AND IT SEEMED SO OBVIOUS THEN.
Narrator: AT THE HEART OF IT IS A MACHINE CALLED THE GAS TURBINE.
IT FOLLOWS THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS A STEAM TURBINE.
BUT INSTEAD OF HARNESSING STEAM,
IT USES THE FLOW OF HOT, HIGH-PRESSURE AIR
TO DO MECHANICAL WORK.
AND SOME ENGINEERS SEE IT AS AN ALTERNATIVE
TO THE PISTON ENGINE FOR POWERING A PLANE.
Kinney: A GAS TURBINE ENGINE IS VERY ATTRACTIVE
FROM THE DESIGN STANDPOINT.
UNLIKE A PISTON ENGINE THAT HAS HUNDREDS OF PARTS
THAT ARE INTERCONNECTED AND MOVING
AND HAVE TO BE ALIGNED AND SYNCHRONIZED,
THERE’S LITTLE MOVING EQUIPMENT INSIDE A GAS TURBINE ENGINE.
SO YOU HAVE ROTATING MACHINERY THAT MOVES VERY FAST,
AND THAT ENABLES THAT TO PRODUCE THAT POWER.
BUT THE CHALLENGE IS MAKING THAT WORK FOR AN AIRPLANE.
[STEAM WHISTLE BLOWS]
Narrator: BUILDING A WORKING GAS TURBINE NEEDS NEW MATERIALS
THAT CAN WITHSTAND THE TEMPERATURES THAT THEY GENERATE.
IN ADDITION, WHITTLE WILL NEED TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE ONE
THAT’S POWERFUL ENOUGH TO PROPEL AN AIRPLANE,
YET LIGHT ENOUGH TO FLY.
HIS BREAKTHROUGH IS TO HARNESS THE EXHAUST GAS
COMING OUT THE BACK AS A SOURCE OF PROPULSION.
IT’S AN ELEGANT IDEA THAT WILL GIVE THE ENGINE
THE THRUST IT NEEDS.
BUT OTHERS ARE HIGHLY SKEPTICAL ABOUT WHITTLE’S SOLUTION.
Eric Brown: THE ELDER SCIENTISTS,
MANY OF WHOM WERE WORKING ON JET PROPULSION,
DIDN’T BELIEVE THAT A YOUNG MAN COULD WRITE A THESIS
REALLY LAYING OUT HIS IDEAS FOR JET AIRCRAFT.
SO THERE WAS PROFESSIONAL JEALOUSY.
HUGELY.
Narrator: PROFESSIONAL JEALOUSY ROBS WHITTLE
OF THE FUNDING HE NEEDS TO BUILD A PROTOTYPE.
Kinney: A PISTON ENGINE GOES 2,000 RPM.
THESE ENGINES ARE GOING TO BE GOING TO BE TURNING 16,000 RPM!
AND SO THIS IS A LOT OF HIGH-SPEED MOTION
THAT HAS TO BE QUELLED
WITH MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS.
Dick Hallion: WHITTLE’S BIG CHALLENGE
IS A MATERIALS SCIENCE CHALLENGE--
AND THAT IS YOU HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO ENCLOSE THIS COMBUSTION
TO THE POINT THAT IT ESCAPES THEN
THROUGH THE NOZZLE OF THE ENGINE
WITHOUT DESTROYING THE ENGINE.
Kinney: HE NEEDS HIGH-STRENGTH ALLOYS
THAT ACTUALLY CAN WITHSTAND THE HIGH TEMPERATURE,
IN EXCESS OF 1,000 DEGREES,
WHICH CAN PUT A LOT OF STRESS AND STRAIN
ON THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE.
Narrator: THESE MECHANICAL CHALLENGES AND LITTLE MONEY
MEAN THAT WHITTLE SUFFERS MANY SETBACKS,
ONE OF WHICH, IN APRIL 1937, HE’LL NEVER FORGET.
Whittle: FATHER WAS IN CHARGE OF THE FUEL CONTROL,
AND HE WAS SIGNALING SOMEBODY ELSE
TO GET THE STARTER MOTOR UP TO SPEED.
THEN HE STARTS PUTTING FUEL IN.
THE ENGINE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE.
FINE.
THAT’S WHAT THEY WERE HOPING IT WOULD DO.
BUT THE TROUBLE WAS THAT IT JUST CARRIED ON ACCELERATING,
WHICH HE COULDN’T UNDERSTAND.
IT WAS QUITE FRIGHTENING,
BECAUSE IT WENT FROM A SORT OF GROWL TO A SCREAM
AND GOT UP TO ABOUT 8,000 RPM.
FUEL HAD COLLECTED
IN THE BOTTOM OF THIS RATHER RAMSHACKLE COMBUSTION CHAMBER,
AND THAT’S WHAT WAS KEEPING THE ENGINE GOING,
WHAT IT WAS ACCELERATING ITSELF ON!
Narrator: EXCESS FUEL IS POOLING IN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS.
WHITTLE HAS LOST CONTROL OVER THE ENGINE’S SPEED.
Hallion: ONE OF THE GREAT DIFFICULTIES WAS FINDING A WAY
TO GOVERN THE ENGINE,
TO FIND JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FUEL TO GET A STEADY,
PRODUCTIVE COMBUSTION,
BUT NOT SO MUCH FUEL THAT IT WOULD CAUSE THE ENGINE
TO ACCELERATE COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL,
AND COME COMPLETELY APART.
[EXPLOSION]
Whittle: AND HE STOOD THERE,
AND HE WONDERED WHAT ON EARTH HAD HAPPENED.
AND LOOKED AROUND AND THERE WAS NOBODY AROUND.
ALL THE MECHANICS HAD DONE A BUNK!
Narrator: THROUGH THE 1930s,
WHITTLE REFINES HIS INVENTION
INTO A MARVEL OF DESIGN AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
THAT WILL EVENTUALLY CHANGE THE WORLD.
MARK DRAKE, FROM THE GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANY DYSON,
HAS HELPED TO RESTORE ONE OF WHITTLE’S LATER ENGINES
TO CELEBRATE HIS INGENUITY.
Mark Drake: THIS ENGINE IS NEARLY 70 YEARS OLD,
SO WE’VE GOT TO TREAT HER WITH A LOT OF RESPECT.
OK, GOING LIVE.
APPLY POWER TO THE BOARD, SO THAT’S POWERED UP NOW.
THROTTLE IS SHUT, MAIN VALVE IS ON.
SO AT THIS POINT I’M GOING TO TURN ON THE FUEL SYSTEM,
AND I’LL TURN ON THE IGNITION.
OK, JAMES.
OK. THAT’LL DO.
