Roger Chapman wrote:
On 23/11/2011 10:27, ian batten wrote:
On Nov 23, 10:07 am, Tim wrote:

Yes this was just post war when we had jet engines and neither the Yanks
not the Russians did. I think Cripps sold them to both and at least the
Russians then copied them. These engines were what powered the Migs in
the Korean war, IIRC.

British jet engine designs were supplied to the US from 1942 onwards:
the P59 Airacomet was powered by a version of an early Whittle engine
license-built by GE, but GE fairly rapidly developed their own,
improved, engines. So it's untrue to say that the Americans didn't
have jet engines at the end of the war. The Russians essentially
copied German technology (Lyulka TR-1, first run in 1946) but later
copied Rolls Royce Derwents and others, which they were indeed sold,
but it's implausible that denying them Derwents would have held them
back for very long: jet engines of that era aren't hugely complex, and
the Russians had most of the German developers, tooling and designs.

If Wikipedia is to be relied on the engines were the RR Nene and they
were a gift which the Russians quickly copied. Since the copy went on to
power the MIG 15 it is highly likely that German version wasn't up to much.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Nene

Given that the designers of the Bell X-1 had early access to the
completed design of the Miles M52 but still chose to use a jet engine
the chances are that American jet engine technology at that time was
still not up to scratch.

BIG issues were materials technology.

Its one thing to copy the shape, its another to find the right steel for
compressor and turbine blades..

ITYM did NOT use a jet engine.

"The rocket propulsion system was a four-chamber engine built by
Reaction Motors, Inc., one of the first companies to build
liquid-propellant rocket engines in America. It burned ethyl alcohol
diluted with water and liquid oxygen. The thrust could be changed in
1,500 lbf (6,700 N) increments by firing one or more of the chambers. "

wiki