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On 24 August 1939, a small jet aircraft rose above a German forest with Captain Erich Warsitz at the controls..
I believe I've read someplace, that the French came up with a jet in 1910, and it flew, taking off without the pilot during an engine runup, but with the fabric and wood aircraft, it just wasn't feasible at the time. A Frenchman named Coanda designed it and built it. He wasn't a pilot, and it scared him, so it went no further.
Caidin's book,' Test Pilots: Riding the Dragon' was the source.
Your right, sadly the original He178 was destroyed in an air raid in 1943, while on display at the Deutsches Technikmuseum in BerlinNice post GrauGeist. I've almost forgot about this anniversary, thanks for reminding me.
Here is another picture of Heinkel He 178 - the world's first jet aircraft. Since German Air Ministry showed no interest for this aircraft, it was displayed in Air Museum in Berlin where it was destroyed in Allied air raid later during the war.
Cool idea, really! May have to take that up with the "board" and see what they say. I know there are a few kits out there that cover the early concepts prototypes...would be an interesting GB!Whatsthat....no-ones built a model to commemorate this event ?...c'mon guys, you're slacking
Actually, that could be a future GB....prototypes and first flights ?
Deutsches Technikmuseum
Not to worry, I have been called much much worse!And almost a year ago I got your name wrong!
He was actually Romanian, not French. His name was Henri Coandă and he designed the Coandă-1910 which is pictured above. The first "flight" was conducted outside of Paris though I believe.
Though it was the first "jet" powered aircraft, it typically is not counted as being the first to fly, because it was powered by a thermojet (hybrid jet/piston engine, where a piston drives a compressor instead of a propeller). At the same time the flight was not considered to be a "controlled" flight.
We learned about it an Aviation History class that I was talking with Embry Riddle. Very interesting part in aviation history though I believe.