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Aviation History
1981
1981 - 0170.PDF
160 which matured as the Panavia Tornado. Snecma said later that it would be rated at 18,750- 19,8501b(83-88kN) thrust with reheat, and aimed initially for a Mach 2-5 aircraft, with sights set on Mach 3 performance. The basic engine was bench-tested in February 1970, and ran with reheat in November that year. The dry engine was flown in a Caravelle during 1973 and tested in a Mirage Fl in December 1974. Dassault designed the compact single-engine Mirage 2000 around the engine in an attempt to meet French Air Force and Third World demand for an F-16 category aircraft, first flight taking place in March 1978. About 20 development engines had been run at the time, accumulating 7,4O0hr total running, of which 600hr were airborne. Military qualifica tion tests were completed in late 1978 and in March the following year the M53-powered twin-engined Mirage 4000 made its first flight. Series production of the M53-5 was due to commence in the middle of last year. A developed version, the M53-7, which would have a larger fan, new low-pressure compressor and higher bypass ratio has been revealed, but seemed to have been dropped by Snecma in preference for up-rating the existing engine. All Mirage 2000 production after the initial batch will be powered by the 21,4001b (95kN)-thrust M53-P2. Snecma M88. Two-shaft turbofan. Although little has been revealed about this design, it is likely to run in the next 12 months or so and seems certain to power any future French military aircraft, whether nationally or collab oratively designed. Existence of the programme was revealed in November 1977 by France's Defence Minister, who referred to the engine as the Dispositif Experimental a Turbine Refroidie (Dextre) It was described as a "follow-on Mirage 2000 engine" (Snecma M53), develop ing 11-5 tons (104kN) thrust with reheat. Snecma has since said that reheat thrust will be between 7-5-8-5 tons(68-77kN). This makes the engine an almost carbon-copy of the General Electric F404, now entering pro duction in the USA for the McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hornet. The M88 is 143in FLIGHT International\ 17 January 1981 This artist's impression of the Snecma M88 shows how variable inlet guide vanes—largely abandoned by engine designers in the mid-1960s—are beginning to re-establish themselves (3 • 64m) long, and has an overall diameter of roughly 35-5in(0-9m). Engine mass is quoted as l,9881b(900kg). Turbo-Union RB.199. Three-shaft reheated turbofan. Turbo-Union was formed in October 1969. Rolls-Royce (UK) and MTU (West Germany), each have a 40 per cent share, while Fiat (Italy) holds the rest. The three- shaft engine was originally a Rolls-Royce design—hence the name RB.199 in the company's design series—and in 1969 was selected over the Pratt & Whitney JTF16 to power the twin-engined European Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA); now the Panavia Tornado. The first engine ran at Bristol in September 1971, and was followed by examples at Munich (West Germany) in April 1972 and Sangone (Italy) during May 1973. The main develop ment contract was signed in 1972 and by the end of that year 11 engines were on test. The last of 15 development engines was run in May 1973, and in the previous month the engine had flown in a Vulcan testbed. By June 1974 over 1,000 bench-hours had been com pleted. The first Tornado flight took place at the end of 1974 after delays attributed to turbine-blade and main-bearing problems. Rolls-Royce builds the low-pressure com pressor, combustion chamber, high-pressure turbine, reheat, and duct and engine-control system. MTU is responsible for the inter mediate-pressure and high-pressure com pressors, intermediate-pressure turbine, inter mediate casing and gearbox, bypass duct, thrust-reverser and operating controls, while Fiat manufacturers the low-pressure turbine and shaft, rear-bearing support, jet-pipe and variable-nozzle. Fiat is prime contractor in Italy and sub-contracts work to Alfa Romeo and Motoravio Sud. Assembly of engines is completed by all three major programme suppliers in response to national engine requirements. More than 2,000 RB.199s will be supplied for Tornado. The engine is the only three-spool design in its category, the similarly rated General Elec tric F404 and Snecma M88 using only two- shafts to meet similar requirements. Compared to these engines the RB.199 produces less dry thrust, but should have an unrivalled low s.fx. performance, making it ideally suited to the low-level cruise penetration task which is Tornado ADV seen with the wing in forward position. Two of Turbo-Union's three-shaft RFi.l99s give Tornado its bite i
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