我这里只举两个案例来说明航空发动机的复杂性和困难性。
美国西屋公司,早期也曾经研制过航空发动机,J40发动机便是其中之一,但是在1955年,装配美国海军的F3H战斗机的J40发动机,屡生故障,一修再修,还是不能根除,最后导致F3H 全部停飞,西屋公司,也从此被迫退出航空发动机市场。
1955 - Westinghouse J40 engine failure causes all F3H fighters using the engine to be grounded, and all other jets using it to switch to other engines. Westinghouse forced out of aircraft engine business.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westinghouse_Electric_(1886)
七零年代,劳斯莱斯曾被洛克希德公司选为其三星(TriStar),宽体客机的唯一供应商,砸下了几十亿英磅,研制RB211发动机,由于技术不能达标,一拖再拖,迟迟不能交货,几乎破产,最后由当时希思(英国首相)内阁收购为国营企业,值得注意的是,劳斯莱斯是喷气式航空发动机的开山祖师,美国的第一架喷气式航空发动机就是英国送的(劳斯莱斯造),战后英国曾卖给苏联劳斯莱斯所造的喷气式航空发动机,苏联的米格十五发动机就是劳斯莱斯的山寨版,到了七零年代,劳斯莱斯已经研制出许多成功的军民用产品,技术力量依然十分强大,但是仅仅为了研制一具新发动机,竟然栽了个大筋斗,几乎破产。
Having been selected as the sole engine supplier for the Lockheed L-1011 (TriStar), Rolls-Royce committed heavily to the RB211 engine, but its development was hampered by considerable problems and on 4 February 1971 Rolls-Royce went into administrative receivership. To save the company, Edward Heath's government nationalised it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_plc