When Sir Frank Whittle showed that jet propulsion was not only feasible, practical and logical, the main engine manufacturers realised this really was the power plant of the future. They all set their engine designers to work and eventually all produced a good power plant. Somewhere, however better than others. One of the outstanding early ones was the de Havilland 'Ghost'. Frank B. Halford and his design team working for the de Havilland aircraft company designed the company's first 'Jet' engine the H.1. which was later named the 'Goblin'. It was a very successful unit and the DH 100 'Vampire' twin tail fighter was designed to use it. The Gloster aircraft compnay had built the F9/40 Meteor which was to be powered by two Whittle eninge but these were delayed so two H.1. engines were installed in the prototype for its first tests. The next generation of this engine was the H.2. It was built in 1945 and became the 'Ghost' which was originally designed to power the DH112 Venom. In the DH 100 Vampire it set a new height record. In the DH 108 Swallow it set a new speed record. In the DH 106 Comet, it powered the worlds first jet airliner. And so this power unit built up an impressive record of firsts:

January 1945 The first jet engine to obtain military type approval.
March 1948 World's altitude record for aeroplanes 59,446ft.
April 1948 World's 100km closed circuit record of 605,23mph.
July 1948 First jet eninge to make an Atlantic crossing.
July 1948 First jet engine to obtain approval for civil passenger services.
August 1948 Successful completion of severest 500hr engine test.
September 1952 Powered the first purpose built jet hydroplane.