Fairchild J44

J44
A Fairchild J44R-24 on display at the Frontiers of Flight Museum
Type	Turbojet
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Fairchild Engine Division
First run	August 1948
Major applications	Ryan AQM-34 Firebee C-123 Provider
Developed into	Fairchild J83

The Fairchild J44 was a small expendable turbojet developed in the 1940s by the Fairchild Engine Division.^[1]

Design and development

The Fairchild Engine Division (previously the Ranger Aircraft Engine Division of the Fairchild Engine & Aircraft Corporation) began development of the J44 in 1947. It was used in target drones, missiles, and as jet boosters on several aircraft types.

Applications

• Ryan AQM-34 Firebee (B/C)
• Fairchild AQM-41 Petrel
• Bell Model 65
• Fairchild C-123 Provider
• Fairchild C-82 Packet

Variants

Data from: Aircraft engines of the World 1953,^[2] Flight 20 March 1959 :AERO ENGINES 1959 . . .,^[3] Aircraft engines of the World 1957^[4]

XJ44

Prototypes of the J44

J44-R-1

United States Air Force (USAF) engine, similar to the United States Navy (USN) -6, 950 lbf (4.2 kN).

J44-R-2

Same as -6 but with different installation.

J44-R-3

Longer life - Fairchild C-123 Provider wing-tip boosters.

J44-R-6

USN version, 950 lbf (4.2 kN).

J44-R-12

expendable.

J44-R-20B

Ryan Firebee.

J44-R-24

Fairchild Petrel.

J44-R-26

1,100 lbf (4.9 kN) company sponsored variant.

FT-101E

Commercial version of -3.

FT-101-G

Commercial version with return oil system.

Specifications(J44-R-3)

Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1955-56,^[5] Minijets: Fairchild J44,^[6] Turbojet History and Development 1930-1960 Volume 2,^[7] Aircraft engines of the World 1957^[4]

General characteristics

• Type: turbojet
• Length: 90.4 in (2,300 mm)
• Diameter: 24.3 in (620 mm)
• Dry weight: 370 lb (170 kg) dry, complete

Components

• Compressor: single stage axial/centrifugal flow compressor
• Combustors: annular combustion chamber with 12 burner nozzles
• Turbine: single-stage axial-flow turbine
• Fuel type: JP-4
• Oil system: Oil-mist total loss

Performance

• Maximum thrust: 1,000 lbf (4.45 kN) static thrust at 15,780 rpm
• Overall pressure ratio: 2.7:1
• Air mass flow: 25 lb/s (11 kg/s) at 15,780 rpm
• Specific fuel consumption: 1.55 lb/(lbf⋅h) (44 g/(kN⋅s))
• Thrust-to-weight ratio: 2.9

See also

Related development

• Fairchild J83

Related lists

• List of aircraft engines

References

1. Leyes & Fleming 1999, p. 63.
2. Wilkinson, Paul H. (1953). Aircraft engines of the World 1953 (11th ed.). London: Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons Ltd. p. 46.
3. "AERO ENGINES 1959 . . . :Fairchild". Flight. 75 (2617): 404. 20 March 1959. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
4. Wilkinson, Paul H. (1957). Aircraft engines of the World 1957 (15th ed.). London: Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons Ltd. p. 64.
5. Bridgman, Leonard (1955). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1955-56. London: Jane's all the World's Aircraft Publishing Co. Ltd.
6. "Fairchild J44". Minijets (in French). Retrieved 7 January 2019.
7. Kay, Anthony L. (2007). Turbojet History and Development 1930-1960 Volume 2:USSR, USA, Japan, France, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Hungary. Vol. 2 (1st ed.). Ramsbury: The Crowood Press. pp. 151–152. ISBN 978-1-86126-939-3.

Further reading

• Leyes, Richard A.; Fleming, William A. (1999). The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines. AIAA. ISBN 978-1-56347-332-6.