Book Reviews 11
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Westinghouse J34 Axial Turbojet Family Softbound, 8.5" x 11.0" x 1.0", 396 pages Recommended Retail Price: $44.59 197 Photos and Figures |
Reviewed by Kimble D. McCutcheon - 8 Nov 2024
Westinghouse J34 Axial Turbojet Family is a fitting culmination of Paul Christiansen’s brilliantly detailed five-book series on Westinghouse aircraft gas turbines. The J34 (Westinghouse designation X24C) was Westinghouse’s most successful engine, finding wide application in numerous aircraft types including the Convair F2Y, Curtiss-Wright XF-87, Douglas D-558-2, Douglas F3D, X-3, Fairchild C-119, Grumman OV-1A, Lockheed P-2E/G/H, McDonnell F2H, McDonnell XF-85, McDonnell XF-88, North American T-2A, Ryan XFR-4, Vought F6U and Vought F7U.
Christiansen begins his J34 story with brief coverage of the Westinghouse X19A and X19B, engines that helped establish the technological base from which the J34 grew. While the X24 was not a direct descendant, many of its features addressed shortcomings in the X19 design, most notably its relatively low thrust. When the U.S. Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) requested a higher-thrust X19 variant, Westinghouse proposed 21”, 23” and 24” diameter designs designated the X21C, X23C and X24C, with the X24C designation first appearing in 6 Jun 1944 proposal amendment.
The X24C endured the usual new-engine teething problems, but its development was severely impacted by the Navy’s request for myriad variations, including different tail pipe/nozzle/emergency fuel system configurations for every airframe application, and accessory locations on the engine’s port, starboard or bottom sides. The Navy finally wised up and reduced the configuration combinations to a manageable level. This led to X24C-series production with its initial 3,000 lbT takeoff rating. On 15 Jan 1947 the Army Air Materiel Command (AMC) Engineering Standards Section assigned J34-WE-1, -3, -5, -7, -9 designations to Army engines; the Navy later adopted this same designation convention for its engines.
With its history and initial development covered, Christiansen devotes a chapter to J34-WE-22 production, which includes coverage of the numerous issues that arose when AMC insisted on multiple sources for its engines. Allison and Wright Aeronautical were selected as J34 second sources, but protracted arguments among the AMC, BuAer, Westinghouse, Allison and Wright Aero over drawing quality, drawing revision control and general engine configuration control persisted so long that the requirement for J34 second sources was dropped and neither Allison nor Wright Aero produced any engines.
Christiansen provides other development and production chapters for the following models: J34-WE-30, -30A and -40; J34-WE-11; J34-WE-28 and 34; J34-WE-36; J34-WE-32, (-17, -42), -38; and J34-WE-46, -48.
Chapter 15 is a deep dive into J34 construction and operation. An appendix lists all J34 model numbers and their respective characteristics; another appendix is a reprint of Federal Aviation Administration Type Certificate Data Sheet No. E-265, which documents Westinghouse’s attempt to penetrate the commercial jet engine market.
This book, along with its predecessors, presents a detailed look at the development of a technology as engine manufacturers and their government customers came to grips with the complexities of engine and airframe requirements definition, specification, design, development, construction, production and use.
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