Early flight tests of the first General Electric turbojet engine, the Type I-A, clearly showed the need for more power. GE followed with designs generating increased thrust, including the I-16, designated J31 by the military, which first ran in April 1943. About 250 were built, mainly for variants of the Bell P-59 Airacomet. This cutaway is representative of the engines installed in the production models of the Bell P-59A fighter aircraft.
When the government believed that future tactical needs would require turbojet engines to use the same fuel as reciprocating engines, GE further developed the engine for the U.S. Navy as a 100-octane, gasoline-burning version of the standard J31 engine, which normally ran on kerosene fuel. That version, along with a Wright R-1820 piston engine, powered the Ryan FR-1 Fireball, the Navy's first partially jet-powered aircraft.
Display Status
This object is on display in Boeing Aviation Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.
Object Details
Date
1943
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
PROPULSION-Turbines (Jet)
Manufacturer
General Electric Co.
Designer
Sir Frank Whittle
Physical Description
Type: Turbojet
Thrust: 7,161 N (1,610 lb) at 16,500 rpm
Compressor: Single-stage centrifugal
Combustor: 10 reverse-flow combustion chambers
Turbine: Single-stage axial
Weight: 386 kg (850 lb)
Dimensions
Width 102 cm (40 in.), Height 178 cm (70 in.)
Inventory Number
A19520085000
Credit Line
Transferred from the Department of the Navy, Bureau of Aeronautics
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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