[WHIRRING]
Narrator: WHITTLE’S SUCCESSFUL DESIGN
IS A SO-CALLED CENTRIFUGAL ENGINE,
WHICH THROWS THE AIR OUTWARDS.
WITHOUT INTEREST FROM A BRITISH AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER,
IT REMAINS GROUNDED THROUGHOUT THE 1930s.
BUT WORD OF HIS INVENTION MAKES IT OVER TO GERMANY,
WHERE PHYSICIST AND DESIGNER HANS VON OHAIN
IS ALSO LOOKING TO GAS TURBINES TO POWER FLIGHT.
Kinney: VON OHAIN IS ABLE TO DEVELOP AN ENGINE
MUCH QUICKER THAN WHITTLE DOES.
HE HAS THE SUPPORT OF ERNST HEINKEL--
A SELF-OBSESSED SPEED DESIGNER, INDUSTRIALIST.
AND THEY START DEVELOPING A FLIGHT-WORTHY ENGINE.
Hallion: HEINKEL AND SPEED WERE SYNONYMOUS.
THEY ALL RECOGNIZE THAT THEY REALLY HAVE THE GERM HERE
OF A VERY EXCITING IDEA.
IF IT DOES WORK OUT, IT WILL REVOLUTIONIZE EVERYTHING.
Narrator: BY THE SUMMER OF 1939, VON OHAIN AND HEINKEL ARE READY
TO TEST FLY THEIR VERSION OF A CENTRIFUGAL ENGINE.
IT WILL POWER AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT CALLED THE HE-178.
ON THE 27th OF AUGUST,
TEST PILOT ERICH WARSITZ PREPARES TO TAKE THE CONTROLS
OF VON OHAIN’S PIONEERING ENGINE.
HE’S ABOUT TO BECOME THE FIRST HUMAN BEING TO FLY A JET PLANE.
THE MOMENT IS CAUGHT ON CAMERA.
Erich Warsitz, translated: THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ROLL
STRAIGHT AND LEVEL,
AND THEN QUICKLY PICKED UP A VERY FAST SPEED.
THE MACHINE WAS HANGING A LITTLE TO THE LEFT,
BUT I KEPT HER TRIMMED WITH STICK AND RUDDER.
SHE WAS YAWING A LITTLE.
Narrator: AT 250 MILES PER HOUR,
VON OHAIN’S JET MIGHT NOT BE THE FASTEST AIRCRAFT OF ITS TIME,
BUT IT’S THE DAWNING OF A NEW AGE,
THAT WILL PUSH POWERED FLIGHT TO NEW HEIGHTS AND SPEEDS.
Kinney: THE FLIGHT OF THE HE-178 IS A MAJOR MOMENT IN AVIATION
BUT ALSO WORLD HISTORY.
AND THAT’S PRETTY MUCH OUR INDICATION
OF THE JET AGE HAS BEGUN.
Warsitz: BELOW ME I COULD SEE EVERYONE WAVING.
I TOLD MYSELF AS I COMPLETED A SECOND CIRCUIT,
"OK, FINISH OFF!"
AND I BROUGHT HER IN.
Hallion: IT HAS THE SAME MOMENTOUS CONSEQUENCE
THAT THAT SHORT, 12-SECOND FLIGHT OF THE WRIGHTS HAD,
ON DECEMBER 17, 1903.
Narrator: ERICH WARSITZ, THE FIRST JET PILOT,
LANDS A FEW MINUTES LATER.
Warsitz: BRINGING THE MACHINE TO A STOP
A METER BEFORE WHERE HEINKEL AND HIS STAFF WERE STANDING.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THE EUPHORIA.
Narrator: BUT THE CELEBRATION IS BRIEF.
FIVE DAYS LATER, WORLD WAR II IS DECLARED,
AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF FASTER PLANES
TAKES ON A NEW SIGNIFICANCE.
Kinney: THERE IS A RACE TO GET THE JET IN THE AIR
DURING WORLD WAR II.
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SEES THE JET ENGINE
AS A VIABLE TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN BE USED AGAINST NAZI GERMANY.
THE NAZIS WERE THE FIRST TO FLY,
AND SO THAT ACCELERATES THE DEVELOPMENT
THAT FRANK WHITTLE WAS SEEING IN GREAT BRITAIN.
Whittle: WHEN WAR BROKE OUT,
HE CHOSE TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON HIS ENGINE.
HE WAS VERY TORN.
AND I THINK IT WAS ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT SORT OF UPSET HIM,
BECAUSE A LOT OF HIS FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES
PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE,
AND HE KNEW THIS WAS GOING ON.
AND THERE HE WAS SAFE AND SOUND,
WORKING ON HIS ENGINEERING PROJECT.
IF HE COULDN’T FLY AN AIRPLANE AND FIGHT,
THEN HE WANTED TO SUPPLY THE RAF WITH A WARPLANE.
AND HE KNEW IT COULD BE DONE.
Narrator: THE GERMANS ALSO KNOW IT CAN BE DONE.
THEY’VE ALREADY FLOWN VON OHAIN’S JET
AND ARE NOW PIONEERING A NEW, MORE EFFICIENT ENGINE DESIGN.
IT FORCES THE AIR ALONG THE AXIS OF THE ENGINE,
TO COMPRESS AND HEAT IT, RATHER THAN THROWING IT OUTWARDS,
KNOWN AS AXIAL FLOW.
IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE MORE POWERFUL
THAN THE CENTRIFUGAL DESIGN,
AND COULD ULTIMATELY WIN THEM THE RACE.
Kinney: THE AXIAL FLOW ENGINE WAS SIMPLICITY
IN TERMS OF OVERALL DESIGN.
BUT IT WAS MUCH MORE OF A CHALLENGE
IN ACTUALLY GETTING IT TO WORK.
IN TERMS OF DESIGNING THE COMPRESSOR,
THE TURBINE, AND MOVING THAT AIR THROUGH THE ENGINE
WAS A MUCH BROADER CHALLENGE.
Narrator: THE CHALLENGE IS EVEN HARDER
BECAUSE THE ALLIED BLOCKADE IS STRANGLING GERMAN ACCESS
TO RAW MATERIALS.
Whittle: THE GERMANS HAD ALWAYS EXPECTED
TO HAVE EXOTIC MATERIALS TO PRODUCE THE ALLOYS NECESSARY
FOR THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ENDS OF THEIR TURBO JET ENGINES.
BECAUSE THEY WERE LOSING ACCESS TO THESE EXOTIC MATERIALS,
IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO FIND WHAT THEY NEEDED
FOR THE TURBINE BLADES AND THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS.
Narrator: NOW GERMAN JET ENGINEERS ARE PLAYING CATCH-UP
IN THE JET RACE,
WHILE BRITAIN’S EFFORT, LED BY FRANK WHITTLE,
IS MARCHING AHEAD.
