The 8,500-pound-thrust J52 engine was first built for the North American Hound Dog missile.
With models producing 11,200 pounds of thrust, the J52 soon became the Navy's workhorse, powering McDonnell Douglas' A-4 Skyhawk series and Grumman's A-6 Intruder and EA-6B Prowler. More than 5,000 J52 engines were produced, spanning nearly three decades.