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Aviation History
1978
1978 - 0058.PDF
70 PLIGHT International, 7 January 1973 ptorate assets Krl8,311 million (£2,169 million) and em ployees 62,441. Corporate sales in 1976 down to Krl5,743 millioni (£1,865 million) but sales of aero-engines and asso ciated1 products up to five-year record of Kr379 million (£45 million). Sales of aero-engines, hydraulic machines and associated products by Volvo during 1976 constituted only two per cent of total corporate sales. Together with Volvo Flyg- motor's other activities, notably commercial turbine-engine overhaul, the subsidiary's sales rose by four per cent to Kr447 million (£53 million). Total workforce decreased slightly during the year to 2,989. The profit margin on these operations was 19 per cent, over twice that of the next highest Volvo product group, and Flygmotor's overall profitability of ten. per cent compared favourably with the six per cent of Volvo as a whole. With Sweden currently assessing its future requirements, one of the options under review is Saab's B3LA project for a new single-engined light combat aircraft and trainer for the mid-1980s. Power units being considered for the B3LA include non-afterburn ing versions of the Turbo-Union RB.199 and the GE F404. RM8 Two-shaft augmented turbofan. The RM8 is a super sonic military derivative of the P&W JT8D civil turbofan which has been developed by Flygmotor undeir licence and equipped with a Flygmotor-designed and developed after burner. The initial RM8A version has a dry rating of 14,8351b, rising with reheat to 25,9701b, and powers the single-engined Saab Viggen in its AJ37 attack, SK37 trainer, and SH37 and SF37 reconnaissance versions. A modified and uprated version of the engine, the RM8B, has also been developed by Flygmotor for the JA37 all- weather Viggen fighter, which first flew in November last year. Production of the RM8A for the attack version of the Viggen and the RM8B for the JA37, which is scheduled to enter service in autumn this year, is now under way. Work also began last year on a further development of the RM8 for a possible new attack variant, the A20. Reports suggest that an increase' of 15-20 per cent on RM8B rating is being investigated for this application. Orders booked or planned for the RM8 series will main tain production until the mid-1980s. The 1-p compressor on the RM8B is derived from that of the JT8D-209. RM8B Three-stage fan and three-stage i-p compressor, seven-stage h-p compressor, cannular conibustor, single- stage h-p turbine, three-stage 1-p turbine. Takeoff 16,1901b dry and 28,0851b reheat; bypass ratio 1-0:1, pressure ratio 16-5:1, length 245in, inlet diameter 40-6in, weight 5,1811b. WILLIAMS RESEARCH (USA) Williams Research Corporation Headquarters: 2280 West Maple Road, Walled Lake, Michigan 48088. Tel: (313) 624- 5200. Private company engaged in aero and non-aero gas- turbine manufacture. Corporate sales in 1977 expected to be in the' region of $25 million (£14-2 million). Since its formation in 1954 Williams Research Corpora tion has established itself as the world's largest producer of turbine engines rated at less than 1,0001b thrust. More than 3,500 engines have been delivered for a variety of applications, RPVs in particular. The company now plays a vital role in America's defence with its manufacture of the small F107 turbofan for both the USAF's and US Navy's cruise missiles. Following cancellation of the B-l last summer and the consequent increased emphasis on cruise missiles, WRC announced a major expansion of its production facilities at Ogden, Utah. This is in anticipation, of an acceleration in the F107 programme or an increase in planned quantities. The company's main plant at Walled City was also extended last year. In addition to the propul sion units listed below, WRC also manufactures auxiliary power units, including the WR9 for the de Havilland Canada CC-115 Buffalo, and the WR27 for the Lockheed S-3A. F107 (WR19) Two-shaft turbofan. Development of the F107 started in 1974, ten years after the first run of the WR19, its civil forbear. In