Safran Helicopter Engines, previously known as Turbomeca, is a French manufacturer of low- and medium-power gas turbineturboshaft engines for helicopters. The company also produces gas turbine engines for aircraft and missiles, as well as turbines for land, industrial and marine applications.
Since its founding as Turbomeca during 1938, Safran Helicopter Engines has produced over 72,000 turbines.[1] In its early years, it benefitted greatly from a rearmament programme conducted by the French state; operations were disrupted by the occupation of France during the Second World War, but the company survived and rebuilt quickly during the immediate postwar years. Prominent successes during the Cold War include the use of its Artouste IIturboshaft engine to power the new Sud Aviation Alouette II helicopter (the first production turbine-powered helicopter in the world) as well as its involvement in Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited (a joint venture with British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce Ltd that produced turbojet and turboshaft engines).
During September 2001, the French aerospace specialist SNECMA Group acquired the company, after which it was rebranded as Safran Helicopter Engines. The company states that it has more than 2,500 customers in 155 countries. Safran Helicopter Engines has 15 sites and operates on each continent, providing its customers with a proximity service through 44 distributors and certified maintenance centers, 18 Repair & Overhaul Centers, and 90 Field Representatives and Field Technicians. Safran Helicopter Engines subsidiary Safran Power Units is the leading European manufacturer of turbojet engines for missiles, drones and auxiliary power units.[1] Safran Helicopter Engines has 6,300 employees worldwide, with 5000 based in France. In 2015, the company reportedly produced and delivered 718 new engines, and repaired around 1,700 engines.[1]
History
On 29 August 1938, the company was founded as Turbomeca by the aero engine designers Joseph Szydlowski and André Planiol, following the granting of their patent application for a supercharger during the previous year.[1][2] Engine manufacturer Hispano-Suiza promptly ordered a demonstrator to equip its 12 Y engine, which was used on the MS 405 C1 fighter, amongst others. The company benefitted greatly from a decision by the French Government, recognising the looming threat of another World War with neighbouring Nazi Germany, having launched a rearmament programme during 1937.[3]
Over the course of three years, Turbomeca expanded rapidly from an artisanal production to an industrial one to meet the extensive demands of the French aircraft industry. The production figures of the company's first few years of operation indicate this rapid expansion: 18 compressors were produced in 1938, 300 in 1939 and 1,200 in 1940. Although the factory at Mézières-sur-Seine only attaining a fully operational status during June 1940, the French Government had advised the relocation to the south of France to avoid to the German advance. That same month, Turbomeca repositioned its operations to a newly requisitioned workshop in Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre near the Hispano-Suiza engine factory in Tarbes. However, these buildings were quickly found to be too small for its needs, thus, in 1941, a site was acquired in Bordes near Pau.[2] Turbomeca progressively transferred to this site between the autumn of 1941 and June 1942. During November 1942, Szydlowski fled to neutral Switzerland.[2] Between October 1942 and 1944, production stalled while its workforce dropped from about 300 to about 50 personnel.
Following the liberation of the region by Allied forces in August 1944, Szydlowski returned to Bordes to help revive Turbomeca; much of the firm's former staff were re-employed and much of its machinery was recovered as well, enabling a speedy revival during the postwar era.[2] During the late 1940s, Szydlowski opted to focus Turbomeca's design resources on low-power jet propulsion, intended for a new range of jet-powered aircraft, including turbine-powered helicopters. The production of turboshaft engines, which became widely used for rotorcraft, became a staple of the business over subsequent decades.[2]
During 1968, a joint venture with British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce Ltd, named Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited, was established to develop and produce the Adourturbojet engine to power the Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar. In addition to manufacturing the aero-engine, the company also provided associated support services to end users.[5] The Adour would not only be adopted for the Jaguar, but also various other aircraft, such as the BAE Systems Hawk, the McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk, and Mitsubishi T-2 trainer aircraft, as well as the Mitsubishi F-1 ground attack fighter.[6] In excess of 2,800 Adour engines would eventually be produced, reportedly amassing a cumulative total of 7,000,000 flying hours.[7]
