Conforming with requirements of the Navy missile it was to power, design of the Fairchild J44 turbojet began in 1947. The J44 (commercial designation FT-101 E) made its first flight in 1950 powering the Petrel air-to-underwater torpedo-carrying missile, similarly developed by Fairchild. The J44 was also selected to power the Ryan Firebee target drone, with the first flight in 1951, and an official 12.5-hour Qualification Test was completed in 1954.

The J44 was qualified for use in manned aircraft in 1955, becoming the first jet engine in its power and weight class to receive an Approved Type Certificate; however, the primary application was the Firebee target drone. By the late 1950s, the use of the J44 in the Firebee was phased out as the more fuel efficient Continental J69 took its place. The Petrel missile was also phased out about that time. The last batch of J44 engines and spare parts were manufactured in 1959.