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Rolls-Royce RB162
The Rolls-Royce RB162 was a simply constructed and lightweight British turbojet engine produced by Rolls-Royce Limited. Developed in the early 1960's, it was specially designed for use as a lift engine for VTOL aircraft but was also used in a later variant of the Hawker Siddeley Trident airliner as an auxiliary boost engine. A smaller related variant, the RB.181 remained a design project only.
Contents
Design and development
The RB162 was designed to meet an anticipated need for a lift engine to power VTOL aircraft with the emphasis on simplicity, durability and lightweight construction. Development costs were shared by Britain, France and Germany after signing a joint memorandum of agreement.[1] The engine featured fibre glass compressor casings and plastic compressor blades to save weight which also had the effect of reducing production costs. Although the RB162 was a successful design the expected large VTOL aircraft market did not materialise and the engine was only produced in limited numbers.[2]
Development for the Trident
In 1966 British European Airways (BEA) had a requirement for an extended range aircraft to serve Mediterranean destinations. Hawker Siddeley offered BEA a stretched and improved performance version of the Trident that they were already operating after a plan to operate a mixed fleet of Boeing 727 and 737 aircraft was not approved by the British Government.[3] This variant, the Trident 3B, used a centrally mounted RB162-86 in addition to its three Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines and was used for takeoff and climb in the hot prevailing conditions of the Mediterranean area. The 'boost' engine was shut down for cruising flight. Some conversion was needed for the change from vertical to horizontal installation. With the RB162 fitted the Trident 3B had a 15% increase in thrust over the earlier variants for an engine weight penalty of only 5%.[4]
RB.181
A projected derivative, the RB.181 was to be a scaled down version of the RB.162 producing approximately 2,000lbs of thrust. Seven of these lift engines were to power the unbuilt Lockheed/Short Brothers CL-704 VTOL variant of the F-104 Starfighter.[5]
Applications
Specifications (RB.162-86)
See also
Related lists
See also
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9
- Swanborough, Gordon. Air Enthusiast, Volume One. London: Pilot Press, 1971. ISBN 0-385-08171-5.
External links
- Image of Rolls-Royce RB162
- Cutaway drawing of an RB162
- RB162 article with images (French language)
- The Trident Preservation Society
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
| This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Rolls-Royce RB162". |
