Frank Whittle

“For the first time I was in command of a machine that was not on the verge of disintegration.”

“The jet engine is a simple thing. It's just a lot of hot air.”

“Well, it was all down to chance that I became an engineer.”

“I had this damn fool idea of a jet engine, and it was looked on as a joke.”

“It is one thing to have an idea. It is another matter to be able to sell that idea to others.”

“The pessimists were not always wrong, but they were never on the side of progress.”

“I was always convinced that the jet engine would work. The problem was convincing everyone else.”

“One of the things that I am very proud of is that my work has been of great benefit to mankind.”