Filmmaker Nicholas Jones is passionate about Sir Frank Whittle, the Coventry inventor of the jet engine. And to mark the 90th anniversary of the invention of the jet engine, his commemorative film is being re-released, as well as being made available online for the first time.
In Nicholas’ film about Sir Frank – ‘Whittle – The Jet Pioneer’ – he filmed Sir Frank, who died in 1996, at length and his testimony forms the core of the film. The filmmaker has called for the Coventry inventor to be given the recognition he deserves as one of the greatest British engineers ever. He also believes Sir Frank is second only to Winston Churchill when it comes to the most influential Britons of the 20th century.
The film, which was made for the History Channel, sees Sir Frank tell his amazing life story in his own words, with some scenes filmed in Earlsdon.
In November 1929 a young Frank Whittle was a pilot officer in the RAF, training to be a flying instructor. He loved flying – but despaired of the noisy propeller/piston aircraft he flew. Because he felt there had to be a better way to fly, that drove him to think of a solution. He came up with the jet engine – an engine with a gas turbine to produce a propelling jet. Following this revelation he quickly applied for a patent to make it a reality.
Frank Whittle was very much a product of Coventry and its manufacturing DNA. He was born in the city in 1907 but his family were originally Lancastrians, who moved to Coventry in the late 19th century. His father Moses worked at Alfred Herbert Ltd – the giant tool factory in the city – and from a young age an inquisitive Frank was interested in materials and metallurgy.
“It is amazing how much his name strikes a chord in Coventry,” said Mr Jones, “ Frank Whittle not only patented and designed the first jet engine but also conceived supersonic flight and invented the turbo fan. The turbo fan is what really enabled us all to fly today. It was the first engine that was economical – to enable us to fly long distance.”
Nicholas’ interest in Frank Whittle and aircraft in general started as a boy.
“I was dragged around airfields by my father to look at aircraft,” he said. “I helped my father write a book and that is how we got to know Frank Whittle and got the chance to film him. My father said he was the last of the great British engineers. He said no one could film Brunel and George Stephenson but we could film Frank Whittle.”
‘Whittle – The Jet Pioneer’ is available to download or to order on DVD from Quanta Films here or by calling Quanta on 07435 973397.
Source: www.coventrytelegraph.net
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https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/film-celebrating-jet-engine-inventor-17251688