Look Who it Was Random video

General Electric J31 Cutaway

2,436 views · Published 14 December 2014 · 1:13 · Indexed 29 October 2026

Channel: oisiaa · 2014 · People & Blogs

Watch on YouTube

This is a cutaway of a General Electric J31 jet engine. The J31 uses a double entry centrifugal compressor and a single stage turbine. The J31 is based on Frank Whittle's original jet engine design. 

The J31 was essentially a production version of the prototype Whittle W.1 that had been sent to the US after the Tizard Mission successes. General Electric's extensive experience in turbocharger production made them the natural choice for producing the engine, which they initially referred to as the I-16, I-A referring to the original prototype. The United States Army Air Forces later decided to standardize all their jet engine naming, at which point the I-16 became the J31.

Like the W.1, the I-16 produced 1,650 pounds force (7.3 kN) of thrust and weighed about 850 lb. Production started for the P-59 Airacomet in 1943, and by the time the lines shut down in 1945, a total of 241 had been built. GE also used the basic design to produce the much larger I-40 with 4,000 lbf, but this design was passed on to Allison as the J33, much to GE's chagrin and another derivative of the J31, the General Electric I-20, given the military designation J39, was ordered but later cancelled.

General characteristics:
Type: Centrifugal compressor turbojet
Length: 72 in (1,829 mm)
Diameter: 41.5 in (1,054 mm)
Dry weight: 850 lb (386 kg)

Components:
Compressor: Single-stage double-sided centrifugal
Combustors: 10 reverse-flow can
Turbine: Single-stage axial
Fuel type: Kerosene (AN-F32) or 100/130 gasoline
Oil system: Pressure spray, wet sump with scavenge cooling and filtration

Performance:
Maximum thrust: 1,650 lbf (7.33 kN)
Overall pressure ratio: 3.8:1
Air mass flow: 33 lb (15.0 kg)/second at 16,000 rpm
Turbine inlet temperature: 1,220 °F (660 °C)
Specific fuel consumption: 1.2 lb/lbf/hr (0.1223 kg/kN/hr)
Thrust-to-weight ratio: 1.94:1

Applications:
Bell P-59 Airacomet
Ryan FR Fireball
Ryan XF2R Dark Shark

More from this channel