70th Anniversary of Jet Flight

[GrauGeist]

On 24 August 1939, a small jet aircraft rose above a German forest with Captain Erich Warsitz at the controls.

Again, on 27 August, Captain Warsitz once again took to the skies, testing the perfomance of the tiny HeS3 that pushed the small aircraft through the skies.

With barely 900 pounds of thrust pushing the small aircraft, the Heinkel He178 reached speeds of 375 miles an hour during it's flight, faster than many current piston powered aircraft possesed by the world's airforces at that time. Designed under the watchful eye of Ernst Heinkel and powered by Hans Von Ohain's engine, the He178 performed beyond everyone's expectations.

At the news of the jet's successes, the German Airforce showed little interest. During the Fall of that year, the He178 performed before an audience of Luftwaffe officials, once again showing it's huge potential. Both Erhard Milch and Ernst Udet showed little interest, perhaps echoing Herman Goering's faith in piston engined aircraft.

Despite it's weaknesses, it's design, while being crude by today's standards, offered features that were adopted years later on many jets of the modern age such as the nose intake and tail design.



Ernst Heinkel, building on the information learned by the He178, went on to build and fly the world's first armed combat jet, the He280, just barely two years after the He178 first took to the skies. Once again, the German high command showed little interest and it wasn't until 1944 that they realized the tremendous potential that jet aircraft offered.

But that realization came much too late.

At 4,400 pounds, with a wingspan of 23 1/2 feet and a fuselage length of 24 1/2, the He178 quietly ushered in the Jet Age one week before World War II broke out.

[Auravir]

Very interesting. I'm learning new stuff every day. Thanks for posting

[Vassili Zaitzev]

Didn't know about that. I though the 262 was the first. Thanks Grau!

[imalko]

Nice post GrauGeist. I've almost forgot about this anniversary, thanks for reminding me.
Here is another picture of Heinkel He 178 - the world's first jet aircraft. Since German Air Ministry showed no interest for this aircraft, it was displayed in Air Museum in Berlin where it was destroyed in Allied air raid later during the war.

[Geedee]

On 24 August 1939, a small jet aircraft rose above a German forest with Captain Erich Warsitz at the controls..

Whatsthat....no-ones built a model to commemorate this event ?...c'mon guys, you're slacking

Actually, that could be a future GB....prototypes and first flights ?

[glennasher]

I believe I've read someplace, that the French came up with a jet in 1910, and it flew, taking off without the pilot during an engine runup, but with the fabric and wood aircraft, it just wasn't feasible at the time. A Frenchman named Coanda designed it and built it. He wasn't a pilot, and it scared him, so it went no further.





Caidin's book,' Test Pilots: Riding the Dragon' was the source.

[vikingBerserker]

Interesting, never heard of that glenn.

Excellent post GG!

[Waynos]

The Coanda 'Jet' was powered by a normal piston engine, but it did fly on jet thrust, having no propeller. The He 178 was the worlds first turbojet.

Here is the 1910 Coanda, the thrust came out of the 'thimble' around the nose;

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I believe I've read someplace, that the French came up with a jet in 1910, and it flew, taking off without the pilot during an engine runup, but with the fabric and wood aircraft, it just wasn't feasible at the time. A Frenchman named Coanda designed it and built it. He wasn't a pilot, and it scared him, so it went no further.





Caidin's book,' Test Pilots: Riding the Dragon' was the source.

He was actually Romanian, not French. His name was Henri Coandă and he designed the Coandă-1910 which is pictured above. The first "flight" was conducted outside of Paris though I believe.

Though it was the first "jet" powered aircraft, it typically is not counted as being the first to fly, because it was powered by a thermojet (hybrid jet/piston engine, where a piston drives a compressor instead of a propeller). At the same time the flight was not considered to be a "controlled" flight.

We learned about it an Aviation History class that I was talking with Embry Riddle. Very interesting part in aviation history though I believe.

[wheelsup_cavu]

I had never heard of the Coandă-1910 or the flight outside of Paris.
Excellent information.


Wheels

[vikingBerserker]

First of heard of it as well. The pic is really interesting.

[GrauGeist]

The Coanda "Jet" is an interesting sidenote in jet development, but much like the Wright Flyer was the herald of practical modern powered flight (I know, there were others, but this is according to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale), so too, would the He178 be the herald of practical modern jet flight.

Nice post GrauGeist. I've almost forgot about this anniversary, thanks for reminding me.
Here is another picture of Heinkel He 178 - the world's first jet aircraft. Since German Air Ministry showed no interest for this aircraft, it was displayed in Air Museum in Berlin where it was destroyed in Allied air raid later during the war.

Your right, sadly the original He178 was destroyed in an air raid in 1943, while on display at the Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin

Whatsthat....no-ones built a model to commemorate this event ?...c'mon guys, you're slacking

Actually, that could be a future GB....prototypes and first flights ?

Cool idea, really! May have to take that up with the "board" and see what they say. I know there are a few kits out there that cover the early concepts & prototypes...would be an interesting GB!

Glad you guys found this interesting. Funny how we kind of take things for granted in our daily lives when just a short time ago, alot of this technology didn't exist.