| J85 | |
|---|---|
 A General Electric J85-5 | |
| Type | Turbojet |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | General Electric |
| First run | 1950s |
| Major applications | Cessna A-37 Dragonfly Canadair CT-114 Tutor Northrop F-5 Northrop T-38 Talon |
| Developed into | General Electric CF700 |
| Variants | General Electric CJ610 |
TheGeneral Electric J85 is a small single-shaftturbojet engine. Military versions produce up to 3,500 lbf (16 kN) of thrust dry;afterburning variants can reach up to 5,000 lbf (22 kN). The engine, depending upon additional equipment and specific model, weighs from 300 to 500 pounds (140 to 230 kg). It is one of GE's most successful and longest in service military jet engines, with the civilian versions having logged over 16.5 million hours of operation. TheUnited States Air Force plans to continue using the J85 in aircraft through 2040.[1] Civilian models, known as theCJ610, are similar but supplied without an afterburner and are identical to non-afterburning J85 variants, while theCF700 adds a rear-mounted fan for improvedfuel economy.
The J85 was originally designed to power a large decoy missile, the McDonnellADM-20 Quail. The Quail was designed to be released from aB-52 Stratofortress in-flight and fly for long distances in formation with the launch aircraft, multiplying the number of targets facing theSA-2 surface-to-air missile operators on the ground. This mission demanded a small engine that could nevertheless provide enough power to keep up with the jet bomber. Like the similarArmstrong Siddeley Viper being built in the UK, the engine on a Quail drone had no need to last for extended periods of time, so therefore could be built of low-quality materials.
The fit was a success on the Quail, but again like the Viper it was later built with normal grade materials and subsequently used to power small jet aircraft, including theNorthrop T-38 Talon,Northrop F-5,Canadair CT-114 Tutor, andCessna A-37 Dragonfly light attack aircraft. More recently, J85s have powered theScaled Composites White Knight aircraft, the carrier for theScaled Composites SpaceShipOne spacecraft, and theMe 262 Project.
The basic engine design is quite small, about 17.7 inches (45 cm) in diameter, and 45.4 inches (115 cm) long. It features an eight-stageaxial-flow compressor powered by two turbine stages, and is capable of generating up to 2,100 lbf (9.3 kN) of dry thrust, or more with an afterburner. At full throttle at sea level, this engine, without afterburner, consumes approximately 400 US gallons (1,500 L) of fuel per hour. At cruise altitude and power, it consumes approximately 100 US gal (380 L) per hour.
Several variants were produced.
The most advanced variant in the J85 series is the J85-21 model designed specifically for the F-5E/F during its development process.[2]
The J85-21 design replaces AM 355 chromium nickel molybdenum stainless steel alloy, used by previous J85 models for compressor rotors and blades, with a titanium alloy. Its inlet diameter was increased from 17.7 in (45 cm) to 20.8 in (53 cm), and it included an added stage ahead of the base 8-stage compressor for a total of 9 stages. Its multiple disk rotors were replaced with a single-spool rotor, thus improving dry thrust to 3,600 lbf (16 kN) and wet thrust to 5,000 lbf (22 kN) while reducing mechanical complexity along with the weight gain of the J85-21 model.[2]
More than 12,000 J85 engines had been built by the time production ended in 1988.[3]
The Iranian Ministry of Defense constructed a new engine based on the General Electric J85-GE-21B named "OWJ" and presented it at a defense exhibition on 22 August 2016.[4][5][6][7]
The Owj engine has been used in several Iranian products likeKowsar,Saeghe andAzarakhsh fighter jets orYasin training jet.[8][9]
Thrust given infoot-pounds (lbf) andkilonewtons (kN).
Related development
Comparable engines
Related lists
