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Aviation History
1972
1972 - 0043.PDF
FLIGHT International, 6 January 1972 WORLD AERO ENGINES keener element to the market—one which has already taken potential business from the Lycoming turboshaft. Turbomeca no doubt has similar aims for its new coupled unit. Market contenders: Detroit Diesel Allison Model 250-C18 317 s.h.p., 23kW; Model 250-C20 400 s.h.p., 298kW. MTU Model 6022 A3 375 s.h.p., 280kW. AiResearch TSE36-1 240 s.h.p., 180kW. AiResearch TSE231-1 474 s.h.p., 353kW. United Aircraft of Canada PT6A-27-28, 751 e.h.p., 560kW; PT6A-30 940 e.h.p., 701kW; PT6A-40 1,169 e.h.p., 872kW; PT6A-50 1,186 e.h.p., 884kW; AiResearch TPE331 Series 1 705 e.h.p., 526kW; TPE331 Series 2 755 e.h.p., 563kW; TPE331 Series 3 904 e.h.p., 674kW; TPE331 Series 5 776 e.h.p., 579kW; AiResearch TSE331-3U 800 s.h.p., 597kW Turbomeca Astazou II A 523 s.h.p., 390kW; Astazou III N 592 s.h.p., 441kW; Astazou XIV C 853 e.h.p., 636kW. Turbomeca Bastan VI C 1,055 e.h.p. 787kW; Bastan VII 1,145 e.h.p., 854kW; Turbomeca Turmastazou 889 s.h.p., 663kW; Turbomeca Turmo III C3 1,480 s.h.p. l,240kW; Turmo III D6 1,500 s.h.p., l,119kW; Turmo IV A 1,417 s.h.p. l,057kW; Turmo 16 1,973 s.h.p., l,471kW; Turbomeca Double Turmastazou 1,775 s.h.p. l,324kW. Motorlet M601 700 e.h.p. 522kW. General Electric CT58-110 1,250 s.h.p., 932kW; CT58-140 1,400 s.h.p., I044kW; Avco Lycoming T5313A 1,400 s.h.p., l,044kW. United Aircraft of Canada PT6T Turbo Twin-Pac 1,800 s.h.p., l,342kW. Military engines SUBSONIC 40,0001b, 178kN THE REAL SIGNIFICANCE of the 41,1001b, 184kN TF39 high- bypass-ratio turbofan is not so much that it is the sole contender in the high-thrust end of the military market worldwide, but that it gave General Electric a major source of revenue at a critical time in the growth of the company's Aircraft Engine Group and subsequently enabled GE to break into the "big time" in the civil trans port market via its CF6 derivatives. As such the TF39 has played a crucial role in influencing the manner in which the commercial large-engine market has evolved during the past three or four years: the big USAF engine has been instrumental in enabling GE to move firmly into No 2 position in the world aero-engine stakes—and would have done so regardless of whether Rolls-Royce and its RB.211 had experienced their major problems of 1971. As the powerplant for the US Air Force's C-5A strategic transport, built by Lockheed, the TF39 seems unlikely to gain further application in the foreseeable future—unless a tanker version of the C-5A is chosen for the USAF's KC-X advanced-tanker requirement. Only one variant of the engine has been developed, the TF-39-GE-1 which at mid-1971 was still limited in hot-day performance, giving 37,2001b, 165kN up to 23°C compared with the contract specification of 41,100, 184kN up to 32°C. Having afforded the core engine experience on which the CF6 is based, the TF39 will be rapidly overtaken in flight time by its civil counterpart within the next few months. The beneficial flow of operating experience will then effectively reverse direction. Market contender: General Electric TF39-GE-1 41,1001b, 184kN. Contrasting the 5,0001b, 23kN General Electric GEI turbojet with the GE TF39 high by-pass ratio turbofan of4l,000lb, l84kN which powers the Lockheed C-5A SUBSONIC AND SUPERSONIC 20,0001b, 89kN—30,0001b, 134kN PRIME CONTENDERS in this category are the new trio of American turbofans, the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 for the USAF's McDonnell Douglas F-15 air-superiority fighter, its sister engine the F401-PW-400 for the USN's Grumman F-14B Tomcat air-superiority fighter, and the General Electric F101-GE-100 for the USAF's North American Rockwell B-1A strategic bomber. The F100 and F401, which utilise a common core engine but with individually sized fans and afterburners, are officially described as being in the 20,0001b, 89kN to 30,0001b, 134kN-thrust class, while the F101 is in the 30,0001b, 134kN class. As such the three engines have this propulsion sector to themselves in the West. Russia, which appears to have been late in developing military augmented turbofans, is at present working on a new generation of at least seven turbofans, doubtless including engines comparable with the F100, F401 and F101. Delays in development of between six and 12 months have been experienced by the two P&W engines. This has led the US Navy to modify its plans to purchase 20 F-14Bs during Fiscal 1972, and instead it has ordered an increased number (48) of F-14As, powered by the P&W TF30-PW-412 augmented turbofan. The F-15 powered by the F100 is, on the other hand, described by McDonnell Douglas as being on schedule and within planned costs; first flight should take place this summer. Total development cost for the two engines are being shared equally by the USAF and USN. Delays to the F100/F401 programme, however, have added $122 million, £47 million to the Fiscal 1972 develop ment costs of $100 million, £38-5 million. The increased costs are being shared $55 million, £21-2 million by the two services and $12-2 million, £4-7 million by P&W. It is now anticipated that the USN will order 179 F-14Bs and 122 F-14As, with service entry of the former version being delayed by the engine problems by more than a year, to 1975. Revised programme dates for the F401 include preliminary flight-rating-test milestone date set back to March 1973, and military-qualification test mile stone date set back to May 1973. The F-15 is less affected by F100/F401 delays and should start operational flying with the USAF on schedule in 1975. Neither version has commenced flight testing. Perhaps rather pointedly, GE repeatedly emphasised throughout last year that its F101 programme was on schedule, specification and cost. In July the engine success fully completed its initial design review by the USAF, and in September the FlOl's two-stage fan met or exceeded all its test objectives. Subsequently the fan has been coupled with the F101 compressor to test aerodynamic com patibility. Core-engine testing was also scheduled to have
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