General Electric I-A
| I-A | |
|---|---|
| Type | Turbojet |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | General Electric |
| First run | April 18, 1942 |
| Developed from | Power Jets W.2B/23 |
| Developed into | General Electric J31 |
The General Electric I-A was the first working jet engine manufactured in the United States, achieving its first run on April 18, 1942.
The engine was the result of receiving an imported Power Jets W.1X that was flown to the US from Britain in 1941, and the I-A itself was based on the design of the improved Power Jets W.2B, the plans of which were also received. Like these designs, the I-A engine was also of centrifugal design and was built by the General Electric (GE) company.
The I-A engine led directly to the first production US jet engine, the General Electric J31 which powered the first US jet aircraft, the Bell XP-59A.
During the late 1930s/early 1940s, a small company in England, known as Power Jets, had been developing, through a series of prototypes, a gas turbine engine to provide aircraft jet propulsion. Power Jets had been started by a Frank Whittle, who had thought of the concept of a jet engine whilst he was a young flight cadet at RAF Cranwell. He applied for a patent for the engine in January, 1930, although he eventually allowed the patent to lapse.
Power Jets Ltd was formed in March 1936. Manufacture of key engine components was undertaken by the British Thomson-Houston Company (BTH), starting in June 1936. Testing of the first engine, the WU, to demonstrate the concept, commenced on April 12, 1937. Because of a shortage of funds at Power Jets, engine components were in short supply, so development proceeded at a very slow pace.
However, in the summer of 1939, shortly before war was declared, the Air Ministry suddenly realised that the jet engine was likely to become a viable means of propulsion. As a result, Power Jets received a contract for a flight engine on July 12, 1939. Shortly afterwards, a contract was placed with Gloster Aircraft Company to produce an experimental aircraft to demonstrate the engine.
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