I started reading a book today about GE aviation. One of the motors it covered was the GE 4, meant for the Boeing 2707 a.k.a the SST. This motor was massive! The book claims 69,900lbs of thrust! However wiki claims 65,000 with after burner. Either way that's huge! In the book there is a side by side comparison of the GE 4 and the GE YJ 93 (28,000 lbs thrust) that was used in the XB-70. The GE 4 was at least twice the size of the YJ 93. If the JY's produced 28,000lbs of thrust..X's 6 that equals 168,000lbs of thrust. The GE 4, X's 4 = 260,000lbs of thrust! That's not bad when you put them up against today's GEnx that can produce 50,000 - 75,000lbs of thrust each! I know high bypass vs. axial flow......... still impressive by all means! Amazing how much can change in forty years!
BTW the Boeing 2707 was the first designed wide body. 2-3-2!
Boeing 2707
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_2707GE 4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_GE4XB-70's YJ 93
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_YJ93Anyone ever heard of the GE 4?