BY THE 15th OF MAY 1941,
HIS LATEST ENGINE, THE W1,
IS READY FOR ITS MAIDEN FLIGHT UNDER TOTAL SECRECY.
TEST PILOT ERIC BROWN IS THERE TO WITNESS THE MOMENT.
Brown: WELL, I ARRIVED IN THIS AIRFIELD,
EVERYBODY WAS BEHAVING MIGHTY SUSPICIOUSLY,
AND I THOUGHT THERE’S SOME SORT OF CONSPIRACY GOING ON HERE.
OF WHAT’S INVOLVED, I KNOW NOT.
I’D NEVER HEARD OF A JET AIRCRAFT, NEVER SEEN ONE.
TO ME THE WHOLE THING WAS TOTALLY, TOTALLY NEW.
AND EVENTUALLY AT 7:15 IN THE EVENING
IT ACTUALLY TOOK OFF.
Whittle: IT DISAPPEARED INTO THE CLOUDS,
FLEW FOR ABOUT 17 MINUTES BEFORE IT LANDED.
Brown: WHEN IT LANDED
THERE WAS SOMEBODY BEING MADE A GREAT FUSS OF,
OTHER THAN THE PILOT,
AND OF COURSE THIS WAS FRANK WHITTLE.
Whittle: IN ONE STROKE HE OPENED UP THE WAY
TO VERY HIGH SPEED, VERY HIGH ALTITUDE FLIGHT.
Narrator: IT’S NOT LONG BEFORE NAVY TEST PILOT ERIC BROWN
IS AT THE CONTROLS OF BRITAIN’S FIRST JET PLANES HIMSELF.
Brown: WELL, OF COURSE, IT WAS HIGHLY EXCITING
TO BE INVOLVED IN TECHNOLOGY OF THIS KIND.
IF YOU’RE A PILOT
AND YOU’VE SAT IN THESE BIG, NOISY PISTON AIRCRAFT,
AND YOU SUDDENLY GET INTO THIS GLORIOUS JET,
YOU REALIZE THIS ISN’T JUST A SMALL CHANGE,
IT IS A MAXIMUM CHANGE.
Narrator: WITH BRITAIN’S FIRST JET PLANES IN THE AIR,
THE GERMANS ARE RACING TO FLY THE NEW AXIAL ENGINE.
IT WILL POWER THE MESSERSCHMITT 262 FIGHTER PLANE.
GERMAN PILOT JORG CZYPIONKA REMEMBERS HIS FIRST ENCOUNTER
WITH THE NEW JET.
Jorg Czypionka: I SAW THE AIRCRAFT STANDING THERE
ON THE TARMAC, AND I WAS OVERWHELMED.
AND THERE SHE WAS,
WITH A BEAUTIFUL, TRIANGULAR-SHAPED FUSELAGE,
WONDERFUL LOOKING.
AND I REMEMBER I THOUGHT, THIS IS THE FUTURE,
THIS IS MY NEW LOVE.
[LAUGHS]
Narrator: IT’S THE SUMMER OF 1944,
BEFORE THE GERMANS HAVE A FACTORY-PRODUCED MILITARY JET
IN THE AIR.
BUT THEIR ENGINES ARE OFTEN TEMPERAMENTAL,
MAKING THEM UNFORGIVING TO FLY.
FOR LUFTWAFFE PILOTS LIKE CZYPIONKA,
IT’S AN EXTRA THREAT TO THEIR ALREADY DANGEROUS LIVES.
Czypionka: MY MOTHER HAD SAID, "DON’T KILL ANYBODY.
AND I SEND YOU MY GUARDIAN ANGEL.
HE WILL BE WITH YOU ALL THE TIME."
SO I DIDN’T WANT TO KILL ANYBODY.
I’M ON MY WAY HOME, DARK NIGHT,
AND THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT,
WHICH GIVES ME 20 MINUTES OR SOMETHING TO LAND, IS ON,
AND I’M QUIETLY FLYING HOME.
ALL OF A SUDDEN I MET A MOSQUITO WHICH CROSSED MY WAY,
IT WAS CLOSE TO AN ACCIDENT, VERY, VERY CLOSE TO AN ACCIDENT.
Narrator: CZYPIONKA FACES A DILEMMA.
IF HE CHASES THE BRITISH MOSQUITO RECONNAISSANCE PLANE,
HE RISKS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.
Czypionka: FIRST I WAS HESITATING, THEY HAVE FAMILIES,
THE WAR IS OVER ANYWAY, WHY SHOULD I SHOOT?
BUT EVENTUALLY, I SAID THEY PROBABLY KILLED
ABOUT ANOTHER 10,000 OR MORE PEOPLE THAT NIGHT,
SO GIVE HIM A SHORT BURST, AND THE MOSQUITO WAS ON FIRE.
AND I WAS ONLY HOPING THAT THE PILOTS
COULD GET OUT OF THIS AIRCRAFT,
AND IT LOOKED LIKE THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE.
SO I CARRIED ON HOME,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY STARBOARD ENGINE FLAMED OUT,
BIG FIRE IN THE BACK, AND THE ENGINE STOPPED.
I WAS VERY COOL.
I CHANGED THE TANKS, INSTINCTIVELY,
AND THE ENGINE CAME TO LIFE AGAIN.
AND I CONTINUED AT JUST NORMAL APPROACH,
BUT ALWAYS THINKING, MY GOD, NOW THERE IS ALMOST NO FUEL THERE.
Narrator: BUT THERE’S NOWHERE FOR CZYPIONKA
TO PUT HIS JET DOWN.
THE PLANE IN FRONT OF HIM HAS MADE A BAD LANDING
AND IS NOW BLOCKING THE RUNWAY.
Czypionka: NOW I HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO.
IT WAS A TIME WHEN I WAS REALLY SCARY,
AND I TALKED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND TO THE ENGINE.
I SAID, "COME, DO IT.
MAKE IT, WE WILL DO IT.
YEAH, YEAH, COME ON."
NO LIGHTS, NO FUEL.
IT WAS A VERY BAD FEELING.
HAD ANY ONE OF THE ENGINES ONLY HESITATED
FOR, FOR A SECOND, I WOULD HAVE BEEN DOWN.
BECAUSE I LOOKED AT THE SPEEDOMETER,
AND IT WAS ABSOLUTE STALL SPEED.
I HAD TO KEEP THE HEIGHT TO THE METER.
OH, IT WAS, THIS WAS A REALLY SCARY, SCARY THING.
Narrator: WITH THE BLOCKED RUNWAY HURRIEDLY CLEARED,
HE BRINGS HIS MESSERSCHMITT 262 AROUND ONE LAST TIME
TO LINE IT UP WITH THE LANDING STRIP.
