Saturday, March 8, 2008

J-65 Jet Engine


This Buick General Manager photo op. was taken in factory #05. On the left you see Ivan L. Wiles turning over the keys to Edward T. Ragsdale . This would be 1956. 1956 news story.  Inventor of the hardtop.
This is a photo of the first J-65 jet engine which was on display in downtown Flint's Capital theater as a recruitment aid. This display is still around. I believe it is in the Kalamazoo Michigan aviation museum (Air Zoo) now. The engines were assembled in Illinois but most parts were made at factory #05. Another factory was built in Flint on Coldwater road for J-65 work but as with all wars the Korean conflict came to an end and this building became a small parts plant for General Motors called Ternstedt.   Link for further history of the jet and engine.





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