Combustor having enhanced weak extinction characteristics for a gas turbine engine

A gas turbine engine combustor comprising a combustion chamber (16) having an upstream heat-shield (38) surface with plural holes (42) therein for directing cooling air therethrough for flow over the downstream heat-shield (38) surface and having at least one fuel injector (24) for injecting a mixture of fuel and air into said combustion chamber (16), said fuel injector (24) being so configured that said fuel and air mixture is nominally injected about an axis into said combustion chamber (16) in the general form of a hollow cone (34) defined about the axis, characterized in that the angle (B) of said cone (34) and the velocity of said injected fuel and air mixture are arranged to be such that together they result in the injected fuel and air mixture creating a low pressure zone adjacent the heat shield (38) surface to cause said injected fuel and air mixture to flow generally away from the axis and parallel with said heat-shield surface (38), the hole (42) directing cooling air intermediate the heat shield (38) surface and the low pressure zone and at an angle relative the heat shield surface (38) so that the cooling air flow does not oppose said flow of said fuel and air mixture, at least some of said fuel and air mixture changing direction to flow toward the axis to effect a flow recirculation zone immediately downstream of the heat shield (38) surface.