DrPostman, leaving out Elling, Stolz, Turbinia and giving Whittle the credit for the jet engine isn't helping. The jet engine was a well known idea, it just took time for high temperature materials to get up to scratch. The "Whittle story" is British jingoism, something that happened in UK popular literature far too much after the war. Something to do with maintaining patriotic feeling or a nostalgia for propaganda I think. Irritating since as soon as things get investigated disappointments set in.

And this:

Reliable doesn't mean useful. WW2 allied jets don't have a good operations record.