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The AirSciences Museum, Farnborough

15th April 2006

Conway On the left a Rolls Royce Conway engine, the first ‘by-pass’ jet engine. Also shown is an early Whittle engine, Frank Whittle being the inventor of the jet engine, or the gas turbine as it was known locally. Hence N.G.T.E. the National Gas Turbine Establishment. Whittle jet
Brabazon Among the many photographs is this one of the Bristol Brabazon, at the time the world’s largest aircraft which frightened the life out of little kids throughout Farnborough as it made low approaches to the runway and darkened the whole sky. It never went into production. On the right is a compressor wheel from one of Whittle’s engines. More of Whittle’s engines may be seen here. Compressor
Canberra The museum does not exist to preserve aircraft but nevertheless several adorn its grounds. On the left is the front of the R.A.E.’s ‘test’ Canberra which was a regular sight around Farnborough for nearly two decades. It was rescued from a scrap dealer. Also shown is a ‘jump jet’, the Hawker Sea Harrier. Harrier
Gnat A Folland Gnat which was once part of the RAF’s Red Arrows aerobatics team and an English Electric Lightning, once unkindly described by Leslie Knight as ‘brute force and ignorance’ because of its massive power, sufficient had it possessed suitable guidance systems, to blast it off vertically like a rocket. The best performing jet fighter of its time. Lightning


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