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Aviation History
1975
1975 - 0039.PDF
FLIGHT International, 2 January 1975 Type approval for the Rolls-Royce Gem turhoshaft is expected shortly end of 1975, nine per month by the end of 1976, and 13 per month by the end of 1977, at which point production is to stabilise at 13 to 14 a month. Deliveries of the Lynx to the Army are planned to start at the end of this year. With the announcement of an order for six Lynx by the Royal Netherlands Navy in November last year, additional engines will now be required to permit start of delivery of helicopters to Holland during 1976. Fifty Gems were built for the development programme, 40 of these being flight engines. Following a sixth and satisfactory 150hr endurance test during 1974, type approval for the Gem is expected early this year. R-R is also proceeding with civil approval of the engine, leading to eventual CAA certification for installation in the commercial Lynx, the Westland 606, which is scheduled to fly in December this year. Total engine test time by November 1974 was 13,500hr, including 4,200hr flying. Turbomeca is participating in the Gem production for the Anglo-French programme. Until the end of 1973 General Electric held an option to licence-manufacture the RS.360 commercial version of the Gem. Dart Single-shaft turboprop. The first turbine power unit in the world to enter scheduled passenger-carrying service (in the Vickers Viscount), the Dart celebrated 21 years of airline opera tion in April 1974. To date more than 6,500 Darts have been ordered for 12 types of aircraft and production is currently on a rising curve. The 4,500 in service earn R-R some £11 million, $25-5 million annual income through sales of spares, mainly to overseas customers. Present Dart production is for the Hawker Siddeley HS.748 and Fokker-VFW F.27 Friendship. The twin- Dart NAMC YS-11 ceased production at aircraft No 182 in February last year. Proposals for fresh applications for the turboprop include the HS.748 Coastguarder (2 X 2,280 e.h.p. Dart Mk 535-2) and Conroy Super Turbo-Three (2 X 1,670 e.h.p. Dart Mk 510). Total flying time on all Darts exceeds 70 million hours. Power ratings of the turboprop range from 1,540 to 3,245 e.h.p. Dart 10/1 Mk 340-10 Two-stage centrifugal compressor, tubular combustor, three-stage turbine, integral forward-located gearbox. Take-off 3,025 e.h.p.; pressure ratio 6-35:1; mass flow 271b/sec; length 98-Oin; diameter 38-Oin. Directory 21 ESM/EPM 600 Free-turbine two-shaft turboshaft and turbo prop. The 600 h.p. European Shaft Motor (ESM 600) and Euro pean Propeller Motor (ESM 600) were announced in April 1974 as joint ventures by R-R, MTU and Alfa Romeo. They were designed as low-cost turboshafts and turboprops for air-taxi helicopters and light business aircraft, and planned for produc tion in 1978. The programmes were terminated in August, however, following a review of the market and price limitations under the present high rate of cost inflation affecting European industry. F402 (Pegasus) Two-shaft vectored-thrust turbofan. US Navy/ Marine Corps designation for the Pegasus which powers AV-8A V/Stol fighter. See Pegasus. Gem (BS.360) Free-turbine three-shaft turboshaft. See BS.360. Gnome Free-turbine two-shaft turboshaft and turboprop. This engine is an Anglicised licence-built version of the General Electric T58 turboshaft, and is currently in production as the 1,500 s.h.p. Gnome H.1400 powering Westland Sea King heli copters. An uprated version, the Gnome H.1400-1, has been qualified with a 2imin rating of 1,590 s.h.p. to power an improved version of the Sea King ordered by the Royal Australian Xavy. First flight of a production aircraft with the H. 1400-1 took place in July 1974, by which time the British Ministry of Defence had authorised advanced purchase of materials also to convert Royal Navy H.1400 engines to -1 standard. At the same time the MoD indicated its intention to purchase a significant number of uprated Gnomes for later RN Sea Kings. Well over 1,500 Gnome turboshafts have been built to date. Turboprop versions of the Gnome are also on offer at ratings from 1,500 to 1,700 s.h.p. for fixed-wing Stol applications. R-R has also sub-licensed the T58 to Alfa Romeo. Applications. Westland Wessex 2, 5 and 60 (2 X 1,350 s.h.p. Gnome H.1200); Westland Sea King (2 X 1,500 s.h.p. Gnome H.1400 or 2 X 1,590 s.h.p. Gnome H. 1400-1); Westland Com mando (2 X 1,500 s.h.p. Gnome H.1400-1). J99 Two-shaft lift-jet. This is a high thrust :weight ratio power- plant for V/Stol aircraft and has been developed jointly by R-R and Detroit Diesel Allison under Anglo-US government financing. No firm application has so far been forthcoming, but for the US Navy's VFAX strike fighter project most of the V/Stol designs submitted make use of a lift- lift/cruise propulsion system, with the Grumman V/Stol version of its VFAX including use of a single XJ99-RA-1. Other VFAX designs specify a lift engine and may involve the J99. The J99 engine is also proposed as a booster unit or as the core for a high-bypass-ratio lift-fan. XJ99-RA-1 Two-stage 1-p compressor, four-stage h-p com pressor, annular combustor, single-stage h-p and 1-p turbines. Take-off approximately 9,0001b; length 43-3in; diameter 27-4in; weight approximately 4501b. M45H Two-shaft turbofan. The M45H has been developed jointly by R-R and Snecma to power the VFW-Fokker 614, "with development costs being financed 50 per cent by Germany, 30 per cent by R-R and 20 per cent by Snecma. The engine completed its 150hv type test during the first part of 1974, and type approval is planned to be complete this month. Rolls-Royce in April 1973 received an order from VFW-Fokker for 30 engines, and purchase of long-lead items for a further 30 units was also authorised. First deliveries of M45Hs are scheduled for this month and the 614 is to enter service in April. Eight aircraft are planned to be built this year, 16 in 1976, rising to two per month in 1977. Al though orders for the 614 are making a slow start, VFW-Fokker foresees a total market for about 300 aircraft. So far, more than 5,000hr bench-testing of the M45H has been completed, and engine flying time in the 614 prototype is in the region of 3,000hr. Post-certification work on the M45H is being concentrated on increasing the TBO. At entry into service, sampling is expected to start at 800hr. A notable feature of the M45H is its low noise level, some five to six EPNdB below the requirements of FAR Part 36. Only other application for the M45 is as an underwing booster on the projected Dassault-Breguet Atlantic Mk 2. Also proposed is a series of M45H turbofan and turboshaft derivatives, with ratings extending to 18,5001b and 8,750 s.h.p. respectively; these are designated M45H (RB.411), M45M (RB.407), M45SE (RB.427), M45SF (RB.415) and M45T (RB.424). M45H-01 Mk 501 Single-stage fan and five-stage i-p compressor.
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