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Aviation History
1978
1978 - 0032.PDF
40 FLIGHT International, 7 January 1978 Small Turbine Advanced Gas Generator (Stagg). This pro gramme may now have been superseded by the Advanced Turbine Demonstrator Engine (ATDE). T76 (TPE331) Single-shaft turboprop. Military turboprop derivative of the TSE331 turboshaft of the early 1960s, the T76 has only one application!, the Rockwell OV-10 Bronco counter-insurgency aircraft. Some OV-10A, B and C variants have been built with the T76-G-10 and -12 (handed for clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation). In October 1976 the OV-10D Night Observation Surveillance (NOS) variant of the OV-10A made its first flight, re-engined with the 1,040 s.h.p. T76-G-420 and -421. A further 32 OV-10E and -10F Broncos have also been ordered. The configuration of the T76 is the same as that of the civil TPE331 except for the use of a chin intake rather than an above-the-gearbox inlet. TFE731 Geared two-shaft turbofan. In the space of only five years since production of the TFE731 began (Septem ber 1972), deliveries of the turbofan now exceed the 1,000 mark by a handsome margin. These engines power nine different types of business jet with more than 270 opera tors, and flight hours exceed 500,000. After a rather slow start, further hindered by the 1973 oil crisis, the TFE731 has now taken off in convincing fashion. Uniquely situated in the 3,500-4,0001b thrust bracket to meet the needs of the main spread of the business-aviation market, it is now established in three types of application: new designs (three, including a military trainer); retrofit installations (six, from four countries); and re-engining of current pro duction models (eight, from five countries). A schedule of first flights and production starts continues throughout this year and on into 1979. At mid-1977, production of the 3,5001b TFE731-2 and the 3,7001b TFE731-3 was running at 30-35 units per month. By September, such was the US and overseas demand for the engine, Garrett decided to increase shipments of the TFE731 (and the ATF3) to a total of around 550 units a year by 1980. The Cessna 700 Citation III, due to fly early next year, will be the first, application for the 4,0001b-thrust TFE731-4. All the signs are therefore that Garrett has a well-deserved and long- running success on its hands, with growth potential to around 4,5001b. Applications and projects: HS.125 Series 700 (2X 3,7001b TFE731-3; Hawker Siddeley/AiResearch HS.125 Series 1A, 3A, 3ARA and 400A conversions (2 X 3,7001b TFE731- 3); Hawker Siddeley HS.125 Series 600F (2 X 3,7001b TFE731-3); CASA C-101 (1 X 3,5001b TFE731-3); Cessna Model 700 Citation m (2 X 4,0001b TFE731-4); Dassault- Breguet Falcon 10 (2 X 3,2301b TFE731-2); Dassault- Breguet Falcon 20F conversion (2 X 3,5001b TFE731-2); Dassault-Breguet Falcon 50 (3 X 3,7001b TFE731-3); Gates Learjet 35A and 36A (2 X 3,5001b TFE731-2); Gates Lear- jet Models 54, 55 and 56 (2 X 3,6501b TFE731-3-100B); Israel Aircraft Industries 1123 Westwind conversion and 1124 ^ Westwind (2 X 3,7001b TFE731-3); ICX Aviation X-Avia (3 X TFE731); Lockheed Model 1329-25 JetStar II (4 X 3,7001b TFE731-3); Lockheed/AiResearch 731 JetStar conversion (4 X 3,7001b TFE731-3); Piaggio PD-808TF con version (2 X 3,7001b TFE731-3); Rockwell International Sabreliner Model 40 and Model 60 conversions, and Model 65 (2 X 3,7001b TFE731-3). TFE731-3 Single-stage geared fan and four-stage 1-p com pressor, single-stage centrifugal h-p compressor, annular reverse-flow combustor, single-stage h-p turbine, three-stage 1-p turbine. Take-off 3,7001b, bypass ratio 2-79:1, pressure ratio 14-6:1, mass flow 120-31b/sec, length 49-73in, width 34-20in, height 39-36in, weight 7361b. TJE341 Turbojet. Rated in the 1,0001b class, the TJE341 is a simple, low-cost expendable turbojet under develop ment by Garrett initially for use in medium-range RPVs. The engine also has a "re-usable" thrust rating appropriate to the requirements of recoverable BPVs. TPE331 (T76) Single-shaft turboprop. Mid-1977 saw delivery of the 5,000th TPE331, and total flight time reached 11 million hours. The