Westinghouse J46 Axial Turbojet Family: Development History and Technical Profiles

The first volume in this series dealt with the Westinghouse J40. This volume details the development history of the J46 engine, beginning with the developments of the J34 engine that ended up in the initial J46. The unexpected and prolonged technical struggles of Westinghouse to bring the J46 to production status are detailed, along with the development histories of forgotten variants planned or developed for cancelled airframe projects. The J46 engine program resulted when The U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics identified a need for more power than the existing J34 could produce. Expecting to capitalize on the outcome of BuAer’s extensive J34 improvement investments, Westinghouse planned the new engine as yet another stretch of the J34 design with an all new electronic control system that for the first time integrated an afterburner. The development failure of the initial control system, and recurring mechanical problems led to late production and the delay of the introduction of the Vought’s F7U-3 Cutlass into service. Itself over-weight and plagued with problems, this aircraft was called “gutless”. The author offers interesting insights into contributing causes. With the withdrawal of the F7U-3 from service, both the J46 and its planned, almost unknown, successors quickly sank from view.Focusing on the technical aspects of the engine’s development, primary sources were used almost exclusively. Contains 74 illustrations and numerous charts regarding the construction, performance, and operational details for the various models, many of which are almost unknown to the public.