HIS LIFE HANGS ON HIS JET ENGINES.
Czypionka: I MADE IT AROUND, AND THE ENGINE DID NOT HESITATE.
WHEN I STRAIGHTENED IT OUT INTO THE RUNWAY,
BOTH ENGINES STOPPED.
THE AIRCRAFT AND THE ENGINES DIDN’T LET ME DOWN.
YEAH, I WAS LUCKY. I WAS UNBELIEVABLY LUCKY.
Narrator: BY THE END OF 1945, WORLD WAR II IS OVER.
THE JET HASN’T CHANGED THE OUTCOME.
BUT THE WAR HAS CHANGED THE JET.
AND SOCIETY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN,
PARTICULARLY FOR PASSENGER AVIATION.
♪
Newsreader: BRITAIN’S AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY
MAY HAVE A WINNER IN THE COMET.
THE DE HAVILLAND COMPANY HAVE PRODUCED
THIS FOUR-ENGINED JET AIRLINER, THE FIRST IN THE WORLD,
LARGELY FROM EXPERIMENTS CARRIED OUT ON THE LITTLE 108.
THEIR PILOTS ARE THE FAMOUS WAR ACE CUNNINGHAM
AND JOHNNY WILSON.
CUNNINGHAM TALKS TO SIR FRANK WHITTLE ON THE LEFT,
THE INVENTOR OF THE JET.
Narrator: DESPERATE TO REPAY THE DEBTS IT’S RUN UP
FIGHTING WORLD WAR II,
BRITAIN TURNS TO THE JET ENGINE TO BAIL IT OUT,
AND IS QUICK TO DEVELOP
AN IMPRESSIVE, NEW JET-POWERED AIRLINER CALLED THE COMET.
WITH A TOP SPEED OF 490 MILES PER HOUR,
IT’S EXPECTED TO CUT TRAVEL TIMES IN HALF.
Newsreader: THE COMET SHOULD DO THE TRIP TO NEW YORK
IN SIX HOURS, AND AUSTRALIA IN 36.
IF HOPES ARE NOT DISAPPOINTED,
BRITAIN MAY PRESENTLY LEAD THE WORLD IN FAST AIR TRAVEL.
Bob van der Linden: WHEN THE COMET FIRST APPEARED,
IT WAS QUITE A REVELATION,
TO SEE A CIVIL AIRLINER AS SLEEK AS THIS, AS BEAUTIFUL,
ALL-METAL, AND IT’S SHINING,
YOU KNOW, POLISHED WITHIN AN INCH OF ITS LIFE,
FLYING SO EFFORTLESSLY, WITH NO PROPELLERS.
IT’S JUST A VERY ATTRACTIVE AIRPLANE.
Narrator: THE COMET TRANSFORMS THE EXPERIENCE OF FLYING,
CARRYING 28,000 PASSENGERS SAFELY AROUND THE WORLD
DURING ITS FIRST YEAR IN SERVICE.
BUT THERE’S A PRICE TO PAY FOR PIONEERING SUCH A REVOLUTION.
Newsreader: THIS IS THE TRAGIC SCENE OF THE COMET DISASTER
NEAR CALCUTTA.
WRECKAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT SMASHED ALMOST BEYOND RECOGNITION.
AT THE TIME OF THIS TERRIBLE ACCIDENT,
THE AIRCRAFT CARRIED 37 PASSENGERS AND A CREW OF SIX.
ALL LOST THEIR LIVES.
Hallion: VERY RAPIDLY WE HAD
THREE TRAGIC LOSSES OF THE COMET.
WHAT PEOPLE HAD NOT THOUGHT OF
IS THE CHALLENGE OF TAKING AN AIRCRAFT
AND CYCLING IT VERY RAPIDLY TO HIGH ALTITUDE, LOW ALTITUDE,
HIGH ALTITUDE, LOW ALTITUDE,
AND THEN DOING THIS IN A PRESSURIZED AIRCRAFT,
WHERE YOU’RE HAVING A DEFORMATION OF THE STRUCTURE,
AND THEN DOING SO IN AN AIRCRAFT THAT HAS SQUARE WINDOWS
WHERE YOU’RE GOING TO DEVELOP STRESS CRACKS
AT THE CORNER OF THOSE WINDOWS.
AND THE COMET HAD LOST ITS MOMENT IN TIME.
Narrator: THE COMET’S ACCIDENTS
HALT BRITAIN’S COMMERCIAL AIRLINER AMBITIONS
IN THEIR TRACKS.
BUT THEIR JET ENGINES ARE STILL IN DEMAND.
SINCE THE LATE 1940s
ROLLS-ROYCE’S NENE ENGINE HAS BEEN THE ENVY OF THE WORLD.
Hallion: THE NENE WAS SUCH A GOOD ENGINE
THAT BRITAIN SOLD IT TO THE SOVIET UNION,
AND THEY ALSO SOLD IT TO THE UNITED STATES,
AND SO WHEN THE MIG-15 MET THE AMERICAN GRUMMAN F9F PANTHER
OVER KOREA, BOTH ARE BASICALLY POWERED BY THE SAME ENGINE.
Whittle: HERE WE WERE IN THIS COUNTRY,
SELLING THE TECHNOLOGY TO THE USSR,
WHO WERE QUITE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE OUR ENEMIES,
AND THEY WERE.
SO WE WEREN’T VERY POPULAR WITH THE AMERICANS,
AND IT GAVE US A BIG HEADACHE.
Narrator: WITH THE AIR FORCES OF BOTH SIDES IN THE KOREAN WAR
POWERED BY JETS BASED ON THE SAME BRITISH DESIGN,
A NEW RACE IS ON TO BUILD AN EVEN BETTER ENGINE.
Hallion: JUST LIKE WE HAD A SPACE RACE IN THE 1960s,
WE REALLY HAVE A JET RACE IN THE LATE 1940s,
AND WHAT IS THAT RACE ABOUT?
IT’S ABOUT DEVELOPING AIRPLANES THAT ARE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO FLY
ABOVE 500 MILES AN HOUR.
AND THAT’S LARGELY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE JET ENGINE.
Narrator: IN THE UNITED STATES,
THIS TASK FALLS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC,
BUILDERS OF THE ENGINES
FOR AMERICA’S FIRST JET-POWERED PLANE, THE XP-59.
THEIR LATEST ENGINE,
INCORPORATING AN AXIAL FLOW COMPRESSOR,
WILL LAY THE FOUNDATIONS OF TODAY’S COMMERCIAL JETS.
IT’S CALLED THE J47.
Rick Kennedy: WE’RE STANDING NEXT TO A J47 ENGINE,
AND THIS IS THE MOST PRODUCED ENGINE IN THE WORLD.