Deciding to build on its success with another engine, Rolls-Royce Turbomeca handled development and production of the RTM322turboshaft engine. During 1995, it was announced that the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322turboshaft engine had been selected to power the British Army's fleet of AgustaWestland Apacheattack helicopters.[8] Over the following decades, the RTM322 engine was adopted by various operators to power a number of rotorcraft, including the NHIndustries NH90 and AgustaWestland AW101 medium-sized transport helicopters, along with the Eurocopter X³, a high speed technology demonstrator.[9][10] During 2003, it was announced that the joint venture was undertaking the development of an enhanced version of the RTM322, taking the powerplant from the current 2,400shp (1,800kW) power range to beyond 2,500shp in the near term and potentially 3,300shp in the longer term after further improvements are finalised. Keith Reid, Rolls-Royce Turbomeca international marketing manager, noted that the RM322 had been originally designed with future growth in mind, and that operators had been placing an increasing emphasis upon hot and high flight capabilities, which necessitated more engine power is being available.[11][12]
During June 1989, another joint venture, MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce (MTR) was established as a part of the framework created on behalf of the French and West German governments to developed an advanced multirole battlefield helicopter, the Eurocopter Tiger. Being responsible for developing and producing the Tiger's MTR390 powerplant, MTR was designated as the programme management company responsible for the engine, and was jointly staffed by the partner companies, Turbomeca, Germany's MTU Aero Engines and Britain's Rolls-Royce.[13][14] During early 2000, an initial production contract was signed by the German Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) and MTR; valued at DM430 million and comprising 320 engines plus spares, the contract represented the MTU390's clearance for production.[15] Later-built models of the Tiger are furnished with more powerful models of the MTU390 engine than had been installed upon the initial examples.[16][17]
During 2013, an agreement between Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca to buy out the former's involvement in Rolls-Royce Turbomeca in exchange for around €293 million ($381 million), after which responsibility for undertaking all activities related to the RTM322 engine, including manufacturing and maintenance/services, was transferred to Turbomeca.[18][19] Accordingly, Rolls-Royce Turbomeca is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Safran Helicopter Engines.
By 2010, Safran Helicopter Engines turbines powered civil, parapublic and defence helicopters for all the leading helicopter manufacturers (mainly Eurocopter, but also AgustaWestland, Sikorsky, Kamov, HAL, NHI).
Engine models
Safran is the world's leading manufacturer of gas turbine engines for both civil and military helicopters. They design, produce, sell and support a complete range of turbine engines for this market. More than 18,000 Safran Helicopter engines already power helicopters built by the world's leading manufacturers: Airbus Helicopters, AVIC, Sikorsky, Bell Helicopter, Finmeccanica Helicopters (formerly AgustaWestland), Denel, Russian Helicopters, HAL, Boeing, etc. In the military sector, Safran powers the Tiger, NH90, Finmeccanica Helicopters A109 Power, AW101 and many others. Helicopters powered by Safran are deployed by 2,500 customers in 150 countries.[1]
Turboprops/turboshafts
Most Turbomeca engines bear the names of Pyrenean mountains.
Safran offers several main engine families: Arrius and Arriel (up to 1,000 shaft horsepower), for light and medium helicopters; TM333, Arrano and Ardiden (rated at 1,000 to 2,000 SHP), for civil and military machines in the 5 to 8 ton class; Makila and RTM322 (over 2,000 SHP), for heavy rotorcraft.[1]
The bypass ratio (BPR) of a turbofan engine is the ratio between the mass flow rate of the bypass stream to the mass flow rate entering the core. A 10:1 bypass ratio, for example, means that 10 kg of air passes through the bypass duct for every 1 kg of air passing through the core.
The Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour is a two-shaft low bypass turbofan aircraft engine developed by Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce (UK) and Turbomeca (France). The engine is named after the Adour, a river in south western France.
The Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 is a turboshaft engine currently produced by Safran Helicopter Engines. The RTM322 was originally conceived and manufactured by Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca. The engine was designed to suit a wide range of military and commercial helicopter designs. The RTM322 can also be employed in maritime and industrial applications.
MTU Aero Engines AG is a German aircraft engine manufacturer. MTU develops, manufactures and provides service support for military and civil aircraft engines. MTU Aero Engines was formerly known as MTU München.
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited (RRTM) is a joint venture between British aero-engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce plc (UK) and French helicopter engine specialist Safran Helicopter Engines. It manufactured aero-engines and provided associated support services to end users.
