AVIATION: Wright’s Rights

As the two biggest U.S. makers of airplane engines, Pratt & Whitney and Wright Aeronautical have long been stiff competitors. Three years ago, Pratt & Whitney got the jump on Wright in the jet engine field by getting the U.S. license to produce the Rolls-Royce “Nene” jet. The Nene, and P. & W. refinements of it, now power several models of U.S. fighters and bombers. On the other hand, Wright has not yet produced a jet engine on its assembly line.

Last week Wright got a jet engine of its own, also from Britain. For a price around “several millions,” Wright bought the U.S. rights to the powerful new Sapphire engine of Britain’s Armstrong Siddeley Motors, Ltd.

The Sapphire seemed to be a prize. Shown publicly only last month, it has a thrust of 7,200 Ibs., or 1,000 Ibs. more than Pratt & Whitney’s improved Nene. Britain’s Gloster Meteor 8 fighter, powered by two Sapphires, reportedly can climb from take-off to 40,000 ft. in four minutes. Wright also was licensed to build Armstrong Siddeley’s best turboprop engines, the “Python,” the “Mamba” and the “Double Mamba.” In addition, the two companies agreed to “exchange knowledge” on research, technical information and products for seven years.

The deal was one more indication that the U.S. was still far behind the British in the jet engine field. For U.S. engine builders, the only consolation was that by exchanging U.S. production know-how for the advanced designs of British engines, there was a good chance that both nations would be able to keep ahead of the rest of the world.