EVEN THOUGH JET ENGINES ARE VERY SOPHISTICATED,
THINK OF FOUR WORDS--
SUCK, SQUEEZE, BANG AND BLOW.
THE SUCK SECTION IS THE VERY FRONT OF THE ENGINE,
WHERE A FAN WILL PULL AIR
INTO THE FRONT OF THE INLET OF THE ENGINE.
THE SQUEEZE SECTION IS RIGHT IN HERE IN THE COMPRESSOR,
LOOK AT THE STAGE OF COMPRESSOR BLADES
THAT GET SMALLER WITH EACH STAGE.
AND AS THE AIR GOES THROUGH THE ENGINE,
IT’S BEING COMPRESSED, THE MOLECULES ARE BEING COMPRESSED,
AND THE AIR IS BEING HEATED IN THIS SQUEEZED STAGE.
THE NEXT STAGE IS WE CALL THE BANG STAGE,
AND THAT’S LOOSELY USING THE WORDS,
BUT THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR COMBUSTOR SECTION,
WHERE THE FUEL IS MIXED WITH A FLAME.
AND THEN THE LAST SECTION, THE BLOW SECTION,
WAS WHEN THE AIR BLOWS OUT THE BACK AND TURNS A TURBINE.
Hallion: THE J47 ENGINE WAS A MILESTONE ENGINE,
BECAUSE IT WAS THE ENGINE THAT POWERED THE AMERICAN F-86 SABRE.
THAT BECAME CRITICALLY IMPORTANT
FOR THE BATTLE OF AIR SUPREMACY OVER KOREA.
Narrator: ONE OF THE KEY INNOVATIONS OF THE J47
IS AN ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED AFTERBURNER,
WHICH RAMPS UP THE PROPULSION ON DEMAND.
Kennedy: IN SIMPLE TERMS,
YOU’RE JUST THROWING FUEL RIGHT AT A FLAME.
THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE DOING,
THAT’S WHAT GETS YOU THE BIG FLAME OUT THE BACK
THAT OF COURSE ALLOWS THAT BURST OF THRUST
THAT MADE THE F-86 SUCH A POTENT FIGHTER.
DURING THE KOREAN WAR THE F-86 HAD A TEN-TO-ONE KILL RATE
AGAINST THE MIGs.
IF YOU’RE FIGHTING A WAR
AND YOU’RE KILLING TEN TIMES AS MANY OF THEIR PLANES
AS THEY’RE KILLING YOURS, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT.
AND THAT BURST OF POWER THAT CAME OUT OF THAT F-86 AIRCRAFT
WITH THE J47 ENGINE WAS A KEY REASON.
Narrator: AS THE COLD WAR INTENSIFIES
THROUGH THE 1950s AND ’60s,
A NEW THREAT TO MILITARY JETS DAWNS.
IT WILL DEMAND AN EVEN FASTER ENGINE.
Hallion: IN 1960, OF COURSE, ALL OF A SUDDEN WE FIND
THAT IT’S ENDANGERED BY THE SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE,
AS WAS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE SHOOT-DOWN,
IN MAY OF THAT YEAR,
OF FRANCIS GARY POWERS OVER SVERDLOVSK,
IN, IN A U-2 ON A LONG-DISTANCE RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHT
OUT OF PAKISTAN.
Narrator: WITH THIS NEW THREAT FROM THE GROUND,
AMERICAN ENGINEERS NEED TO INNOVATE ONCE MORE
IN THIS NEW JET RACE...
BUILDING A NEW KIND OF AIRCRAFT
THAT CAN OUTRUN A ROCKET-POWERED MISSILE.
Kinney: THAT LEADS TO THE LOCKHEED BLACKBIRD SR-71,
STRATEGIC RECONNAISSANCE AIRPLANE.
AND THE CORE OF THAT SYSTEM
ARE THE TWO J58, 30,000-POUND THRUST TURBO JET ENGINES.
Narrator: ONE OF THESE REMARKABLE ENGINES,
CAPABLE OF OUTRUNNING A MISSILE, IS PRESERVED TODAY
AT THE SMITHSONIAN’S GARBER STORAGE FACILITY
ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF WASHINGTON, DC.
Kinney: THIS IS THE PRATT AND WHITNEY J58,
THE ENGINE THAT PROPELLED THE BLACKBIRD TO MACH 3,
THREE TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND.
IT SET THE STANDARD FOR HIGH-SPEED FLIGHT.
THE HIGHEST-FLYING, FASTEST
AIR-BREATHING JET ENGINE IN HISTORY.
Narrator: TRAVELING THIS FAST IS A NEW CHALLENGE
FOR JET ENGINEERS.
JET ENGINES CAN’T COPE WITH AIR THAT’S MOVING FASTER
THAN THE SPEED OF SOUND.
SO FOR THE J58 TO OPERATE AT THREE TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND,
THE DISTINCTIVE BLACK HOUSING AROUND THEM
IS DESIGNED TO SLOW DOWN THE AIR
BEFORE IT HITS THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE.
Kinney: THE VERY DISTINCTIVE INLET CONES
AT THE FRONT OF THE J58 ENGINES ON THE BLACKBIRD
ARE THERE TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF AIR GOING INTO THE ENGINE.
AS THEY MOVE BACK, THERE’S LESS AIR,
AND YOU CAN FORCE THE AIR
AND CONTROL IT TO SLOW THAT AIR DOWN.
Narrator: SLOWING AIR DOWN ABRUPTLY LIKE THIS
COMPRESSES AND HEATS IT DRAMATICALLY,
WHICH COULD CAUSE THE ENGINES TO OVERHEAT--
YET ONE MORE PROBLEM TO SOLVE.
Kinney: INSTEAD OF HAVING ALL THE AIR
TRAVEL THROUGH THE ENGINE,
THERE’S SOME AIR THAT TRAVELS ON THE OUTSIDE OF IT,
THAT COOLS THE ENGINE AS IT RUNS.
IT’S THESE INNOVATIVE WAYS OF MEETING THAT DESIGN CHALLENGE
THAT PRATT AND WHITNEY WORKS WITH LOCKHEED
TO CREATE THE SYSTEM FOR THE BLACKBIRD.
Narrator: ONLY ELITE PILOTS GET TO FLY
THE FASTEST JET AIRCRAFT IN THE WORLD.
MAURY ROSENBERG FLEW THE BLACKBIRD FOR TEN YEARS
AND HAS MORE OPERATIONAL HOURS IN IT THAN ANYONE IN HISTORY.
ON THE 24th OF SEPTEMBER 1974,
HE AND HIS RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEMS OFFICER DON BULLOCH
ARE FLYING THE BLACKBIRD OUT OF OKINAWA, JAPAN,
ON A ROUTINE ENGINE TEST FLIGHT.
