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Home > Fact Sheets > General Electric J-31 Turbojet
GENERAL ELECTRIC J-31 TURBOJET
Posted 4/29/2013
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DAYTON, Ohio -- General Electric J-31 on display in the Research & Development Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)
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Note: This engine is located in the Research & Development Gallery on a controlled-access portion of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The gallery will close until further notice beginning May 1, 2013, as part of budget reduction requirements due to sequestration.
The J-31 (also known by its company designation, I-16) was the first turbojet engine produced in quantity in the United States. It was developed from the original American-built jet engine, the General Electric I-A, which was a copy of the highly-secret British "Whittle" engine.
Although the I-A powered the initial test flights of the U.S.'s first jet aircraft, the Bell XP-59A Airacomet, the more powerful J-31 was adopted for use in production P-59As and P-59Bs. Design of the J-31 began in January 1943, and in July two of the engines powered a fully armed P-59 to an altitude of 46,700 feet. General Electric delivered a total of 241 J-31s to the Army Air Forces before production ended in 1945. Parts of the engine on display have been cut away to reveal its internal components.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Model: J-31 (I-16)
Compressor: Centrifugal
Turbine: Single-stage
Thrust: 1,650 lbs. maximum
Weight: 850 lbs.
Maximum rpm: 16,500
Click here to return to the Research & Development Gallery.
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