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National Museum of the United States Air Force™
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Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
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Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
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Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
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Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
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Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
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Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
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Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
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Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
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This engine is on display in the Cold War Gallery.
The J57 turbojet was the first production jet engine to produce 10,000 pounds of thrust. The J57 featured a dual-rotor axial-flow compressor, which lowered fuel consumption over a wide operating range and improved the sluggish acceleration characteristic of previous jet engines.
J57 production began in 1953. The same year, Pratt & Whitney was awarded America's highest aviation honor, the Collier Trophy, for the design and development of the J57. When production ended in 1970, Pratt & Whitney had built more than 21,000 engines.
The museum's cut-away engine is a YJ57-P-3, the first version to go into production. Rated at only 8,700 pounds of thrust, it served as a prototype for higher-powered engines used in operational B-52s. Later versions of the J57 and its commercial equivalent, the JT3, were improved to reach 18,000 pounds of thrust with afterburner. In addition to the B-52, the J57 powered numerous USAF aircraft, including the KC-135, F-100, F-101, and F-102.
Click here to return to the Cold War Gallery.
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