Jet Scene

Although jetscene.co.uk primarily concentrates on contemporary aspects of the airline industry, other historical information can also be found. The history of jets is an interesting topic for all aircraft enthusiasts, of both commercial and military types.

Unsurprisingly, the Germans were at the centre of early developments into jet engines for aircraft; the first jet aircraft flight was believed to have taken place in Germany at the start of WWII. Both the Germans and the British continued to design jet airplanes during the war, but both sides never used this type of aircraft in combat.

In fact both a German and a Briton are credited with inventing the jet engine in the history of jets. British engineer, Frank Whittle, registered the first patent relating to the jet engine, while German engineer, Hans von Ohain was the first to put a jet aircraft in the air.

Other important milestones in the history of jets include the introduction of the first jet airliner. In 1952, BOAC began a route from London to Johannesburg on a de Havilland Comet. Unfortunately, the Comet was blighted by a terrible safety record and was overtaken by Boeing’s 707 from 1958 onwards.

Modern jet airliners have come a long way from those early models from the 1950s. Nowadays, travelling by jet airliner is seen as a fast and safe way to cover long distances. Many of the current routes operated by modern jets can also be viewed on jetscene.co.uk.