Bulloch: WE WERE DIRECTED ON THIS PARTICULAR MISSION
TO TAKE THE AIRPLANE TO TOP SPEED, WHICH WAS MACH 3.2.
Rosenberg: YOU GET IT UP TO SPEED AND ALTITUDE
AND TAKE IT ABOUT AS FAST AS IT’LL GO WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS.
AND THEN ONCE YOU DO THAT, YOU START TO BACK OFF.
Bulloch: AND AS WE’RE SLOWING DOWN, BACK TO MACH 3,
WE HAVE A BANG OR A BUMP IN THE AIRPLANE.
THE AIRPLANE SHAKES PRETTY VIOLENTLY,
AND A LITTLE BIT OF SHUDDERING IN THE AIRPLANE.
Narrator: A COMPONENT IN THE RIGHT-HAND ENGINE
HAS COME LOOSE AS THEY’VE DECELERATED,
TEARING THROUGH THE STARBOARD J58 ENGINE
AND SETTING IT ON FIRE.
THEY MUST DESCEND RAPIDLY.
Rosenberg: A SINGLE-ENGINE SUPERSONIC DESCENT
CAUSES A LOT OF PITCH, YAW AND ROLL,
AND THAT THE AIRPLANE WILL BOUNCE AROUND VIOLENTLY
ALMOST TO THE EXTREMES OF THE ENVELOPE.
Bulloch: IT’S PRETTY ROUGH, IT’S A PRETTY BUMPY RIDE.
Narrator: AS THEY DESCEND,
THEIR REMAINING ENGINE BECOMES STARVED OF AIR AND DIES, TOO,
ROBBING THEM OF ALL POWER.
Rosenberg: LEFT ENGINE HAS FAILED, FLAMED OUT.
Bulloch: ROGER, I’LL GET THE CHECKLIST.
WHEN WE LOST THE LEFT ENGINE, WE LOST ALSO THE GENERATOR.
AND WHEN WE LOSE THE GENERATOR, THEN YOU LOSE THE RADIOS,
YOU LOSE THE ELECTRONIC NAVIGATION.
Narrator: IN A TURBULENT SUPERSONIC DIVE,
AND WITHOUT POWER TO CALL BACK TO BASE,
THE CHANCES OF SAVING THEIR MISSION ARE SLIPPING AWAY
AS THEY STRUGGLE TO RESTART THEIR LEFT ENGINE.
Rosenberg: YOU PHYSICALLY HAVE TO LIFT THE THROTTLE
AND PUSH IT FORWARD TO IGNITE THE ENGINE.
Bulloch: WE’VE GOT TO GET THAT ENGINE STARTED
OR WE’RE GONNA BE IN THE WATER.
AND MY REAL CONCERN WAS, IF WE JUMP OUT,
I’LL NEVER GET TO FLY THE SR AGAIN.
Narrator: EACH TIME MAURY ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE,
IT USES UP A SHOT OF AN EXPLOSIVE CHEMICAL
KNOWN AS "TEB."
THERE’S ONLY 16 CHARGES OF IT IN EACH ENGINE,
GIVING THEM JUST 16 CHANCES TO REIGNITE THE JET.
Rosenberg: HOW MANY TEBs REMAINING?
Bulloch: TWO TEBs, MAYBE THREE.
WE GO THROUGH THE CHECKLIST, NO START.
Rosenberg: I HAD PUSHED THE THROTTLE UP, IT DIDN’T REACT.
I KNEW THE ENGINE WAS JUST WINDMILLING.
Bulloch: EVERY TIME HE DOES THAT,
HE’S PUSHING OUT A SHOT OF TEB.
Rosenberg: SELECTING CROSSFEED TO OPEN.
Narrator: THEY’RE DOWN TO THEIR LAST FEW ATTEMPTS.
Bulloch: THROTTLE TO ONE THIRD.
Rosenberg: AND I PUSHED THE THROTTLE UP,
AND I JAMMED IT INTO AFTERBURNER,
AND THE ENGINE LIT RIGHT OFF.
I MEAN, I SAW THE RPM COME UP.
THE CABIN PRESSURIZATION KICKED BACK IN.
Bulloch: AND I THOUGHT, WELL, THAT’S GOOD,
NOW WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ARE.
HOW ARE WE GONNA GET HOME?
Narrator: MAKING A SINGLE-ENGINE LANDING BACK AT KADENA AIR BASE,
MAURY AND DON HAVE SAVED THEIR ELITE AIRCRAFT,
AND HAVE LIVED TO FLY ANOTHER DAY.
Bulloch: MAURY’S A GREAT PILOT, A GREAT FRIEND,
AND I LOVE HIM LIKE A BROTHER.
HE’S REALLY GOOD.
HE SAVED MY BUTT THAT DAY.
Narrator: BACK IN THE SUBSONIC WORLD
OF THE COMMERCIAL JET AIRLINERS,
THE FOCUS IS ON IMPROVING ENGINE POWER AND FUEL EFFICIENCY.
AND AS THE JET AGE BOOMS IN THE 1970s,
AND AIRLINER MANUFACTURERS RACE
TO BRING PASSENGER MILE COSTS DOWN,
THEY HARNESS ANOTHER IDEA OF FRANK WHITTLE’S--
THE BYPASS ENGINE.
Kinney: SO THIS IS THE ACTUAL FAN SECTION OF THE ENGINE.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THERE’S AN OPENING AT THE REAR,
AND THAT IS WHERE THE BYPASS AIR IS TRAVELING ON THE OUTSIDE.
AND WHAT THAT FAN DOES
IS IT MOVES AIR ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ENGINE
THAT’S COMBINED WITH THE THRUST FROM THE ENGINE,
INCREASES EFFICIENCY OVERALL.
THE ADDITION OF THE BYPASS FLOW OVER THE ENGINE
INCREASES 10,000 POUNDS THRUST TO 17,000 POUNDS OF THRUST.
Narrator: THE LARGER THE MASS OF BYPASS AIR YOU CAN ACCELERATE,
THE GREATER THE THRUST,
AND THE MORE EFFICIENT THE ENGINE BECOMES.
AND IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOW,
THE SIZE OF THE FAN AT THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE GROWS.
Kennedy: AND NOW THE AIR FLOW IS MASSIVE THROUGH AN ENGINE.
THE BIG FAN GENERATED TREMENDOUS THRUST,
SO NOW YOU CAN PULL A LARGER OBJECT OFF THE GROUND
AND BE MORE EFFICIENT, SO YOU CAN FLY WAY MORE HOURS.
Van der Linden: THESE VERY LARGE, POWERFUL ENGINES
AND THE CAPABILITY OF CARRYING 400 PEOPLE,
PROMISED DRAMATIC REDUCTIONS IN SEAT-MILE COSTS.
