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The modern turbine engine is a
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masterpiece of engineering, but its
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roots stretch back over 2,000 years. In
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this video, we'll explore the full
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timeline of turbine engine development
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from ancient Greek steam experiments to
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the jet age and beyond. Our journey
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begins in ancient Alexandria between 100
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and 200 BC. An Egyptian mathematician
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and philosopher named Heron or Hero
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built a device known as the Yalapile,
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the world's first known reaction engine
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by heating water in a closed vessel and
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channeling the resulting steam through
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two opposing nozzles on a rotating
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sphere. Hero created rotational motion
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using steam thrust. Did he use this to
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power machines? We don't know. But what
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we do know is that this simple device
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demonstrated the same fundamental
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principle behind today's jet engines.
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Newton's third law of motion. For every
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action, there is an equal and opposite
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reaction. In the 1200s AD, the Chinese
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made another leap using the reaction
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principle not for machinery but for
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warfare. By mixing charcoal, sulfur and
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salt peter, potassium nitrate, they
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created black powder, the basis of solid
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fuel rockets. By 1230 AD, records show
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that these rockets were used in battle,
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launched as weapons. Though rudimentary,
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this was one of humanity's first
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practical uses of controlled propulsion.
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In 1629, Italian engineer Giovanni Brana
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designed one of the earliest steam
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powered machines. His system used a
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sealed vessel of water heated by solid
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fuel. Steam escaped through a nozzle and
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struck an impulse wheel, causing it to
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rotate. that will turn a series of gears
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to perform mechanical tasks like
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grinding or sawing. While the device was
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never widely adopted, it's considered a
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conceptual ancestor of modern gas
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turbines and turbo superchargers,
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showcasing early use of reactive steam
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In 1687, Sir Isaac Newton published his
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third law of motion, forming the
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theoretical basis for jet propulsion.
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Later, scientist Graven built a jet
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powered model vehicle based on Newton's
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law. He mounted a watertight sphere on a
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carriage and heated the water inside. As
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steam was ejected rearward, thrust was
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produced to propel the vehicle forward.
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The concept worked in theory, but the
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design was too heavy and underpowered.
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No record exists of this vehicle
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operating successfully.
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In 1900, Dr. Sanford A. Mos while
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studying for an engineering degree wrote
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a thesis on the gas turbine. Years later
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in 1918 working for General Electric he
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developed the first gas turbine device
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for aircraft the turbo supercharger for
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reciprocating engines. This invention
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helped solve the high alitude
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performance limitations of piston
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aircraft and laid the foundation for the
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materials science needed for future gas
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In the early 1930s, Frank Whittle, a
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cadet at the Royal Air College, wrote a
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thesis advocating the use of gas
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turbines for aircraft propulsion. He saw
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potential in lightweight gas turbines
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where the ram effect of air at high
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speeds could assist performance. In
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1930, he patented the first turbo jet
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aircraft engine featuring a centrifugal
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compressor, multiple combustion cans,
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and a turbine will similar to Moss'
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turbo supercharger. From 1930 to 1935,
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Whittle struggled for funding, but
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political unrest in Europe revived
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interest. In 1936, with private
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investors, he formed Power Jets Limited.
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By April 12th, 1937, his prototype
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engine successfully ran on a test stand,
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producing about 3,000 shaft horsepower.
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This design would power the Gloucester
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which flew in May 1941 at 400 mph using
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a W1 engine, producing 1,000 lb of
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thrust. Whittle's biggest challenge was
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materials. It took him 3 years to build
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a combuster that could handle the heat,
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eventually requiring 10 combustion
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chambers. He later worked on the W2
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which powered the twin engine meteor
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jet, the first turboan patent and
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proposals for supersonic engines and
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turborops. But due to lack of funding
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and support, Whittle stepped away from
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turbine development, though his ideas
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would later be realized.
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In 1936, German engineer Hans vonohane
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presented a gas turbine design to the
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government and received substantial
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funding. Working with the Henkle
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company, he developed the IHES
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3B engine, producing 1,100 lb of thrust.
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In August 1939, the Henkle IHE 178 made
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the first jet propelled flight in
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history. Vonohane's engine was a
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centrifugal flow design developed
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independently of Whittle and later
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evolved into the axial flow
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configurations that define today's
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higherformance engines. By 1942, Germany
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flew the Messersmidt Me 262 powered by
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Junker and later BMW axial flow engines,
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each producing about 2,000 lb of thrust.
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However, these engines required hot
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section overhauls every 10 to 15 hours
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due to less advanced metallurgy compared
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to British counterparts. Meanwhile,
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Italy's Caproni Campini jet aircraft
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powered by a piston engine-driven
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compressor flew in 1939, but was
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eventually deemed impractical, just as
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Whittle had predicted in his 1929
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In 1941, US General HHP Arnold visited
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England and saw Whittle's work
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firsthand. He returned with an engine
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and contracted General Electric to
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develop it. By April 1942, GE had a
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running G1A turbo jet. Bell aircraft was
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chosen to build America's first jet, the
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XP 59 Aericcomat, powered by two J1A
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engines. It first flew in October 1942,
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lbs of thrust per engine. Though not
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used in combat, it served as a trainer
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In 1948, the Vicer's Viscount became the
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first turborop airliner. In 1949, the
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Dhavaland Comet, the world's first turbo
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jet powered commercial aircraft, made
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its maiden flight. However, by 1954, it
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was grounded due to structural fatigue
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and decompression at altitude. It was
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later reintroduced after redesigns in
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the US. Boeing invested heavily in jet
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transport development. In 1958, the 707
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entered service, powered by
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military-based Pratt and Whitney
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engines, marking a new era in commercial
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aviation. In 1966, Boeing proposed the
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Boeing 2707, a Mac 2.8 300 passenger
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supersonic airliner with 4G4 engines
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producing 68,000 lbs of thrust each.
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However, due to environmental concerns,
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mainly regarding ozone depletion,
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Congress pulled funding and the project
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ended in 1971. In 1976, the British
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French Concord entered service, cruising
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near Mac 2.0, powered by Rolls-Royce
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Olympus turbo jets. It was retired in
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2003 after decades of supersonic travel.
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Two major propulsion milestones include
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the Europ TP400, an eightbladed 11,000
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shaft horsepower turborop, the largest
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ever built, and the GE unducted fan, a
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prop fan engine tested in 1986 on a
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Boeing 727 to improve fuel efficiency.
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Meanwhile, very light jets emerged.
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Small jets with two turboan engines
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seating four to six people cruising at
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400 to 500 mph. Each engine weighing
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about 100 to 200 lb and producing 800 to
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From large wide bodies to regional jets
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and business VLJs, the turbine engine
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dominates modern aviation. While early
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innovation was funded by militaries,
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today's development is largely private
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sectorled. The aviation industry now
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faces new challenges meeting stricter
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FAA and EPA regulations on noise and
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emissions. Still, history shows us
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engineering will rise to meet them.
