Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 July 2016
The first ten years following the end of the First World War saw a steady “run down” in the armed forces and during this period what still existed in the field of aero-engine development was inspired, mainly, by participation in long range pioneering flights, distance records and international speed events—such as the Schneider Trophy Contest.
Research and development were limited by the funds available and it was not until about 1935, when the Government decided on an “all out” policy to re-equip the Royal Air Force with equipment to match the growing aerial strength of Germany, that aero-engine development received the support it needed. It was somewhere in this period that marked the “renaissance” of the development of aero-engines.