General Electric (GE) Aerospace: A foundational American industrial corporation that pioneered the development of jet propulsion in the United States. GE was selected by the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941 to adapt British engineer Frank Whittle’s turbojet designs due to the company’s extensive expertise in turbosuperchargers—devices that allowed piston-engine bombers to operate at high altitudes. This effort resulted in the I-A, the first jet engine to fly in America (powering the Bell XP-59A in 1942), effectively launching the United States into the Jet Age.
Throughout the 20th century, GE established several major milestones in military aviation. It produced the J47, which remains the most-produced gas turbine engine in history (powering the F-86 Sabre and B-36 Peacemaker), and the J79, the first engine capable of sustained Mach 2 flight. In the modern era, GE is a leader in high-bypass turbofan and variable-cycle engine technology, manufacturing the F110 for the F-16 and the F414 for the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Through its CFM International joint venture with Safran, it also produces the world’s most widely used commercial and military transport engines, such as the CFM56.