Whittle Reactionaries Prize

Seeking innovative solutions to aerospace propulsion problems – uncovering the engineers who are contributing to the next great leap.

Sir Frank Whittle, and the Powerjet engineers who worked alongside him, were true pioneers. Their revolutionary work will be remembered forever.

The Prize aims to stimulate and encourage those in the early stages of their engineering career to continue to apply innovative and forward-looking thinking to aerospace propulsion problems that demonstrates technical excellence, originality and independent thinking, high-quality presentation, and effective communication.

Eligibility

Open to members, either studying at a British University or working in British Industry.

Value of award

Certificate.

Application process

Closing date: 31 May 2024.
Nominations can be made either by the IMechE Aerospace Division or by an individual or team (self-nomination), explaining how this person/team have made an outstanding contribution to aerospace propulsion. Typically, the contribution would be a paper published in a reputable journal in the previous year (e.g., Proc. IMechE Part G or comparable journals), other forms of contribution will be considered. The citation should be no more than 300 words. The main (first) author should typically be either a postgraduate student at a university or a recent graduate working in industry.

Send applications to: membernetworks@imeche.org

Sir Frank Whittle and the Whittle Reactionaries Prize

The Whittle Reactionaries Prize Fund was established in 1998 by a group of Institution members in recognition of those engineers and others who had directly assisted Sir Frank Whittle in his company Power Jets Ltd. The company conducted pioneering and evolutionary work with reaction propulsion (jet propulsion) from the first experiments in 1937 to first operation use of Whittle Type W2B engines in an RAF Meteor aircraft in 1944. Donations have been made by the surviving members of this team and others associated with this momentous period in British engineering history which provided the foundation for the majority of the aircraft power plants in current use today. Donations have also been made in memory of the aircraft power plants in current use today. Donations have also been made in memory of the substantial number of original Reactionaries who, like Sir Frank Whittle, have passed on to higher things.