Pratt & Whitney J58/JT11D-20 family
Pratt & Whitney J58/JT11D-20 retired afterburning turbojet used as the twin powerplant for the operational Lockheed A-12 and SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. Smithsonian technical data records 133.44 kN afterburning thrust, an eight-stage axial compressor, cannular combustor, two-stage turbine, and 2,948 kg weight; inlet-shock-cone and bleed/bypass architecture supported sustained Mach-3-class operation. Exact production and NASA variants remain separate identities.
Identity
- Aliases
- J58Pratt & Whitney J58JT11D-20
- Domains
- aviation
- Identity Level
- family
- Kind
- turbojet
- Name
- Pratt & Whitney J58/JT11D-20 family
- Status
- retired
Details
- Air Breathing Specs
- Afterburning Thrust Kn
- 133.44
- Description
- Pratt & Whitney J58/JT11D-20 retired afterburning turbojet used as the twin powerplant for the operational Lockheed A-12 and SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. Smithsonian technical data records 133.44 kN afterburning thrust, an eight-stage axial compressor, cannular combustor, two-stage turbine, and 2,948 kg weight; inlet-shock-cone and bleed/bypass architecture supported sustained Mach-3-class operation. Exact production and NASA variants remain separate identities.
- Developers
- Manufacturers
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 14, 2026 at 11:13:06 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 14, 2026 at 23:18:54 UTC
Other
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Note
- P&W identifies twin J58 engines as the SR-71 powerplant and describes its Mach-3-class technical challenge.
- Publisher
- Pratt & Whitney
- Title
- This Day in History: SR-71 Makes First Flight
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Note
- USAF museum identifies two J58 engines on SR-71 and its A-12/YF-12A predecessors.
- Publisher
- National Museum of the United States Air Force
- Title
- Pratt & Whitney J58 Turbojet
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Note
- Smithsonian confirms the J58/JT11D-20 designation, afterburning thrust, eight-stage axial compressor, cannular combustor, two-stage turbine, and 2,948 kg weight.
- Publisher
- National Air and Space Museum
- Title
- Pratt & Whitney J58 (JT11D-20) Turbojet Engine
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Note
- NASA recognizes the Pratt & Whitney J58 axial-flow turbojets in the SR-71 propulsion system.
- Publisher
- NASA
- Title
- SR-71 Blackbird Fact Sheet