Arnie Gunderson worked on the Pratt and Whitney J58 for two decades, so who better to walk you around when touring one at the Air Zoo? This is a killer aerospace and science museum in Michigan that is affiliated with the Smithsonian and that means awesomeness. Arnie would ultimately become the head engineer on the J58 portion of the SR-71 program and has some cool stories he probably can’t even talk about.
It is capable of Mach 3.2 at 80,000 feet, is a single spool turbo jet, and is running on air that is 800 degrees Fahrenheit. This thing is an insane engineering marvel that grows 6 inches in length and 2.5 inches in diameter when it is at full song. Yeah, it’s crazy and that is just one of the cool things that is going on here. The technology inside this engine, which is now decades old, is nuts.
If you dig rocket science you need to watch this. We can’t even touch on the stuff that Arnie is talking about here because there is so much cool going on.
Video Description:
The Air Zoo is a world-class, Smithsonian-affiliated aerospace and science museum, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with over 100 air and space artifacts, inspiring interactive exhibits, full-motion flight simulators, indoor amusement park rides, a theater and over 100 education programs!
Fascinating technology and this was 30 years ago. What do we have in service now?
Slide-rule technology. You have to love it. The Buick starter engines were actually 401 nail heads, not 400s. They were tuned up to 400 HP. but what a pleasure to listen to this guy.
I tracked his first two J58 engines on an A-12 July 20th 1963.
doing 2250 MPH and 83,000 ALT.