Kinney: AND THAT REALLY BRINGS ON THE JET AGE
IN TERMS OF PEOPLE TRAVELING, THE JET SET.
PEOPLE CAN TRAVEL ANYWHERE THEY WANT TO
BY GETTING ON THIS JET AIRPLANE AND GOING THERE.
Narrator: THIS REVOLUTION OPENS UP THE WORLD IN DRAMATIC WAYS,
AND TRANSFORMS THE LIVES OF BUSINESSMEN LIKE FRED FINN,
THE MOST TRAVELED MAN IN HUMAN HISTORY.
Fred Finn: WHEN I FIRST WALKED ON A 747...
THERE’S A ROW OF SEATS THERE, ROW OF SEATS HERE,
THREE ROWS ACROSS, AND IT WENT ON FOREVER.
IT WAS MIND-BLOWING, REALLY,
TO THINK THAT THIS WHOLE LOT WAS GOING TO TAKE OFF.
FOR 11 MONTHS A YEAR I WAS FLYING.
I MIGHT GO NEW YORK, RIO, ARGENTINA,
COME BACK UP TO PARIS.
GO TO TEHRAN, GO TO SINGAPORE, GO TO HONG KONG,
COME BACK TO LONDON, GO BACK TO NEW YORK,
AND START AGAIN NEXT WEEK.
YOU COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT THE JET,
IT JUST WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.
Narrator: SUCH REGULAR, SAFE FLYING
FOR SO MANY MILLIONS OF PASSENGERS TODAY
IS DUE TO THE INCREDIBLE RELIABILITY
OF MODERN JET ENGINES.
Van der Linden: JETS, BY NATURE, ALL THEY DO IS SPIN,
SO THEY’RE NOT MECHANICALLY TOO COMPLICATED.
THEY’RE NOT TRYING TO DESTROY THEMSELVES,
LIKE A PISTON ENGINE IS.
SO THEY JUST RUN AND RUN,
AND NOWADAYS THERE’S SOME ENGINES
THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE WINGS OF THE AIRLINERS FOR 30,000 HOURS,
WITHOUT BEING TAKEN OFF.
Narrator: 30,000 HOURS REPRESENTS RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY
FOR ALMOST THREE AND A HALF YEARS--
A TRIBUTE TO THE EXHAUSTIVE ENGINE TESTING
THAT THE MANUFACTURES UNDERTAKE DURING DEVELOPMENT.
Kennedy: WE CAN REPLICATE ICE STORMS,
WE CAN REPLICATE WATER,
BIRD INGESTION, LOSING A BLADE IN FLIGHT.
SO WE DO ALL THESE SCENARIOS OF TESTING
THAT’S GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
AND IT JUST MAKES THE INDUSTRY THAT MUCH MORE SAFE.
Narrator: DESPITE ALL THIS TESTING
AND THEIR EXTRAORDINARY RELIABILITY,
JET ENGINES STILL HAVE THEIR LIMITS,
AND WHEN THOSE ARE CROSSED,
A PILOT’S SKILLS ARE STILL VITAL.
MANCHESTER AIRPORT.
THE 29th OF APRIL 2007.
THOMSON AIRLINES FLIGHT 253 TO LANZAROTE IS ABOUT TO TAKE OFF
WITH 221 PASSENGERS ON BOARD.
Co-pilot: BATT MASTER SWITCH, ON.
Narrator: AS THE AIRLINER ACCELERATES DOWN THE RUNWAY
AND REACHES THE POINT OF NO RETURN,
TWO HERONS FLY INTO ITS RIGHT ENGINE, UPSETTING THE AIRFLOW.
Co-pilot: ROTATE.
BIRDS!
LOOKS LIKE A BIRD STRIKE.
Steve Landells: A JET ENGINE NEEDS A CONTINUOUS FLOW OF AIR
TO KEEP GOING.
WHEN YOU DISRUPT THAT AIRFLOW THROUGH THE ENGINE,
IT STARTS TO STRUGGLE.
BUT IF THAT PROGRESSES TO A POINT
WHERE ALL THE AIRFLOW BREAKS DOWN IN THE ENGINE,
THAT’S CALLED AN ENGINE SURGE.
THE ENGINE’S TRYING TO WORK,
BUT THEN CONSTANTLY FAILING AND RESTARTING.
Co-pilot: MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!
THOMSON 253 HOTEL, ENGINE FAILURE.
WE ARE CONTINUING WITH NORTHWESTERLY,
AND THEN INBOUND TOWARDS WALLASEY.
Narrator: IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLEAR THE BLOCKAGE AND RESTART IT,
THE PILOT THROTTLES BACK THE SURGING RIGHT ENGINE.
Landells: AND WHEN THEY THROTTLED IT BACK,
IT DIDN’T CLEAR THE ENGINE, IT CONTINUED TO MALFUNCTION.
Narrator: WITH THEIR STARBOARD ENGINE SHUT DOWN,
THEIR FULLY LOADED AIRLINER NEEDS TO LAND
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
IT’S SOMETHING THE PILOTS PLAN FOR REGULARLY IN THE SIMULATOR,
BUT THEY RARELY HAVE TO DO IT FOR REAL.
Co-pilot: WE WOULD LIKE TO RETURN
TO ZERO SIX RIGHT AT MANCHESTER.
Narrator: RETURNING TO MANCHESTER AIRPORT,
THE PILOTS NOW HAVE THE EXTRA CHALLENGE
OF LANDING ON JUST ONE ENGINE.
Landells: BECAUSE THE ENGINES ARE QUITE A LONG WAY
OUT ON THE WINGS, WHEN YOU’VE LOST ONE OF THEM,
THERE’S QUITE A LARGE YAWING MOMENT ON THE AIRCRAFT.
SO YOU’VE GOT THE RUDDER THAT’S EFFECTIVELY COUNTERACTING
THE SINGLE SIDE THRUST.
Pilot: 180, 170...
THRESHOLD SPEED, 160.
Narrator: LANDING ON A SINGLE ENGINE
SHOWS JUST HOW POWERFUL AND RELIABLE
THE JET ENGINES ON TODAY’S AIRPLANES HAVE BECOME.
OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES,
FOUR ENGINES HAVE BECOME THREE ENGINES,
AND NOW, ALMOST ALWAYS, TWO ENGINES,
AS MANUFACTURERS RACE TO OUTPERFORM EACH OTHER.
Van der Linden: ALL OF THESE AIRCRAFT WERE DESIGNED
TO BE ABLE TO FLY ON ONE ENGINE ANYWAY,
AND TAKE OFF AND CRUISE ON ONE ENGINE.
SO, LITERALLY, THERE’S NO PLACE ON EARTH
YOU CANNOT FLY IN A TWIN-ENGINE AIRCRAFT.
