In 1930 the majority of military aircraft were still wood and fabric biplanes. The Luftwaffe only tested its first generation of full metal monoplanes powered by high-performance piston engines in 1935. Less than five years later Ernst Heinkel launched the world’s first prototype jet fighter, opening the prospect that military aircraft might soon be able to operate within striking distance of the sound barrier or beyond. Each of these transitions involved fundamental breakthroughs in aerodynamics, metallurgy, airframe and aero-engine design that were extremely hard to predict. Nor was
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