General Electric J79-GE-2 Turbojet Engine
Object Details
- Manufacturer
- General Electric Aircraft Engines
- Designer
- Gerhard Neumann
- Physical Description
- Type: Turbojet, afterburner
- Thrust: 66,7000 N (15,000 lb)
- Compressor: 17-stage axial
- Combustor: Cannular
- Turbine: 3-stage axial
- Weight (dry): 1,642 kg (3,620 lb)
- Summary
- In the early 1950s, the U.S. military established a requirement for a high thrust, low weight, mechanically simple jet engine that could perform efficiently at Mach 0.9 cruise and Mach 2.0 combat speeds.
- In late 1952, General Electric's proposed J79 was selected and first ran in June 1954. A variable stator compressor made it possible to meet the difficult requirements, providing high pressure ratios with adequate stall margins for high performance aircraft over wide operating conditions. The J79 first powered an aircraft, a Douglas XF4D, in December 1955.
- The J79 powered several production aircraft: Convair B-58 Hustler; Lockheed F-104 Starfighter; McDonnell F-4 Phantom II; and North American RA-5 Vigilante. The 1958 Collier Trophy was awarded to the Air Force, Lockheed, and GE team that developed the F-104 fighter, the world's first Mach 2 operational fighter.
- The J79-GE-2 was a U.S. Navy engine that powered the McDonnell F-4A and North American A-5A (A3J) aircraft.
- Credit Line
- Gift of General Electric Aircraft Engines
- Circa 1960
- Inventory Number
- A19810156000
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- PROPULSION-Turbines (Jet)
- Materials
- Metal
- Dimensions
- Length 528.3 cm (208.0 in.), Diameter 81.3 cm (32.5 in.) (dimensions for J79-GE-3)
- 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_A19810156000
- Metadata Usage (text)
- Not determined
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv92014d22c-302b-444d-959c-462bc8b32669
Related Content
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.