Impeller engine

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference

An impeller engine was a primitive, reactionless engine. The impeller engine was invented by Professor Boyes-Dennison in the 19th century, although the Fifth Doctor noted that humanity would only perfect the technology two centuries later.

Unusually, an impeller engine propelled the spacecraft Lynx, Cygnus, and Draco, which took part in the British Imperial Fleet expedition to the Moon in 1878. (PROSE: Imperial Moon)