General Electric J79
The General Electric J79 is an axial-flow turbojet engine built for use in a variety of fighter and bomber aircraft and a supersonic cruise missile. The J79 was produced by General Electric Aircraft Engines in the United States, and under license by several other companies worldwide. Among its major uses was the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, Convair B-58 Hustler, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, North American A-5 Vigilante and IAI Kfir.
| Electric J79 | |
|---|---|
| J79 on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force | |
| Type | Afterburning turbojet |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | General Electric Aircraft Engines |
| First run | 20 May 1955 (first flight) |
| Major applications | Convair B-58 Hustler IAI Kfir Lockheed F-104 Starfighter McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II North American A-5 Vigilante |
| Number built | >17,000 |
| Developed from | General Electric J73 |
| Developed into | General Electric CJ805 |
A commercial version, designated the CJ805, powered the Convair 880, while an aft-turbofan derivative, the CJ805-23, powered the Convair 990 airliners and a single Sud Aviation Caravelle intended to demonstrate to the U.S. market the benefits of a bypass engine over the existing Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet.
In 1959 the gas generator of the J79 was developed as a stationary 10MW-class (13,000 bhp) free-turbine turboshaft engine for naval power, power generation, and industrial use, called the LM1500. Its first application was in the research hydrofoil USS Plainview.