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| Sir Frank Whittle's son toasts 75th anniversary of first jet flight | Sir Frank Whittle's son toasts 75th anniversary of first jet flight |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The first flight of a British jet has been celebrated on its 75th anniversary by the son of Sir Frank Whittle, the man who designed its engine. | The first flight of a British jet has been celebrated on its 75th anniversary by the son of Sir Frank Whittle, the man who designed its engine. |
| Ian Whittle said the flight of the Gloster E28 came after years of little progress. | Ian Whittle said the flight of the Gloster E28 came after years of little progress. |
| The jet took off from RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire for a 17-minute flight on May 15, 1941. | The jet took off from RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire for a 17-minute flight on May 15, 1941. |
| "I felt very proud of what the British managed to do in developing the turbo jet", said Mr Whittle. | "I felt very proud of what the British managed to do in developing the turbo jet", said Mr Whittle. |
| "It was something for us all to be very proud of" - especially because the inaugural flight took off at the height of World War Two. | "It was something for us all to be very proud of" - especially because the inaugural flight took off at the height of World War Two. |
| Mr Whittle said the engine designed by his father was very successful and "pilot-friendly". | Mr Whittle said the engine designed by his father was very successful and "pilot-friendly". |
| Sir Frank had had the original idea in 1929 but there had been no progress for many years. | Sir Frank had had the original idea in 1929 but there had been no progress for many years. |
| RAF Cranwell's association with aviation had started in World War One, when it became a Royal Navy flying training base in 1918. It was later handed over to the Royal Air Force. | |
| Sir Frank began an RAF career as an apprentice and later trained as an officer at the base. | Sir Frank began an RAF career as an apprentice and later trained as an officer at the base. |
| He was knighted by King George VI in 1948 when he retired from the RAF in the rank of Air Commodore. | He was knighted by King George VI in 1948 when he retired from the RAF in the rank of Air Commodore. |
| He emigrated to the USA in 1976 and died at his home in Columbia, Maryland in August 1996. | He emigrated to the USA in 1976 and died at his home in Columbia, Maryland in August 1996. |