Roaring Thunder: A Novel of the Jet Age by Walter J. Boyne Read Free Book Online Page B

competitors in the industry.” He shivered with indignation and spat out, “They even allowed Rover to build his engines.” The word “Rover” rolled off his lips as if he’d bitten into a bad oyster.
    Owen shot a quick smile to his colleagues. All three men knew that Rolls-Royce regarded the Rover company as a mere tin bender, whose automobiles were not worthy to be on the same road as Rolls-Royces were, and Hooker obviously subscribed to the theory.
    Hooker gestured out the window. “It looks like he has a moment free. Let me introduce you to him. You will be doing a lot of work with him in the future.”
    Shannon, always wishing to know as much as possible before engaging in a conversation, asked, “How does he feel about shipping his engine to the United States?”
    “Whittle is a patriot, first and foremost. He knows that a lot of people who scorned him are going to make a great deal of money from his invention. But he is intent on winning this war. As we all are.”
    The four men moved across the grass, dry in the unusual August heat, and Hooker made the introductions. Of less than medium height, Whittle had a polite manner that belied the volcanic intensity of his eyes, which pierced each man in turn. His jaw twitched nervously and his movements were abrupt. It was obvious that he was torn between his being put out by being taken from his work and his desire to learn what American intentions were.
    “Gentlemen, I hope you’ll understand when I say that I’m both surprised and pleased that General Electric is going to manufacture my engine.”
    Shannon answered, “I can understand your surprise—GE is hardly a household name in aircraft engines. And I’m glad that you are pleased, but may I ask why?”
    “Pratt & Whitney and Wright make wonderful reciprocatingengines, but their engineers and their management would be threatened by my engine. It’s too radical and it goes whistling round and round rather than pounding up and down!” Whittle’s arms and hands comically matched his words, flying round and round and then pounding up and down—the little byplay was totally out of character with his previous demeanor.
    He nodded his head abruptly and added, “No offense, Colonel Crawford.”
    Crawford smiled and said, “None taken. Sad but true!”
    Whittle went on, with a gesture to Hooker. “No, a ‘proper’ engine company will never give it the backing it needs, not unless they are as foresighted as Rolls-Royce.” He made a short bow to Hooker. “This offers General Electric entrance to a whole new industry. It is a very astute move, and if I had any money at all, and if it were not forbidden, I would be buying General Electric stock at this very moment.”
    Crawford nodded, and started to speak, but Whittle waved his hands imperiously and said, “Just a moment. I don’t think you realize the implications of what has happened with the introduction of the turbine. General Electric is going to go from being a supplier of superchargers to a mass producer of engines. Rolls-Royce is going to completely change its focus. There is a revolution going on here, gentlemen, and I damn well hope you recognize it and appreciate it.”
    He glared at them fiercely, daring anyone to deny it.
    Hooker tried to smooth things over. “I’m sure General Arnold agrees with you! He made this decision himself, over the advice of a lot of the people around him who think they can beat Germany with thousands of piston engine bombers.”
    Crawford started to speak again, but Hooker went on, “General Arnold was in England when the Gloster flew with Frank’s first airworthy engine, and understood the implications at once. When he found out that the Whittleengine weighed only six hundred and fifty pounds and put out as much thrust as a sixteen-hundred-and-fifty-pound Merlin, he asked us to send copies of the plans back with him, and ship an engine later.”
    Whittle said, “We’ll be sending the W.1X engine in