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The Westinghouse J40 was a turbojet engine intended by the Bureau of Aeronautics in early 1946 to power several fighter aircraft. The engine was rated at 7,500 lbf (33 kN) of thrust at sea level static conditions.

 

Development

After considering proposals from three other engine companies, the Bureau of Aeronautics contracted with Westinghouse Electric Corporation in June 1947 for its development. The prototype engine first ran in November 1948. According to an article in the April 1949 edition of the Naval Aviation Confidential Bulletin by Lieutenant Commander Neil D. Harkleroad of the Bureau of Aeronautics Power Plant Division, "The engine has been operating successfully to date." As of that writing, the 50-hour flight substantiation test was to have been accomplished by June 1949 and the 150 hour qualification test by December 1949.

The J40-WE-8 with afterburner was to power most of the new Navy single-engine carrier-based fighters, the Grumman XF10F Jaguar variable sweep wing general purpose fighter, the McDonnell F3H Demon interceptor and the Douglas F4D Skyray interceptor. Growth to over 15,000 lbf (67 kN) of thrust in afterburner was projected. A version without afterburner, the J40-WE-6, was to power Douglas’ A3D Skywarrior twin-engine carrier-based bomber. The WE-8 was only a little over 40 inches in diameter but 25 feet long, with accessories and including the afterburner. It weighed almost 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg), the -6 being almost seven feet shorter and about 600 pounds (270 kg) lighter since it did not have an afterburner.

 

Decommission

Unfortunately, development of the big engine was protracted. The all-important 150-hour qualification test that was to have been accomplished in December 1949 was not completed until January 1951, a year behind schedule. The afterburner was particularly troublesome – the afterburner version, the J40-WE-8 did not pass its 150-hour qualification until August 1952. As a result, engines were delivered without afterburners, causing delays in the fighter flight test programs.

The J40 never did become operational, the program being terminated at some point in 1955. All the aircraft it was to power were either canceled or used alternative engines.

The J40 constituted a major failure for Naval aviation. It almost doomed three important programs, the F4D, A3D and F3H.

All three were saved by the using the excellent J57 or functional J71. The J40 fiasco doomed Westinghouse as a designer, and eventually manufacturer of jet engines.

 

 

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