its original farm the engine was a fan version of the WR2 turbojet, and was used in the manned Bell/Advanced Research Projects Agency Jet Fly ing Belt, which flew in 1969. A year later WRC tested its first cruise-missile engine, the WR19-A2, and in 1971 a US Navy pilot-rescue gyroplane flew under WR19 power. Development of the WR19 was supported by the USAF from 1972 onwards, and in 1973 the engine was selected by the Air Force to power the Subsonic Cruise Armed Decoy. This programme was later cancelled and effectively succeeded in 1974 by the USAF's Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), powered by the 6001b-thrust F107-WR- 100. During the following year all four bidders for the US Navy's Tomahawk cruise missile selected the F107-WR-400 for their entries. In 1976 the turbofan flew in both the ALCM and Tomahawk. Last year, after the F107 had com pleted separate advanced-development phases for the USAF and USN, WRC was awarded full-scale development contracts by both services for their cruise-missile pro grammes. The Air Force is project leader on both versions of the engine. In its WR19 commercial form the engine has also been selected for two revolutionary new aircraft: the PT6A turboprop-powered American Jet Industries Hustler 400 (in which the 7181b WR19-3-3 acts as a standby engine) and the Tony Team Industries minuscule Foxjet ST600 four-place twinjet business aircraft, for which the 5701b WR19-3 is the main propulsion unit. The Hustler 400 was due to fly towards the end of last year, and the Foxjet should take to the air in June. WR19-3-1 Two-stage fan and two-stage i-p compressor, single-stage centrifugal h-p compressor, annular reverse- flow combustor, single-stage h-p turbine, two-stage 1-p tur bine. Take-off thrust 7181b, bypass ratio 1:1, pressure ratio 12:1, mass flow approximately 4-41b/sec, length 31in, diameter 12in, weight 1411b. GATE In July last year Williams Resarch was one of three aero-engine manufacturers awarded ten-month con tracts by Nasa to participate in the General Aviation Tur bine Engine (Gate) programme. They are examining the prospects for small turbine engines in future general-avia tion aircraft. J400 (WR24) Single-shaft turbojet. WRC's main pro duction unit, the WR24 is derived from the earlier WR2-6 turbojet. The J400-WR-401 powers the US Navy/Northrop MQM-74C target drone. Over 3,000 J400s delivered. WR24-7 Single-stage axial plus single-stage centrifugal compressor, annular reverse-flow combustor, single-stage turbine. Take-off 1761b, pressure ratio 5-3:1, mass flow 31b/sec, length 19-7in, diameter ll-9in, weight 441b. Stagg Single-shaft gas generator. Williams Research has been one of four contractors participating in the US Army's Small Turbine Advanced Gas Generator (Stagg) pro gramme. Mass flow is less than lOlb/sec. WR2 Single-shaft turbojet. The first quantity-produced Williams Research engine, the 1251b-thrust WR2-6 powers the Canadair CL-89 AN/USD-501 reconnaissance drone. WR2-6 Single-stage compressor, annular reverse-flow com bustor, single-stage turbine. Take-off 1251b, pressure ratio 4:1, mass flow 2-21b/sec, length 22-8in, diameter 10-Bin, weight 301b. APUs, GPUs AND STARTERS A growing number of companies is offering small gas turbines for uses other than as main propulsion units. The past year has witnessed the arrival of Sundstrand (USA) with Allison Model 250-C airborne power units, and Turbo- meca in conjunction with ABG-Snecma (France) with the AST600 APU variant of the Astazou. Traditional inter national leaders in this field are Garrett AiResearch and Solar (USA) with some 30,000 and 8,000 deliveries to their credit respectively. Other APU/GPU and gas-turbine starter manufacturers include P&W (Canada), Mrcroturbo and Bennes Marcel (France), KHD (West Germany), Saurer (Switzerland), Williams Research (USA),Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan), Ivchenko (USSR), and: Auto Diesels Braby, Plessey, Noel Penny Turbines and Lucas Aerospace (UK). The last-named has also developed the small CT3201 turbojet for RPVs.
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