Note: This engine is on display in the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
The J31 (General Electric 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). The I-A powered the early test flights of the U.S.'s first jet aircraft, the Bell XP-59A Airacomet, and the more powerful J31 was used in production P-59As and P-59Bs.
Design of the J31 began in January 1943, and in July two of the engines powered a fully-armed P-59 to 46,700 feet. General Electric delivered 241 J31s to the U.S. 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: J31 (I-16)
Compressor: Centrifugal
Turbine: Single-stage
Thrust: 1,650 lbs. maximum
Weight: 850 lbs.
Maximum rpm: 16,500