The Pratt & Whitney J58 (company designation JT11D-20) is an American jet engine that powered the Lockheed A-12, and subsequently the YF-12 and the SR-71 aircraft. It was an afterburning turbojet engine with a unique compressor bleed to the afterburner that gave increased thrust at high speeds.

Apr 15, 1996 · Shock Diamonds shown in Afterburner at Night. The first J-58s delivered to the blackbird program, all three models, had all stainless steel lines and the oil tank gold plated, the reason was for better heat dissipation.

Beale AFB SR-71 Test Cell. 1986 timeframe. This engine run was performed by MSgt John Wiltison.For more SR Engine info see this https://youtu.be/F3ao5SCedIk

The evening of Thursday, September 12, 2002 was the last time a Pratt & Whitney J58 filled the night sky at Edwards AFB with noise and light. To experience a J58 in full burner close up and personal is hard to describe.

The J-58 was an engine conceived to operate continuously at Mach 3 with the after burner on for the duration of the flight, providing spectacular results: seen here is a J-58-P2 at the test bench, at night, with red hot after burner exhaust "Diamond" shock waves can …

Dec 17, 2013 · “To experience a J58 in full burner close up and personal is hard to describe. Picture a gigantic blow torch, 40 inches in diameter, putting out a blue-yellow-orange flame over 50 feet long....

May 2, 2019 · To experience a J58 in full burner close up and personal is hard to describe. Picture a gigantic blow torch, 40 inches in diameter, putting out a blue-yellow-orange flame over 50 feet long. Imagine standing 30 feet from this, feeling the vibration and heat.

Sep 2, 2022 · As soon as Boeing, Northrop, and Lockheed were competing to make an aircraft capable of Mach 3 speeds, the J58 finally found its market. It wasn’t long before the CIA took interest in the promising J58 engine.

By the end of January 1963, ten engines were available and the first flight with two J-58 engines occurred on January 15. At speeds of Mach 2.4-2.8 the aircraft experienced such severe roughness that it was looking as if the program could not move forward. The trouble was diagnosed as being in the air inlet system of the engines.

The Blackbird was the only aircraft ever to be designed around the J58 (JT-11). This turbojet engine had been developed for a USN project, by Pratt & Whitney, at their West Palm Beach R & D center in Florida.