Document Type: Book (Historical Study).

Purpose: Informational.

Authority: Author Expertise.

Document Number: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Special Publication #4406.

Series: The NASA History Series

Scope: This is the third edition of Originally written by Frank W. Anderson, Jr. and published by NASA in 19xx. Revised Edition published in 1980.

From Preface To Orders of Magnitufe (1990): "In 1965, Eugene M. Emme, historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), wrote a brief survey of the agency entitled Historical Sketch of NASA (EP~29). It served its purpose as a succinct overview useful for Federal personnel, new NASA employees, and inquiries from the general public. Because people were so curious about the nascent space program, the text emphasized astronautics. By 1976, a revision was in order, undertaken by Frank W. Anderson, Jr.,publications manager of the NASA History Office. With a different title, Orders of Magnitude: A History of NACA and NASA, 1915~1980 (SP~4403), the new version gave more attention to NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), although astronautics was still accorded the lion's share of the text. After a second printing, Anderson prepared a revised version, published in 1980, which carried the NASA story up to the threshold of Space Shuttle launches. Anderson retired from NASA in 1980."

Contents: - Whittle's Early life and background - First concept of the Turbo-Jet Engine (Air Ministry rejection-Patent application) - Some attempts to arouse commercial interest in the Turbo-Jet Engine in 1930 - Testing at Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment, Felixstowe - Whittle's life as a pilot and engineer - Master Patent lapses - Events leading to the Formation of Power Jets - Design and manufacture of Experimental Engine - Official attitude to Power Jets - First tests of Experimental Engine - Financial difficulties and first Air Ministry contracts - Reconstruction of the Experimental Engine - Turbine blade design controversy - Testing of the first and second reconstructions - Air Ministry contract for Flight Engine and Experimental aeroplane - Jet engine developments during WWII - The nationalization of Power Jets company - Meteor Jets into combat (1944 & 1945) - Post war work followed by breakup of the pioneer team (1946) - German work on jet engine and aircraft - Epilogue