Frank Whittle, a British engineer and Royal Air Force officer, is best known for inventing which major propulsion technology for aircraft?

Introduction / Context:

This question connects general knowledge of inventions with aviation history. Frank Whittle is a key figure in the development of modern high speed aircraft. The question asks you to identify which propulsion technology he pioneered, which is fundamental for understanding how modern jet planes became possible.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The inventor is Frank Whittle, a British engineer and Royal Air Force officer.
• The context is aviation and propulsion technology.
• The options list different technologies related to detection, fuel and propulsion.
• You are expected to know which of these is specifically associated with Whittle s work.

Concept / Approach:

Frank Whittle is widely credited with inventing the turbojet engine concept and building early jet engines. His work in the 1930s laid the groundwork for jet propulsion, where air is compressed, mixed with fuel, ignited and expelled at high speed to produce thrust. This allowed aircraft to fly much faster and higher than propeller driven planes. Radar and sonar are detection technologies, and ethyl gasoline is a fuel additive; none of these match his main achievement.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Aviation history texts consistently credit Whittle with pioneering the turbojet engine, even though parallel work occurred in other countries. His patents and experimental engines are well documented. There is no similar strong association between Frank Whittle and radar, sonar or ethyl gasoline, which confirms the correct answer beyond doubt.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Radar uses radio waves to detect objects and was developed by various scientists and engineers, not specifically by Whittle.

Ethyl gasoline is a fuel additive related to engine knocking and is associated with different chemists and engineers.

Sonar uses sound waves under water and is not Whittle s area of work.

The helicopter rotor is a mechanical component used in rotary wing aircraft and is not what Whittle is famous for inventing.

Common Pitfalls:

Because many wartime technologies were developed around the same period, learners sometimes mix up who did what, especially among radar, sonar and jet engines. To avoid confusion, remember that radar and sonar deal with detection, while jet propulsion is about thrust. Frank Whittle s name should always make you think of jet engines and high speed aircraft.

Final Answer:

Frank Whittle is best known for inventing jet propulsion for aircraft.