ETATS UNIS
J-44S
FAIRCHILD
La Fairchild Engine Division démarra son projet d'étude pour un petit réacteur "bon marché" en 1946. Il devait être utilisé par la suite sur les missiles guidés que la compagnie était entrain de développer.
En juin 1947, Fairchlid, s'est vue attribuée par l'US Navy un contrat pour un réacteur de faible puissance, destiné à équipé un missile anti-sous-marin. Ce moteur, désigné J44, a été le premier réacteur américain "consommable", pour lequel une durée de vie d'au plus 10 heures était requise.
Le compresseur
C'était un compresseur à flux mixte, axiaux et centrifuges et à aubes courbes. Il était construit d'une seule pièce coulée en alliage de magnésium qui ne nécessitait aucun usinage des pales.
Le diffuseur
Similaire au compresseur dans sa conception, la section de diffuseur, avec 3 rangées d'aubes de guidage, était usinée d'une seule pièce.
J44 Technical data
| Manufacturer | FAIRCHILD |
| Initial testing | |
| Certification | |
| Type | Centrifugal-flow turbojet |
| Nb. built |
Dimensions
| Diameter | 560 mm | 22.04 in. |
| Lenth | 2240 mm | 88.19 in. |
| Frantal area | 0,25 m² | 2.7 sq ft |
Weight
| Not equipped | 127 kg | 280 lb |
| Equipped | kg | lb |
Performances
| Max RPM | t/mn | rpm |
| Max Idle | t/mn | rpm |
| Thrust at max | 454 kg | 1000 lb |
| Thrust at idle | ||
| Pressure ratio at max | 2.9 / 1 | |
| Max flow | kg/s | lb/sec |
| Max continue EGT | deg.C | def.F |
Consumption
| Fuel Consumption | gr/min | oz/min |
| Specific fuel consumption | 95,82 kg/KN/h | 0.94 lb/lb/hr) |
Combustion chamber
An annular combustion chamber was made from sheet metal and used commercialy available oil burners.
Turbine
The single stage turbine had its blades welded on to a forged steel disc. A simple, stock stainless steel tube, with a welded flange at each end, formed the rotor connecting the turbine to the compressor.
The was a bearing before the compressor and aft of the turbine and a fixed-area exhaust nozzle was used.
In August 1948 the XJ44 made its first run.
The first flight was made in mid 1950 when it powered Fairchild's Petrel Missile.
As service trial proceeded, so problems with J44 where thrown up, most of them attribuable to over-simplified production. A lot of changes were required, and development of J44 was completed by October 1954 under designation : J44-R-3.
The Improved engine was mounted on a Fairchild C-82 cargo aircraft, then later to each wingtips of the Fairchild C-123B cargo aircraft.
Another use of the J44 was one the experimental Bell model 65 VTOL Aircraft.
The main usage of the J44 was to power the Firebee drone, although, with a specific fuel consumption of 1,55 it could not compete with Continental's J-69 (Licence version of Turbomeca's Marbore) and it was taken out of production by 1959.
Principales utilisations
Réacteur d'appoint
Minijets
Missiles & Drones
