On 15 May 1941, a small aircraft took off from RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire and flew for 17 minutes. The flight marked the beginning of the jet age in Britain, and the machine at its centre, the Gloster E.28/39, was built in Gloucestershire.
The Aircraft That Changed Everything
The Gloster E.28/39, also known as the Gloster Whittle and Gloster Pioneer, was the first British aircraft powered by a turbojet engine. Only two prototypes were ever constructed, yet their influence on aviation history was profound. The aircraft achieved a top speed of 505 mph at 30,000 feet using a W.2/700 engine, performance figures that pointed towards the future of military and civilian flight.
The first prototype, serial number W4041, was piloted by Gloster's Chief Test Pilot, Flight Lieutenant Gerry Sayer. Test pilot John Grierson later described the experience: "The main impressions of my first jet-propelled flight were first of the simplicity of operation. The throttle was the only engine control." This simplicity would become one of the defining characteristics of jet propulsion.
The Gloster Aircraft Company: Gloucester's Aviation Heart
The story begins with the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company, founded in 1917 during the First World War. Based at Hucclecote, the firm built fighter aircraft for the war effort. In December 1926, the company shortened its name to Gloster Aircraft Company because international customers found "Gloucestershire" difficult to pronounce.
In 1928, Gloster purchased Brockworth Aerodrome, located seven miles from Gloucester, along with its hangars and office accommodation. This site would become the operational heart of the company's activities. The firm was acquired by Hawker Aircraft in 1934 but continued to produce aircraft under its own brand name.
The Whittle Partnership
The E.28/39 represented the collaboration between two remarkable engineers. Sir Frank Whittle, born on 1 June 1907, had patented his jet engine design in 1930 and formed Power Jets Ltd in March 1936. On 28 April 1939, Whittle visited Gloster's premises and met the company's chief designer, George Carter.
The partnership between Whittle, the engine pioneer, and Carter, the aircraft designer, proved decisive. In September 1939, the Air Ministry issued a specification to Gloster for an aircraft to test Whittle's turbojet. The contract for two prototypes was signed on 3 February 1940.
Building the E.28/39 in Gloucestershire
Manufacture of the E.28/39 commenced at Brockworth near Gloucester, but wartime concerns soon intervened. Production was moved to Regent Motors in Regent Street, Cheltenham, now the site of the Regent Arcade shopping centre, because the location was considered safer from bombing raids.
Ground tests began at Brockworth on 7 April 1941 using a non-flightworthy Power Jets W.1 engine. The following day, on 8 April 1941, the aircraft made its first taxiing trials at Brockworth airfield. These tests were sufficiently promising that the machine was partially dismantled and transported to RAF Cranwell for the official first flight.
The second prototype, W4046, joined the test programme on 1 March 1943. Test pilot Michael Daunt took over testing duties after Gerry Sayer disappeared during a flight in a Hawker Typhoon on 21 October 1942. The second prototype's career ended on 30 July 1943 when it was destroyed in a crash caused by aileron failure.
From Pioneer to Meteor
The E.28/39 was the third turbojet aircraft to fly anywhere in the world, following the German Heinkel He 178 in 1939 and Heinkel He 280 in 1941. Its contribution to aviation knowledge was immediate and substantial, providing valuable initial experience with jet propulsion.
This experience led directly to the Gloster Meteor, the first operational jet fighter to enter service with the Allies. The Meteor became the only Allied jet aircraft to see combat during the Second World War, flying alongside V-1 flying bombs and tipping them under the wing to crash prematurely. In 1945, a Meteor F Mk.4 set a world airspeed record of 606 mph, and in 1946 another achieved 616 mph.
Preserving the Legacy
The first prototype E.28/39 survived the test programme and was placed in the Science Museum in London in 1946, where it remains on display today. For those wishing to explore this history closer to home, the Jet Age Museum, located at Gloucestershire Airport between Gloucester and Cheltenham, houses a full-scale replica of the E.28/39.
The museum, which opened provisionally in August 2013 and officially in May 2014, also displays a Gloster Meteor F.8, Meteor NF.13, Meteor T.7, Gloster Javelin FAW.9, and a Hawker Hurricane replica. The collection is themed around the early development of jet aircraft and the role of the Gloster Aircraft Company.
A commemorative plaque marking the Gloster factory site acknowledges the contribution of GAC personnel to the 1939-45 war effort. A sculpture in Gloucester city centre also celebrates the city's aviation history and involvement in the development of the jet engine.
The Gloster Aircraft Company continued operations until the site at Brockworth was sold in 1964. The runway and original buildings were demolished and replaced by Gloucester Business Park. Yet the achievements of those years remain: Britain's first jet aircraft, built in Gloucestershire, launched an aviation revolution that continues to shape how the world travels today.