Several groups were working on jet engines, so development depended on more than a single effort. The period immediately before a war can attract substantial research funding as governments push different technologies forward. Once fighting begins, attention shifts toward equipment that can become useful military assets quickly. Work with a potential payoff decades away competes less successfully with immediate service requirements.
Notable Point · 4:02:12-4:02:59
Why war redirects research toward immediate weapons
The approach of war can support broad technological development, while wartime priorities favor equipment that can enter service soon.