| W.2 | |
|---|---|
| Preserved Power Jets W.2/700 at the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (rear view). | |
| Type | Turbojet |
| Manufacturer | Rover Car Company |
| First run | c.1941 |
| Major applications | Gloster E.28/39 Gloster F.9/40 |
| Developed from | Power Jets W.1 |
| Developed into | Rolls-Royce Welland |
The Power Jets W.2 was a British turbojet engine designed by Frank Whittle and Power Jets (Research and Development) Ltd. The W.2 was built under contract by the Rover Car Company in the early 1940s. Although the engine was flight tested it did not enter series production.[1]
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In 1940 the Air Ministry placed a contract with the Gloster Aircraft Company for prototypes of a new twin-engined jet fighter aircraft to the requirement of F.9/40, this aircraft became the Gloster Meteor. At the same time Power Jets was authorised to design a new engine that was intended to power the same aircraft.[2] Due to development problems the first prototype of the Meteor was powered by the Rolls-Royce Welland, itself a development of the W.2.
Like the earlier Power Jets W.1 the design featured a simple double-sided centrifugal compressor, reverse-flow annular combustion chambers and an air-cooled axial-flow turbine section. Later versions of the W.2 used direct-flow combustion chambers.
The following aircraft were used for test purposes only:
The W.2B/700 was to be used in the Miles M.52 supersonic research aircraft. In order to achieve the thrust required for supersonic flight, a version of the engine was planned with a turbine-driven "augmenter" fan (an early form of turbofan) supplying air to a "reheat jetpipe" or afterburner. The augmenter was to be mounted behind the engine, drawing fresh air through ducts surrounding the engine.
Data from Jane's[3]
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