Object Details
- Manufacturer
- General Electric Aircraft Engines
- Physical Description
- Type: Turbojet,
- Thrust: 6,450 N (1,450 lb) at 16,500 rpm
- Compressor: Single-stage centrifugal
- Combustor: 10 reverse flow combustion chambers
- Turbine: Single-stage axial
- Weight: 376 kg (830 lb)
- Summary
- Two General Electric Type I-A turbojet engines powered the first American jet aircraft, the Bell XP-59A, which first flew on October 2, 1942, near Muroc, California. The Type I-A was derived from the British Power Jets W.I.X., designed by Frank Whittle.
- In 1941 Chief of the Air Corps Gen. H. H. Arnold negotiated with the British government for the transfer of a set of drawings and one Power Jets W.I.X. turbojet engine. Arnold selected General Electric to build experimental engines to Whittle's design, due to GE's experience with turbosuperchargers. The first GE engine, known as the Type I, ran on March 18, 1942, in Lynn, Massachusetts-the first jet engine to run in America. The I-A was an improvement of this engine.
- Credit Line
- Transferred from the U.S. Department of Air Force, Headquarters Amarillo Technical Training Center, Amarillo AFB, Texas
- Circa World War II
- Inventory Number
- A19650239000
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- PROPULSION-Turbines (Jet)
- Materials
- HAZ MAT: Cadmium
- Possible HAZ MAT: Asbestos
- Aluminum Alloy
- Ferrous Alloy
- Paints
- Copper Alloy
- Dimensions
- 3-D: 175.3 × 105.4 × 106.7cm (5 ft. 9 in. × 3 ft. 5 1/2 in. × 3 ft. 6 in.)
- Overall: 830lb. (376.5kg)
- Other (Stand): 6 ft. 8 in. × 4 ft. × 4 ft. 4 in. (203.2 × 121.9 × 132.1cm)
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- National Air and Space Museum
- Record ID
- nasm_A19650239000
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9e98a3b91-95d9-44fd-a598-d0afad69b3a9