engine powers 44 types of aircraft, including models of the five most popular business/com muter twin turboprop®: the Beech King Air B100, Cessna Conquest, Swearingen Merlin, Mitsubishi MU-2 and the Rockwell International Turbo Commander. Some 2,000 TPE331-powered aircraft are currently in service in 61 countries. Nine models of the turboprop have been built, from the early 705 e.h.p, TPE331-1 to the latest 1,045 e.h.p. TPE331-11. Recommended TBOs for business-aircraft operators begin at 3,000hr and extend to 6,200hr for some commuter airlines. US domestic and foreign demand for the TPE331 encouraged Garrett last year to raise: produc tion from around 40 engines per month at the start of 1977 to the present level of over 65 units per month. Product- improvement modifications have included the introduc tion of a new gearbox on the 776/724 e.h.p. TPE331-5 engines powering the latest Mitsubishi MU-2N and -2P models. This permits slower rotation of the Harrzell pro pellers, which, though 8in larger in diameter, operate at about lOOft/sec lower tip speed. This change has led Mitsubishi to claim the title of "quietest corporate turbo prop" for these MU-2 models. Applications and projects: Aerial Agricultural Turbo Beaver (1 X TPE331); Aerospace Industries Cresco (1 X TPE331-101); Beech King Air B100 (2 X 715 s.h.p. TPE331- 6-252B); Carstedt Jet Liner 600 (2 X TPE331); Casa 212 Aviocar (2 X 776 s.h.p. TPE331-5-251); Century Aircraft Jetstream 3 (2 X 840 s.h.p. TPE331-3U-303; Cessna Model 441 Conquest (2X625 s.h.p. TPE331-8-401); Fairchild Indus tries AU-23A Peacemaker (1 X 650 s.h.p. TPE331-1-101F); Fairchild Industries PC-6/C2-H2 Porter (1 X 650 e.h.p. TPE331-101F); Fairchild Industries/Pilatus Porter (1 X TPE331-25D); Grumman Ag-Cat (1 X TPE331); Grumman Goose conversion (2 X TPE331); Hamilton Westwind II and IV (2 X 840 s.h.p. TPE331-6-251); Intercepter Corp Inter- cepter 400 (IX 400 s.h.p. TPE331-1-101); Marsh Aviation Thrush Commander (1 X 600 s.h.p. TPE331-1-101); Mitsu bishi MU-2J, -2K and -2M (2 X 724 e.h.p. TPE331-6-251); Mitsubishi MU-2L (2 X 776 e.h.p. TPE331-6-251M); Mitsu bishi MU-2N (2 X 776 e.h.p. TPE331-5-252M or 2 X 1,000 s.h.p. TPE331-10-501M); Mitsubishi MU-2P (2 X742 e.h.p. TPE331-5-252M or 2 X 1,000 s.h.p. TPE331-10-501M); Rock well International Turbo Commander Model 690A and B (2 X 720 s.h.p. TPE331-5-251K); Short SC.7 Skyvan 3 (2 X 715 s.h.p. TPE331-2-201); Swearingen Merlin ITIA and IVA (2 X 840 s.h.p. TPE331-3U303G); Swearingen Metro II (2 X 840 s.h.p. TPE331-3UW-303G) ;i Texas Airplane CJ60O (2 X 705 e.h.p. TPE331-101E). TPE331-11 Two-stage centrifugal compressor, annular reverse-flow combustor, three-stage turbine* Integral for ward-located gearbox. Take-off 1,045 e.h.p., pressure ratio 10-7:1, mass flow 7-71b/sec, length 46in, width 21-2in, height 26-5in, weight 4201b. TSE331 Single-shaft turboshaft. Effectively derived from the TPE331-3 turboprop, the TSE331's sole appUcation is the re-engined Sikorsky S-55T (1 X 700 s.h.p. TSE331-3U). Conversions^ the helicopter from piston-engine power are performed by the Helitec Gorp, and the aircraft is mar keted by Aviation Specialities. Configuration is generally similar to the TPE331. GENERAL ELECTRIC (USA) Aircraft Engine Group, General Electric Company. Group headquarters: Lynn, Massachusetts 01910. Tel. (617) 594- 0100. Group of a public company with wide-ranging corporate activities embracing industrial and consumer electrical plant and appliances, power generation, electronics, auto- matton and medical systems, and aero and raou-aero gas turbines. Corporate assets $12,050 million (£6,860 million) and employees 380,000. Record corporate sales in 1976 of $15,697 million (£8,940 million), of which aero engines accounted for ten per cent and 22,000 people. General Electric has slipped in the corporate sale® league from fourth largest US company in 1973 down to ninth in 197-6. Even so, it has three times the annual sales of the next largest corporation with a major commitment to aero space. This is United Technologies, parent concern of Pratt & Whitney, GE's principal competitor. Profits also
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