Two-stroke or Turbine? The Aeronautical Research Committee and British Aero Engine Development in World War Ⅱ

摘要

During the 1930s, the growing apprehension in Britain about air attack began to provoke a shift in strategic thinking away from a purely retaliatory posture, which relied on a bomber force to counter the threat of bombers, toward a mixed strategy in which defensive interceptor fighters were to have a vital role. This new perception stimulated an intensive program of research and development in radar, in the control of fighters from the ground, and in aero engines. A connection between radar developments and a shift in policy in the mid-1930s to support jet engine development has previously been surmised. This study goes farther and establishes a direct linkage between early secret knowledge of radar and a wide range of British high-power aero engine work.