General Electric J35

General Electric J35

The General Electric J35 (also Allison J35 and General Electric TG-180 ) is a turbojet engine from the US manufacturer General Electric Company . The engine went into series production in 1947 and was the first jet engine in the USA to have both an axial compressor and an axial turbine. It was used solely for military purposes and came with an afterburner .

history

development

The General Electric Company developed the engine, originally called the TG-180 , to series production by 1946 . In February 1946, General Electric presented the project as an advance in fuel economy and as an option to improve aircraft aerodynamics. The test pilot Wallace A. Lien carried out the first flight with the new J35-GE-7 turbojet on February 28, 1946 at Muroc Army Air Field (today's Edwards Air Force Base) - at the same time the first flight of the XP-84 , the prototype the F-84 . In 1951 Allison presented the J-35-A-23 engine . This was the first development stage of the completely redesigned Allison J71 .

commitment

The engine was then built in series by Allison from early 1947 , while General Electric turned to the further developed J47 engine .

XB-47 Stratojet , prototype 46-065

On December 17, 1947, the first flight of the XB-47 Stratojet from Boeing Field, Seattle to Moses Lake, Washington with six J35-GE-7s in four engine nacelles. The first prototype 46-065 was later converted to J47 engines; the second prototype 46-066 took off directly with these clearly more powerful engines.

In May 1955, Allison announced the discontinuation of production of the most recently built variant, the J35-A-35, at the end of the summer of 1955; up to then around 14,000 J35s had been manufactured in numerous variants and with gradual increases in performance.

After production was discontinued, various power-enhancing kits were available so that the engines could be used until the late 1950s. The thrust was given as “5,600+ lb.”.

maintenance

The engines were used exclusively for military purposes. The USAF pooled repairs and overhauls at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City from 1949 . The initially extremely short TBO - in 1948 with less than 50 operating hours - could be increased to 400 hours by 1951.

construction

The engine was designed as a single-flow jet engine (turbojet) . The design of the 11-stage axial compressor followed the findings of the 8-stage compressor of the NACA by Eastman Jacobs and Eugene Wasielewski. Eight horizontal combustion chambers acted on the single-stage turbine with 126 blades. Two of the combustion chambers were equipped with spark plugs, the combustion chambers were connected to one another by short flanges in the front area.

Use (selection)

Experimental aircraft and prototypes

Northrop YB-49 with eight J35-A-15 engines

• Bell X-5 : Two experimental aircraft to research changes in wing sweep during flight. First flight on June 20, 1951.
• Boeing XB-47 : First prototype of the B-47 , six J35-GE-7 , first flight on December 17, 1947.
• Convair XB-46 : One prototype, four J35-A-3s , first flight on April 2, 1947.
• Douglas D-558-I Skystreak : Three experimental aircraft , one J35-A-11 . First flight on April 14, 1947.
• Douglas XB-43 Jetmaster : Two prototypes, two J35s , first flight on May 17, 1946.
• Martin XB-48 : Two prototypes, six J35-GE-9 , first flight on June 22, 1947.
• North American XB-45 : three prototypes, four J35s , first flight on February 24, 1947.
• Northrop YB-49 : Two prototypes, eight J35-A-15s , first flight on October 21, 1947.

Production aircraft

• North American B-45 Tornado : The first 22 airplanes were equipped with J35 , afterwards conversion to J47A .
• North American FJ-1 Fury : 33 aircraft.
• Northrop F-89 Scorpion : 1050 two-engine aircraft.
• Republic F-84B / C / D / E / G Thunderjet : over 7,500 aircraft.

Technical specifications

Turbine side of the J35

Parameters	TG-180 data (1947)	Data of the J35-A-21 (1951)	Data of the J35-A-35A (1953)
compressor	eleven-stage axial
turbine	single-stage axial
Weight (with afterburner if necessary)	2,450  lb (approx. 1,110  kg )	2,635  lb (approximately 1,200  kg )	2,850  lb (approx. 1,290  kg )
Thrust without an afterburner	3750 lb (16.7 kN)	5100 lb (22.7 kN)	5600 lb (24.9 kN)
Thrust with afterburner	-		7400 lb (32.9 kN)
Max. rotational speed	7700 min −1	7900 min −1	8000 min −1
Max. Operating altitude	-	-	50,000 ft (approx.15,000 m)

Web links

Commons : Allison J35  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• Foremost American Turbojet. (PDF) Some Details of the Slim, Axial-flow J-35. In: FLIGHT, AUGUST 5TH, 1948. Flight International , August 5, 1948, p. 163 , accessed on February 10, 2019 (English, detailed description with sectional drawing): “The most widely used American conceived and produced turbojet is the J- 35, designed by the General Electric Company and originally known as the TG-180. " 

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} Lower Fuel Consumption Claimed For New GE Jet. In: Aviation News. Aviation Week, February 18, 1946, p. 22 , accessed on February 16, 2019 . 
2. ^ ^{A b} Jet Propulsion: Too Little, Too Late. In: SP-4306 Engines and Innovation: Lewis Laboratory and American Propulsion Technology. NASA , accessed February 16, 2019 . 
3. ↑ Bryan R. Swopes: 28 February 1946. In: This Day in Aviation. 2018, accessed on February 23, 2019 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b} J-35 Points Up New Trust Achievements. In: Aeronautical Engineering. Aviation Week, April 2, 1951, pp. 25-29 , accessed on March 2, 2019 . 
5. ^ Jet Engine Contract Transferred To Allison. In: Production. Aviation Week, September 23, 1946, p. 23 , accessed on March 17, 2019 . 
6. ↑ Bryan R. Swopes: December 17, 1947. In: This Day in Aviation. 2017, accessed on February 23, 2019 . 
7. ^ J35 Production Nears End. In: Manufacturing. Aviation Week, May 9, 1955, p. 18 , accessed on February 24, 2019 . 
8. ↑ General Electric (Allison) J35 (TG-180) Turbojet Engine. In: National Air and Space Museum. Smithsonian Institution, accessed February 25, 2019 . 
9. ↑ US Military Aircraft. In: Specifications. Aviation Week, March 3, 1958, p. 193 , accessed on February 24, 2019 (English): “F-89H […] 2 All. J35-A-35 @ 5,600+ lb.t. " 
10. ^ Tinker Makes Jet Engines Good As New. In: Maintenance. Aviation Week, August 16, 1955, pp. 278–284 , accessed on February 24, 2019 . 
11. ↑ ^{a b} U.S. Gas Turbines Engines. In: Manufacturing. Aviation Week, February 26, 1951, p. 45 , accessed on February 22, 2019 . 
12. ↑ Design Analysis Of The General Electric TG-180 Turbojet. Aviation Week, July 7, 1947, pp. 36–43 , accessed on March 2, 2019 . 
13. ↑ B-45 Tornado Bomber. In: History. Boeing, accessed on February 25, 2019 : “Four General Electric J47A jet engines with water injection. First 22 produced with Allison J35 engines. " 
14. ↑ Fundamental Data GE TG-180. In: Design Analysis. Aviation Week, July 14, 1947, pp. 29–33 , accessed on March 2, 2019 . 
15. ↑ Allison J35-A-35A Turbojet. In: US Air Force Fact Sheet. National Museum of the United States Air Force , May 28, 2015, accessed February 18, 2019 .