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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 0811.PDF
404 FLIGHT AERO ENGINES 1959 . . . this year. The company state that the advanceof the T60 has been so rapid that 500 s.h.p. and 0.65 specific consumption is forecast foran early date, and a vigorous weight-reduction programme should ensure a specific weight ofabout 0.45 lb/s.h.p. for the advanced engine. The original Navy contract was particularlyconcerned with helicopters, but applications for the T60 include fixed-wing aircraft anddrones. C.O NTINENTAL Aircraft EngineDivision, The Continental Motors Corporation, Muskegon, Mich. Since 1951 Continentalhave been engaged in the development and production of a range of Americanized ver-sions of several small gas turbines designed by the French Soc. Turbomeca. The mostimportant of these is the J69 (derived from the Marbore) described below. Other variantsare the Model 220 (military XT51) turboshaft engine (Artouste), the Models 320 and 324turbojets (respectively Palas and Arbizon) and the Model 160 air compressor (Autan). Inaddition, the Model 141 (Palouste) air com- pressor has been made in large numbers forinstallation in pressure-jet helicopters and U.S.A.F. ground vehicles, and an airline vari-ant for starting jet transports is being marketed. The following are notes on the company's mostimportant current engines. Gas Turbines J69 Well over a thousand of these engineshave now been delivered, for installation in basic trainers and target drones. The mostcommon long-life variant is the Model 352, J69-T-9, which is fitted to the Cessna T-37Aof the U.S.A.F. The very similar T-2 is fitted to corresponding Navy aircraft. Comparedwith the French Marbore II, the Continental engine has slightly greater thrust and com-pletely different accessories. The illustration depicts the T-9 variant. The T-19B is thestandard drone powerplant, rated at 1,060 lb and fitted to the Ryan Q-2A Firebee; a slightlyhotter missile engine is the T-27 rated at 1,150 lb. Continental have gone ahead ontheir own in evolving an improved series of J69s with an axial stage ahead of the centri-fugal compressor, thus bringing the design point close to that of 'he latest Turbomecaengines. The most highly rated of the new versions is the T-29, which will be fitted tothe supersonic Ryan Q-2C drone at a rating of 1,700 lb thrust. The T-29 weighs 335 lb,some 23 lb more than the earlier drone engines. J87 Continental's experience with theTurbomeca engines has prompted them to develop a gas turbine more or less from scratch.The J87 is a small turbojet sponsored by the U.S. Air Force, and in view of the latter factall details are restricted. It is likely, however, to be the smallest American turbojet, with arating of less than 1,000 lb thrust. Piston Engines During the past year the company haveintroduced a geared version of the popular O-300 flat-six. The GO-300 series are accord-ingly cleared to run at 3,200 r.p.m. to give 175 h.p.; a conventional carburettor is retained.A completely new version of the well-known O-526 flat-six is the FSO-526-A helicopterengine; less powerful than the fixed-wing ver- sion, it is rated at 270 h.p. for both take-offand continuous purposes, and is cooled by a shrouded gear-driven fan turning about a ver-tical axis at the front of the horizontal crankshaft. F AI RCHILD Fairchild Engine Divi-sion, Deer Park, Long Island, N.Y. In 1947 Fairchild initiated the design of the J44, asmall single-shaft turbojet of unique design. This has ever since been the Engine Division's"bread and butter" line, and it has achieved some success in the propulsion of target dronesand special missiles. In 1955 work began on a more advanced engine which became the J83;rated in the 2,000 lb class, it continued the fabricated-sheet monocoque type of construc-tion pioneered with the J44. Fairchild hoped to obtained military and commercial sales forthe J83 but in the event its whole development was tied up with the SM-73 Goose diver-sionary missile, for which it provided cruise propulsion. This vehicle was cancelled late last year. As a result the J83 was also can-celled, 2,000 of the Engine Division's 2,600 employees had to be laid off, and work isrestricted to J44 development and a search for new business. J44 All engines of this family are single-shaft units with the configuration given in the data panel. The first short-life version for un-manned applications was run on me bench in 1948, service-tested in 1949 and flown in amissile in 1950. The J44-R-20B variant is the standard powerplant of several versions of theRyan Firebee target drone, and a number of engines have completed more than one flightafter being recovered from the sea or desert. The J44-R-26 is an uprated version, with arating