The Bizarre Rear-Fan Engine That Killed The World's Fastest Airliner

GE’s ambitious project to develop an aft-fan engine design resulted in significant financial losses and ultimately contributed to the demise of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird aircraft. This experimental engine, spearheaded by GE Aviation, was intended as a radical redesign for supersonic flight but proved highly problematic. The development effort consumed substantial resources, estimated at $2 billion, before being abandoned due to its performance issues and high costs. Consequently, General Dynamics’ Convair Corporation faced severe economic difficulties stemming from their reliance on this failed technology. The aft-fan concept effectively bankrupted Convair, marking a critical turning point in the company's history and highlighting the risks associated with such large-scale engineering ventures.