The Rolls-Royce W2B/23 Welland

This turbo-jet was the first British production engine. The prototype F.9/40, DG202/G, powered by Rolls-Royce 1,700 lb W2B/23 engines, was flown by Michael Daunt, from Barford St. John airfield on July 24, 1943. In November this aircraft was delivered to the Rolls-Royce base at Hucknall for Welland development.

Two Rolls-Royce Welland turbo-jets were installed in the first production Meteor Mk.1, EE210/G, which was test flown by Michael Daunt on January 12, 1944. This Meteor was then sent to the United States in exchange for a General Electric J31-GE-powered Bell YP-59 Airacomet, RG362/G. The Meteor was first flown at Muroc AFB by John Grierson on April 15. Several test flights followed. By December, the Meteor had been shipped back to the U.K.

The Rolls-Royce Welland entered service with the RAF Meteor Mk.1 jet fighters EE211-229 and Meteor Mk.3/EE230-244. The first of these Meteors was delivered to No.616 Squadron RAF in May 1944, equipped with 1,600 lb thrust engines rated at180-hours between overhauls. Flying from RAF Manston, near the English channel, the Squadron first saw action against the V-1 flying-bombs en-route to London on July 27, 1944. The first of thirteen V-1s to be destroyed was on August 4, when Flying Officer Dean used his wing tip to tip a V-1 off its course and saw it crash onto open ground.

The Rover W2B

The W2B was the Rover version of the Whittle engine, ordered into production by the British Ministry of Aircraft Production in 1942. This “reverse-flow”, 43.5-inch diameter engine, featured a 19-inch, double-sided impeller, 10 “reverse-flow” combustion chambers and a single-stage turbine. Engine weight was some 850 lbs.

To improve the “surging” problem found at altitude, Maurice Wilks and his staff at Rover, Barnoldswick in Lancashire, developed 20-vane diffusers to Whittle’s design. With the thrust still at 1,000 lbs, Mr. J.P. Herriot from A.I.D. came to Rover and with improved turbine material, achieved a 25-hour test at 1,250 lbs in November, 1942.

From July 10, 1940, test pilot Jerry Sayer, was only able to make taxiing runs with 1,200 lb thrust Rover W2B/23 turbo-jets fitted to the first twin-engined Gloster F.9/40 prototype fighter, DG202/G.

The Rover W2B turbo-jet was first flown in the tail of a twin-engined Wellington test-bed, Z8570/G, from Hucknall, on August 9, 1942.