GE won a contract for the J93 propulsion system of the North American XB-70 Valkyrie supersonic bomber in 1957. The highly-advanced, lightweight single-shaft turbojet engine incorporated variable compressor stator vanes, afterburner, and a fully variable converging-diverging exhaust nozzle; and was the world's first engine designed to operate efficiently up to Mach 3.2. Early flight testing was done with the engine mounted in a pod under a B-58 Hustler testbed aircraft, and the first engines were delivered to the Air Force in 1961.
First flight of the XB-70A powered by YJ93-GE-3 engines occurred in 1964. Because of changes in defense requirements, it was decided to build only two XB-70 aircraft. The second aircraft crashed in 1966, but the first aircraft continued in service until 1969 in a joint Air Force-NASA flight research program primarily for the U.S. Supersonic Transport program. There were no further applications for it when the XB-70 program ended.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Circa early 1960s
United States of America
PROPULSION-Turbines (Jet)
General Electric Aircraft Engines
Type: Turbojet, afterburner
Thrust: 142,300 N (32,000 lb)
Compressor: 8-stage axial
Combustor: Annular
Turbine: 2-stage axial
Weight: 2,359 kg (5,200lb)
Length 602 cm (237 in.), Diameter 133.4 cm (52.5 in.)
Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Textile, Copper, Magnesium, Plastic, Rubber, Inconel
A19820089000
Transferred from the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
National Air and Space Museum
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