Westinghouse J40 Axial Turbojet Family: Development History and Technical Profiles - Paperback

by Paul J. Christiansen (Author)

Drawing almost exclusively from primary sources, this volume details the development history of each of the many Westinghouse J40 engine models. Long buried in various archives, the technical struggles of Westinghouse to achieve success are at last revealed in detail. The J40 engine program occurred at a time when engine manufacturers the world over were endeavoring to push engine thrusts and efficiencies beyond the initial achievements in World War II and the years immediately following. Westinghouse failed to make timely investments in resources and research until it was too late to affect the outcome of the program. The failure of the higher powered J40 models that the U.S. Navy counted on for multiple airframe projects seriously delayed major programs, resulting in Congressional censure. Focusing on the technical aspects of the engines, this volume clarifies and corrects the many errors published over the years regarding these engines. The volume includes many informative illustrations and charts regarding the construction and operational details for the various models.

Author Biography

The author is a lifelong aviation enthusiast. During the Vietnam War, he became a helicopter pilot and flew Huey's in the MeCong Delta area. On return to the U.S.A., he served as an instructor pilot at the primary flight helicopter training school in Texas, teaching other pilots the training methods and syllabus. He worked for IBM in both field administration and internal business application and support, retiring in 2001. An expert in software project development, risk management and proposal development, he is married, has two married daughters and continues to pursue his interest in the history of aviation engine development.