Up In The Hills

You never know where you’re going to find aviation history.  Sometimes it is sitting out for all the world to see, but no one sees it because it is just so obvious.  Take this for instance.  This is out in the hills south of Satus, Washington.  I happened to be out for a drive and had decided to turn around and go back.  I glanced at this twice.  At one point my glance wandered across the “J57” and it occurred to me that there was a jet engine called that.  When I looked back, I saw this!  Well, obviously, I had to stop and take photos.

The J-57 was a turbojet engine that powered many of the USAF’s 1950s jets, and some of the Navy’s.  They were manufactured from 1951 to 1965, with over 21,000 built!  The B-52 was originally powered by the J-57, as were the F-100, the F-102, the Navy’s F-8 and F4D.  It was a widely used engine.  And this is evidence of it’s existence.

These “cans” are what they used to transport the engines in.  They were obviously water-proof, especially, since this is being used for water storage. 

So, keep your eyes open, things like this are out there in the open.  You just need to recognize them!

Have you seen something in Washington State that just screams aviation history to you?  Drop me a line about where it is, and if you send me a photo, I’ll post it here!