Jets have been mesmerizing my life from the age of 4 when I went to my first airshow. The JAS 39 Gripen was the first jet that blew my mind.
I recently visited another airshow and was astounded by the immense speed jets had and wondered how they acquired such high speeds.
Twin engine:
F-22 Raptor: 2,410 km/h or 1498 mph
Sukhol Su-27: 2500 km/h or 1550 mph
Single engine:
JAS 39 Gripen: 1400 km/h or 869,9 mph
F-35 Lightning II:1930 km/h or 1200 mph
Jet engines or gas turbines work on the principle. Air is sucked through the front of the engine with a fan. A compressor raises the pressure of the air.
The compressor is shaft that has many blades attached to it. The blades spin at high speed and compress the air. Fuel is then mixed in with the compressed air and an electric spark lights the mixture.
The burning gases expand and blast out through the nozzle, at the back of the engine. As the jets of gas shoot backward, the engine is then thrust forward along with whatever it is attached to.
