General Electric J47 Turbojet The J47 was developed by the General Electric Co. from the earlier J35 engine and was first flight-tested in May 1948 as a replacement for the J35 used in the North American XF-86 Sabre. In September 1948 a J47 powered an F-86A to a new world's speed record of 670.981 mph. More than 30,000 engines of the basic J47 type were built before production ended in 1956. The engine was produced in at least 17 different series and was used to power such USAF aircraft as the F-86, XF-91, B-36, B-45, B-47 and XB-51. A J47-GE-7 engine became the first axial-flow (straight-through airflow) engine in the United States to be approved for commercial use. The J47 was retired when the last Boeing KC-97J was dropped from Air National Guard service in 1978, thus spanning 30 years of operational service. The engine on display is a J47-GE-25 and is the type used on a variety of B-47B, E, H, K and L series aircraft. Part of the case has been cut away to reveal the engine's internal components. TECHNICAL NOTES: Model: J47-GE-25 Compressor: 12-stage axial Turbine: Single-stage axial Weight: 2,707 lbs. Thrust: 5,670 lbs. Maximum rpm: 7,950 Maximum operating altitude: 50,000 ft. Click here to return to the Cold War Gallery.