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The First Jet-powered Plane
The Heinkel He 178 was the first jet-powered aircraft. The developer of the engine used was Dr. Hans von Ohainto. While he was not the first person to design a jet engine (first was Frank Whittle), his design was the first to fly on a plane. The engine design, known as the turbojet and made of aluminum alloys, simply compressed air through a series of turbines and ignited it using several combustion chambers, creating thrust. http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=214 -
The First Jet Fighter
Towards the end of World War II, Nazi Germany had developed a jet fighter known as the Me 262. It was the first jet-powered fighter plane. Unlike other engines, the ones in the 262 were made partly of steel due to the lack of resources Nazi Germany had late in WWII. http://www.space.com/16650-first-fighter-jet.html -
American Military Jets
During the late 1940s, the US Air Force had high demands for a jet-powered bomber and needed a plane fast enough to keep up with jet fighters. The B47 Stratojet and B52 Stratofortress was the result. They were the first swept-back jet bombers which paved the way for the modern aircraft shape. The B47 was powered by the General Electric J47 which became the most produced jet engine ever. Jets were beginning to replace propellers. http://www.airplanesofthepast.com/b47-stratojet.htm -
Superalloy Jet Engines
Earlier, basic aluminum alloys and steel were used for the fan blades of a jet engine. It became a problem sometimes as they could melt in intense environments. But in the 1950s, a new type of material was discovered: the superalloy. They had qualities that were perfect for a jet; they didn't melt easily, they were very strong, and very durable. They made jet engines more reliable, and allowed them to become more powerful for the jet age. (Exact discovery date not known) https://goo.gl/mOTvvM -
Rise of the Jet Age
The Boeing 707 was the plane that brought the Jet Age. It allowed more people to fly. It was powered by the P&W JT3D engine: the first turbofan engine. What set it apart from the traditional turbojet was that it didn't use up all the air it took in for combustion. Instead, some air passed around the the core of the engine, and then they turned the turbines at the back to keep the fans spinning. This improved fuel consumption and power over the turbojets. http://www.pw.utc.com/JT3D_TF33_Engine -
The Jumbo Jet
Boeing was on its way to making the first jumbo jet to allow even more people to fly for less. The problem, however, was that they needed an engine powerful enough to power the massive plane. P&W came in and introduced the JT9D. This was also a turbofan engine, but this time, most of the air being sucked in by the engine did not go through the combustion process. This produced even more power with even less fuel which allowed the jumbo jets to exist. http://www.pw.utc.com/JT9D_Engine -
Turbofans Take Over
The release of the Boeing 767 in the 1980s marked the start of the dominance of the twin-engine widebody airplane. They would slowly start to replace all other aircraft as the turbofan engines that powered them were becoming more efficient and beat other similar aircraft in range, noise, and fuel efficiency. Additionally, the flight systems that powered the 767 were more advanced than other airliners, allowing a smaller flight crew. http://www.airliners.net/aircraft-data/boeing-767-200/103 -
Computers on a Plane
In the late 1980s, Airbus had decided to advance their fly-by-wire technology and release the A320. It was revolutionary in the sense that a computer would read all of the pilot's inputs and refine them. This allowed more automation of the flight and made the pilots' jobs easier. It was the first of many aircraft to implement fly-by-wire. http://www.airbus.com/company/history/the-narrative/fly-by-wire-1980-1987/
