At the end of World War II, Packard replaced production of Rolls-Royce Merlin engines with automobiles, and the company’s aircraft engine interests focused on experimental work with gas turbines at a leased Army Air Forces-owned plant in Toledo, Ohio. Those facilities, which included a full-scale engine component wind tunnel, permitted detailed study of the aerodynamic and thermodynamic problems of jet engines.

Jet engine development began in 1945 under contract with the Air Materiel Command at Wright Field, and in two years became the sole activity of the Packard Aircraft Engine Division. The Packard XJ49-V-1 was the first turbofan engine developed in the U.S. In 1947, the engine ran once with apparently good results. However, the remaining work required for complete development of a successful flight engine was considerable, and the Air Force terminated the contract in January 1948. With that cancellation, Packard’s long association with the aircraft engine business ended.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Date Circa 1948 Country of Origin United States of America Type PROPULSION-Turbines (Jet) Manufacturer Packard Motor Car Company (Detroit, Michigan)
 Physical Description Type: Turbofan Thrust: 44,480 N (10,000 lb) at 11,780 rpm Fan: Single-stage Compressor: Single-stage supersonic axial and single-stage mixed-flow Combustor: Multiple chambers Turbine: 2-stage air-cooled compressor drive, 2-stage air-cooled fan drive Weight: 1,361 kg (3,000 lb) Dimensions Length 442 cm (174.0 in.), Diameter 135 cm (53.0 in.)
 Materials Steel, Aluminum, Magnesium, Textile, Rubber, Paint
 Inventory Number A19600243000 Credit Line Transferred from the U.S. Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.