of 1,100 1b, on which development is continuing. The R-24 was built in some num-bers as the powerplant of the AUM-1 Petrel air-to-underwater missile. The R-3 is used inwing-tip nacelles on C-123B Provider assault transports of the U.S.A.F. to provide boostthrust, and the FT-101E is a commercial ver- sion for similar applications. > GENERAL ELECTRIC TheGeneralElectric Company, Aircraft Gas Turbine Divi- sion, Cincinnati IS, Ohio. Since their intro-duction to the gas turbine field in 1941 (when they started the development and productionof engines based on Sir Frank Whittle's designs), G.E. have manufactured more air-craft turbojets than any other company. The production of the J47 alone totalled no fewerthan 33,000 engines when the last was delivered in 1955. These units were fully described inour engine issues of April 9, 1954, and May 11, 1956; many are at present employed as hackunits in research programmes, particularly those concerned with nuclear propulsion. Following the J47 came the J73, a moremodern single-shaft turbojet, and the present culmination of this work is the excellent J79,the first of a family of variable-stator engines which permit the achievement of high pres-sure ratios without having recourse to a two- spool configuration. The J79 and its com-mercial counterpart, the CJ-805, are being intensively developed, both as straight jets andas the basic units from which aft-fan engines are being evolved. The most important enginefor the future is the J93, which is again a completely new design. G.E.'s Small Aircraft Engine Departmentat Lynn, Mass., has for some years been en- gaged in the development of the T58 turboshaftengine, and also holds contracts for the J85 turbojet and the T64 2,500 h.p. engine. In the nuclear field General Electric have ahead-start over all other firms in the United States, in that their research contract hasoperated at full pressure for many years past and is accordingly closer to providing flyablehardware than that of any other company. From the outset G.E. have been investigatingclosed-cycle systems, and at Idaho Falls the company's Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Depart-ment have succeeded in running J47 hack engines entirely on the heat released from anuclear reactor. At present the engines are started on con-ventional hydrocarbon fuel; the reactor employed is a water-moderated assemblycooled by air which is gradually admitted to the combustion chamber of the running turbo-jet. The latter is built up from portions of J47s in the following manner: atmospheric airis induced at the intake, compressed conven- tionally and discharged through a large duct Boeing Model 520-2 (YT60-BO-2) Military turbo- shaft engine. Centrifugal compressor, twin reverse- flow combustion chambers, inwards-radial compressor turbine and independent single-stage axial power turbine. Overall width, 25in; overall height, 26in; overall length, 57.25in; dry weight, 335 Ib magnesium or 360 Ib aluminium; max rating, 400 s.h.p. at 6,000 r.p.m. with mass flow of 5.S Ib/sec, pressure ratio of 4.4:1 and s.f.c. of 0.72 Ib/hr/b.h.p.; normal continuous rating, 350 h.p. Continental Model 352 (J69-T-9) Military turbojet. Centrifugal compressor, annular combustion chamber with rotating fuel-injection unit and single-stage tur- bine. Overall diameter, 22.3in; overall length, 50in; dry weight, 364 Ib; max rating, 920 ib dry at 22,700 r.p.m. with s.f.c. of 1.13. The later J69-T-25 is the same size and weight and is rated at 1,025 Ib with s.f.c. of 1.14. The first short-life engines, of T-19B type, weigh 312 Ib and give 1,060 Ib with s.f.c. of 1.27. Fairchild J44-R-26 Company-sponsored single-shaft turbojet. Single-sided compressor, initially axial but terminating as a centrifugal, annular combustion chamber with 12 burners and single-stage turbine. Overall diameter, 22.3in; length as depicted, 92in ; dry weight, 365 Ib; max rating, 1,1001b dry at 15,780 r.p.m. with ma5sflowof25 Ib/sec, pressure ratio of 3.25:1 and s.f.c. of 1.30. which leads directly to the reactor. The air isthen passed through the reactor and out again, and thence through a large combustion cham-ber for hydrocarbon fuel from which hot gas General Electric J79-GE-3A Military single-shaft turbojet. Seventeen-stage compressor with variable-inci- dence inlet guide vanes and first six stators, can-annular combustion chamber with ten flame tubes, three-stage turbine and afterburner with fully variable con-di nozzle. Overall diameter, 32.5in (36in at nozzle shroud); length as depicted, 204in; dry weight, approximately 3,190 Ib; max rating, 11,000 Ib dry or approximately 16,000 Ib with full reheat with mass flow of 162 Ib/sec, pressure ratio of 12:1 and s.f.c. (dry) of about 0.8.
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