Rolls Royce Nene
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The Rolls-Royce RB.41 Nene was the third gas turbine engine to be produced by the company and was the result of the Technical Supervisor of Rolls Royce gas turbine divisions visit to the USA in June 1944. At the time General Electric had two engines running with thrust ratings of 4,000lbs when British designs thrust ratings were peaking at 2,400lbs. Rolls Royce determined to produce an engine with a higher thrust rating and with an Air Ministry production contract for an engine of 4,200lbs thrust specified, although it was understood that 5,000lbs thrust would be the design target.
A new engine designated B.41, later named Nene was designed and although initial performance was less than designed, modifications to igniters and inclusion of modified guide vanes increased the rated thrust to the 5,000lb design target with all other parameters within tolerances. Airborne testing was conducted with two of the Nene engines replacing the two outboard Merlin engines of an Avro Lancastrian aircraft.
The Nene engines first flight as the sole means of propulsion was in a US Lockheed XP-80 Shooting Star aircraft, and concerned with the lack of official application for the engine, preference going to the Rolls Royce Avon engine, a scaled down variant of the Nene named Derwent V was produced for the purpose appearing in the web site on the Rolls Royce Derwent gas turbine engine.
The Nene engine was produced under license in the USA by Pratt and Whitney as the J42 and powered the Grumman F9F Panther aircraft of the US Navy, and was also produced under license by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) in Australia to be used for the RAAF's single seat de Havilland Vampire aircraft.
The engine was also produced in Canada by Orenda Engines, and in France by Hispano-suiza
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TECHNICAL DATA
Type Length Diameter Dry weight Compressor Combusters Power turbine Oil system Maximum thrust Max cruise thrust Normal cruise thrust Specific fuel consumption Thrust to weight ratio |
Centrifugal compressor gas turbine engine 96.8in (2,459mm) 49.5in (1,257mm) 1,600lbs (726kg) Single stage centrifugal, double sided impeller 9 combustion tubes Single stage, axial pressure feed, dry sump with scavenge, cooling and filtration 5,000lbs @ take off @ sea level 4,350lbs @ sea level 3,620lbs @ sea level 1.06lb/per lb of thrust 3.125lbs/ lb |