To enter post-World War II jet engine production, Pratt & Whitney licensed production of the Rolls-Royce Nene engine. Converted to American standards, the resulting J42 Turbo-Wasp was first delivered to the Navy in 1948 for installation in the Grumman F9F-2 Panther.

Realizing the need for a higher-powered engine, Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney Aircraft worked together on a centrifugal-flow turbojet with a 30 percent power increase with no significant increase in overall engine size. Known in England as the Tay and in the U.S. as the J48 Turbo-Wasp, and publicly introduced in 1950, the 27,800 N (6,250 lb) thrust engine was then the most powerful engine flying in either country. Pratt & Whitney added water injection and an afterburner of its own design, which provided substantial power increases for short periods during combat.

The J48-P-8C powered the Grumman F9F-6 Cougar. Other models powered the Grumman F9F-5 Panther, the North American F-93A and Lockheed F-94C Starfire.

 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 1952 Country of Origin United States of America Type PROPULSION-Turbines (Jet) Manufacturer Pratt & Whitney
 Physical Description Type: Turbojet Thrust: 32,248 N (7,250 lb) at 11,000 rpm Compressor: Single-stage centrifugal Combustor: 9 combustion chambers Turbine: Single-stage axial Weight: 998 kg (2,200 lb) Dimensions Overall: 2200lb. (997.9kg)
Other: 9 ft. 2 in. × 4 ft. 2 in. (279.4 × 127cm)
Storage: 158.7 × 297.2 × 165.1cm (5 ft. 2 1/2 in. × 9 ft. 9 in. × 5 ft. 5 in.)
 Inventory Number A19750601001 Credit Line Transferred from the U.S. Navy, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Virginia Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
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