Kennedy: AN AIRLINE TODAY,
THEY WILL FLY A TWO-ENGINE AIRPLANE OVER THE NORTH POLE
EVERY DAY, AND WE DON’T THINK ONE THING OF IT.
Narrator: LARGER AND LARGER AIRCRAFT
ARE NOW BEING POWERED BY JUST TWO JET ENGINES,
THANKS TO A STEADY INCREASE IN THE SIZE OF THE FRONT FANS,
PRODUCING EXTRAORDINARY LEVELS OF THRUST.
Christopher Lorence: THIS IS THE GE90,
THE MOST POWERFUL COMMERCIAL ENGINE IN SERVICE TODAY.
IT PRODUCES 115,000 POUNDS OF THRUST.
THE POWER IS REALLY JUST INCREDIBLE.
WHEN WE WERE FIRST CERTIFYING THIS ENGINE
WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE ROCKS IN THE BACKGROUND
BEING BLOWN AWAY BY THE INCREDIBLE THRUST
PRODUCED BY THIS ENGINE.
THE BULK OF THE THRUST IS GENERATED COMING OUT OF THE FAN,
AND A RELATIVELY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE AIR
IS ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH WHAT WE CALL THE CORE OF THE ENGINE.
IT HAS THE INCREDIBLE CAPABILITY OF, WITH JUST TWO ENGINES,
POWERING THE 777 BOEING AIRPLANE,
WHICH IS NOT THAT MUCH SMALLER THAN A 747.
AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CERTIFY SO IT CAN TAKE OFF
ON ONLY ONE ENGINE IF NECESSARY.
Narrator: CAPABLE OF GENERATING 127,000 POUNDS OF THRUST,
THE GE90 IS THE MOST POWERFUL JET ENGINE IN SERVICE TODAY,
PACKING A PUNCH THAT’S GREATER THAN NASA’S FIRST MANNED ROCKET,
CARRYING ASTRONAUT ALAN SHEPARD INTO SPACE.
AND ENGINEERS ARE NOW LOOKING TO THE JET ENGINE
TO REACH INTO SPACE ITSELF,
IN A NEW RACE AGAINST ROCKET-POWERED VEHICLES.
Alan Bond: THE IDEA OF AN INCREDIBLY POWERFUL AIRPLANE
THAT CAN TAKE OFF FROM A...
SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE AN AIRPORT,
FLY INTO ORBIT, DO A JOB, AND COME BACK AGAIN.
THAT’S THE REAL CHALLENGE.
BUT THE REAL QUESTION IS,
WHAT SORT OF ENGINES ARE WE GOING TO FIND
THAT CAN ACHIEVE THIS?
Narrator: ALAN BOND AND HIS COLLEAGUES
AT REACTION ENGINES IN THE UK
WANT TO BUILD THE ULTIMATE JET ENGINE--
TO REACH EARTH ORBIT
WITH GREATER FUEL EFFICIENCY THAN A ROCKET.
Richard Varvill: A JET ENGINE HAS A LOW FUEL CONSUMPTION,
BUT CAN ONLY OPERATE UP TO ABOUT MACH 3.
THE ROCKET, ON THE OTHER HAND,
HAS THE VIRTUE THAT IT CAN OPERATE
AT ANY SPEED PRETTY WELL.
HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM WITH IT
IS THAT ITS FUEL CONSUMPTION IS VERY HIGH.
SO WE’RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH A SINGLE ENGINE
THAT SORT OF COMBINES THE BEST ELEMENTS OF BOTH.
Narrator: JUST LIKE THE BLACKBIRD SR-71 ENGINEERS,
THE TEAM AT REACTION ENGINES
NEED TO SLOW THE AIR ENTERING THE ENGINE DRAMATICALLY,
WHICH CAUSES IT TO HEAT UP SIGNIFICANTLY.
IT REQUIRES SOME EXTREME ENGINEERING TO COOL IT DOWN.
Bond: YOU’RE GOING FROM, MAYBE A THOUSAND DEGREES CENTIGRADE
TO MINUS A HUNDRED IN A HUNDREDTH OF A SECOND,
WHICH IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
THE ANSWER TO BEING ABLE TO COOL AT THOSE SORT OF RATES
IS TO HAVE A HEAT EXCHANGER,
SOMETHING LIKE A CAR RADIATOR,
BUT A HUGE ONE WHICH HAS GOT
A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF SURFACE AREA.
I’VE GOT A SMALL SAMPLE HERE.
THESE TUBES ARE ABOUT A MILLIMETER IN DIAMETER,
THE WALL THICKNESS OF THESE TUBES IS MUCH THINNER
THAN A HUMAN HAIR.
AND THEN IN A HEAT EXCHANGER, BECAUSE THEY’RE SO SMALL,
THERE’S ABOUT HALF A MILLION TUBES,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
SO THAT’S BEEN A MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGE.
BY DOING THAT, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH WE REALLY CAN HAVE
AN AIRPLANE WHICH CAN TAKE OFF, FLY INTO ORBIT,
DO A JOB, AND COME BACK AGAIN.
Narrator: THANKS TO FRANK WHITTLE’S ORIGINAL IDEA
AND ALAN BOND’S VISION,
WE ARE NOW ON THE BRINK OF A NEW ERA OF SPACEFLIGHT,
WHERE THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE AND THE VACUUM OF SPACE
HAVE BECOME A SEAMLESS CONTINUUM IN TERMS OF HUMAN ENDEAVOR.
Bond: ONCE WE ARE ABLE TO EASILY GET IN AND OUT OF SPACE,
ANYWHERE ON THE WORLD WILL BE NO MORE THAN FOUR HOURS AWAY
FROM ANYWHERE ELSE.
Narrator: LESS THAN 100 YEARS
AFTER FRANK WHITTLE FIRST DESCRIBED HIS REVOLUTIONARY IDEA
AND VON OHAIN PIONEERED ITS USE IN FLIGHT,
THE JET ENGINE, ACCELERATED THROUGH WARFARE
AND THE THINGS WHICH DIVIDED US,
IS NOW HARNESSED TO UNITE US,
SHRINKING THE GLOBE AND BRINGING US CLOSER TOGETHER.
Whittle: IT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO EVERYBODY,
AND IT DID SHRINK THE WORLD.
THAT’S WHY I FIND IT SO INTERESTING
TO UNDERSTAND IT AS A BIT OF HISTORY.
I’M VERY PROUD OF WHAT HE DID.
Brown: FRANK WHITTLE.
ONE COULD SAY ONE OF THE GREATEST LEGACIES IN THE WORLD--
OPENED THE WORLD TO EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD.
THERE’S NOT MUCH MORE THAN THAT YOU CAN DO.
♪