Turbomeca Astazou

The Turbomeca Astazou is a highly successful series of turboprop and turboshaft engines, first run in 1957. The original version weighed and developed 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.

A simplified version was built by Agusta as the Turbomeca-Agusta TA.230.

Design and development

The Astazou IIA version was derived from the original Astazou powerplant for use in helicopters. By 1993, 2,200 had been built. As of 2007, it was still in production. However, many aircraft initially equipped with it, especially the heavier ones, have since been upgraded with more powerful engines.

The early single-shaft Astazou has a two-stage compressor, with the first stage an axial and the second stage a radial design. It has an annular combustion chamber, after which the combustion gases enter a three-stage axial turbine.

Engines have a reduction gearbox in front of the air inlet, with an output speed suitable for a propeller or, for helicopters, as the first stage only of the much bigger reduction required for a rotor. Fuel to the gas generator is adjusted automatically to maintain a constant propeller or rotor speed as blade pitch varies.

As of the Astazou X, the engine received a second axial compressor stage. This was the engine for the Potez 840. The Astazou XIV and XVI were also marketed by Rolls-Royce Turboméca International Ltd under the names AZ14 and AZ16, respectively.

Power was steadily increased over the years, with the Eurocopter Dauphin's dual Astazou XVIII developing 783 kW each. The Astazou XX received a third axial stage, raising compression even further to achieve a projected output of in the turboprop application. The XXB derivative, used in the single engine Aérospatiale SA 361H Dauphin, delivered .

Variants

;Astazou I:
;Astazou II:Single-stage axial plus single-stage centrifugal compressor, annular combustor, three-stage turbine
;Astazou IIA:
;Astazou III:
;Astazou IIIA:
;Astazou IIIC:
;Astazou IIIC2:
;Astazou IIIN:
;Astazou IIIN2:
;Astazou VI:Coupled Astazou
;Astazou X:The X and subsequent engines had a second axial compressor stage added.
;Astazou XII:
;Astazou XIV:Two-stage axial plus single-stage centrifugal compressor, annular combustor, three-stage turbine. Integral front mounted
gearbox.
;Astazou XIVA:
;Astazou XIVB:
;Astazou XIVD:
;Astazou XIVC:
;Astazou XIVH:
;Astazou XIVM:
;Astazou XVI:
;Astazou XVIII:
;Astazou XVIIIA:
;Astazou XX:A third axial compressor stage added for increased pressure ratio.
;Astazou XXB:
;Turbomeca-Agusta TA.230:(aka TAA-230)A simplified version built by Agusta.
;Rolls-Royce Turboméca AZ14: The Astazou XIV marketed by Rolls-Royce Turboméca International Ltd as the AZ14
;Rolls-Royce Turboméca AZ16: The Astazou XVI marketed by Rolls-Royce Turboméca International Ltd as the AZ16

Applications

Fixed-wing aircraft

* Dassault Communauté
* Dassault MD320 Hirondelle 2x Astazou XIV equivalent.
* Dornier Do27T-l 2x Astazou II equivalent.
* FMA IA 58 Pucará
* Handley Page HP.137 Jetstream 2x Astazou XIVC equivalent.
* Mitsubishi MU-2
* Nord Noralpha
* Pilatus PC-6/A1-H2 Turbo Porter lx Astazou XII equivalent.
* Potez 840 4x 440shp (328 kW) Turboméca Astazou II
* Potez 842 4x 600shp (447 kW) Turboméca Astazou XII
* SFERMA Nord 1110
* SFERMA SF-60 Marquis 2x Astazou X
* SFERMA PD-146 Marquis 2x Astazou IIA
* Short SC.7 Skyvan series II 2x Astazou XII equivalent.
* SIPA S-2510 Antilope
* IAI Arava 2x Astazou XIV equivalent.
* UV-23A Dominion Skytrader 2x Turboméca Astazou XIV

Helicopters

* Aérospatiale SA.3180 Alouette II Astazou 1x Astazou IIA (but restricted to by rotor transmission).
* Aérospatiale SA.319B Alouette III 1x Astazou XIVB .
* Aérospatiale Gazelle 1x Astazou IIIN equivalent.
* Aérospatiale Gazelle AH.1 1x Astazou IIIN2
* Agusta A.105
* Agusta A.106
* Agusta A.115
* Aérospatiale SA 360 Dauphin
* Dechaux Helicop-Jet 1x Astazou II

Specifications (Astazou XVI)

See also

References

Further reading

*

{{Turbomeca aeroengines

Astazou
1950s turboprop engines
1950s turboshaft engines