The LHTEC T800 is a turboshaft engine for rotary wing applications. It is produced by the LHTEC, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Honeywell. The commercial and export version is the CTS800. The engine was primarily developed for the United States Army's cancelled RAH-66 Comanche armed reconnaissance helicopter, but has found use in other applications.
The MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce MTR390 is a turboshaft developed for light helicopter applications by MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce (MTR). The engine is designed to power helicopters in the weight range of 5-7 tonnes in both single and twin engine configurations. So far the only application is the Eurocopter Tiger. Test runs of the MTR390 began in 1989 and the first test flight was performed in 1991. The MTR390 received military certification in May 1996 and civil approval in June 1997.
MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce GmbH (MTR) is a multinational engine manufacturer established to develop, manufacture, and service the MTR390 turboshaft engine. It is a joint venture by three European aero-engine manufacturers, Germany's MTU Aero Engines, France's Turbomeca and Britain's Rolls-Royce.
A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaft horsepower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the exhaust and convert it into output shaft power. They are even more similar to turboprops, with only minor differences, and a single engine is often sold in both forms.
Safran Aircraft Engines, previously Snecma or Snecma Moteurs, is a French aerospace engine manufacturer headquartered in Courcouronnes and a subsidiary of Safran. It designs, manufactures and maintains engines for commercial and military aircraft as well as rocket engines for launch vehicles and satellites.
The PZL SW-4 Puszczyk is a Polish light single-engine multipurpose helicopter manufactured by PZL-Świdnik. Following a protracted development, the SW-4 entered service in 2002, the primary operator of the type has been the Polish Armed Forces. The SW-4 was further developed by PZL-Świdnik and corporate parent AgustaWestland into an optionally piloted vehicle, the SW-4 Solo. From 2016 onwards, the type has been marketed to civil operators as the AW009, while the SW-4 designation is used for the military market.
Joseph Szydlowski, was a French Polish-Israeli aircraft engine designer who founded Turbomeca in France.
ITP Aero is a Spanish aero engine and gas turbine manufacturer.
The Rolls-Royce Gem is a turboshaft engine developed specifically for the Westland Lynx helicopter in the 1970s. The design started off at de Havilland Engine division and passed to Bristol Siddeley as the BS.360. Rolls-Royce bought out Bristol Siddeley in 1966 and after it dropped the Bristol Siddeley identity the engine became the RS.360.
The Turbomeca Astazou is a highly successful series of turboprop and turboshaft engines, first run in 1957. The original version weighed 110 kg (243 lb) and developed 240 kW (320 shp) at 40,000 rpm. It was admitted for aviation service on May 29, 1961, after a 150-hour test run. The main developing engineer was G. Sporer. It was named after two summits of the Pyrenees.
The Turbomeca Arriel is a series of French turboshaft engines that first ran in 1974. Delivering 650 to 1,000 hp, over 12,000 Arriel engines have been produced from 1978 to 2018, logging more than 50 million flight hours for 40 helicopter applications. In June 2018, 1,000 Arriel 2D were in service, powering H125 and H130 single-engine helicopters, having logged one million flight hours since 2011. After endurance tests and fleet data analysis, their TBO increased by 25% to 5,000 hours and mandatory inspection rose to 15 years with no hourly limit, lowering maintenance costs.
The Turbomeca Makila is a family of French turboshaft engines for helicopter use, first run in 1976 and flown in 1977.
The Safran Ardiden is a 1,400–2,000 hp (1,000–1,500 kW) turboshaft designed and produced by Safran Helicopter Engines for 5–8 t (11,000–18,000 lb) single and twin-engine helicopters. Launched in 2003 as a more powerful TM 333, it first ran in 2005 and was introduced in 2007. The Ardiden 1 Shakti powers the Indian HAL Dhruv, Prachand and Light Utility Helicopter while the more powerful Ardiden 3 powers the Avicopter AC352 and Kamov Ka-62.
LHTEC is a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Honeywell. The company was originally a partnership between the Allison Engine Company and AlliedSignal Aerospace. In 1995 Rolls-Royce acquired Allison, and AlliedSignal merged with Honeywell in 1999, and adopted its name.
Turbo-Union Limited is a joint venture of three European aero-engine manufacturers, FiatAvio, MTU Aero Engines and Rolls-Royce.
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