The Rolls-Royce Olympus (originally the Bristol B.E.10 Olympus) was the world's second two-
spool axial-flow turbojet
The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...
aircraft engine design, first run in May 1950 and preceded only by the
Pratt & Whitney J57, first-run in January 1950. It is best known as the powerplant of the
Avro Vulcan and later models in the
Concorde
The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
SST.
The design dates to a November 1946 proposal by
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aircraft engines. Notable a ...
for a jet-powered bomber, powered by four new engines which would be supplied by
Bristol Aero Engines. Although their bomber design was ultimately cancelled in favour of the other
V bomber
The "V bombers" were the Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft during the 1950s and 1960s that comprised the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear strike force known officially as the V force or Bomber Command Main Force. The three models of strategic ...
s, the engine design's use of twin-spool layout led to continued interest from the
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
and continued development funding. The engine first ran in 1950 and quickly outperformed its design goals.
Initially used in the Vulcan, later versions added
reheat
An afterburner (or reheat in British English) is an additional combustion component used on some jet engines, mostly those on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to increase thrust, usually for supersonic flight, takeoff, and combat ...
for use in the supersonic
BAC TSR-2. Bristol Aero Engines merged with
Armstrong Siddeley Motors in 1959 to form
Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd (BSEL) was a British aero engine manufacturer. The company was formed in 1959 by a merger of Bristol Aero-Engines Limited and Armstrong Siddeley Motors Limited. In 1961 the company was expanded by the purchase of t ...
Engines Limited (BSEL), which in turn was taken over by
Rolls-Royce in 1966. Through this period the engine was further developed as the
Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593
The Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 was an Anglo-French turbojet with reheat (afterburners), which powered the supersonic airliner Concorde. It was initially a joint project between Bristol Siddeley Engines Limited (BSEL) and Snecma, derived ...
for Concorde.
Versions of the engine were licensed to
Curtiss-Wright in the US as the TJ-32 or J67 (military designation) and the TJ-38 'Zephyr', although none saw use. The Olympus was also developed with success as
marine
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine debris
* Marine habitats
* Marine life
* Marine pollution
Military
* ...
and industrial
gas turbines, which were highly successful. As of 2018, the Olympus remains in service as both a marine and industrial gas turbine.
Background
Origins
At the end of World War II, the Bristol Engine Company's major effort was the development of the
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
and
Centaurus radial piston
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors, hydraulic cylinders and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tig ...
engines. By the end of 1946, the company had only 10 hours of
turbojet
The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...
experience with a small experimental engine called the
Phoebus which was the
gas generator
A gas generator is a device for generating gas. A gas generator may create gas by a chemical reaction or from a solid or liquid source, when storing a pressurized gas is undesirable or impractical.
The term often refers to a device that uses a ...
or core of the
Proteus
In Greek mythology, Proteus (; Ancient Greek: Πρωτεύς, ''Prōteus'') is an early prophetic sea-god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" ''(hálios gérôn)''. ...
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...
then in development. In early 1947, the parent
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aircraft engines. Notable a ...
submitted a proposal for a medium-range bomber to the same
specification B.35/46 which led to the
Avro Vulcan and
Handley Page Victor. The Bristol design was the
Type 172 and was to be powered by four or six Bristol engines of thrust to the Ministry engine specification TE.1/46.
The thrust required of the new engine, then designated B.E.10 (later Olympus), would initially be with growth potential to . The
pressure ratio would be an unheard of 9:1. To achieve this, the initial design used a low-pressure (LP)
axial compressor
An axial compressor is a gas compressor that can continuously pressurize gases. It is a rotating, airfoil-based compressor in which the gas or working fluid principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation, or axially. This differs from other ...
and a high-pressure (HP)
centrifugal compressor, each being driven by its own single-stage
turbine
A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced by a turbine can be used for generating e ...
. This two-spool design eliminated the need for features such as variable inlet guide vanes (Avon, J79), inlet ramps (J65), variable stators (J79) or compressor bleed (Avon) which were required on single spool compressors with pressure ratios above about 6:1. Without these features an engine could not be started nor run at low speeds without destructive blade vibrations. Nor could they accelerate to high speeds with fast acceleration times ("
spool up") without
surge. The design was progressively modified and the centrifugal HP compressor was replaced by an axial HP compressor. This reduced the diameter of the new engine to the design specification of . The Bristol Type 172 was cancelled though development continued for the Avro Vulcan and other projects.
Initial development
![Bristol Olympus 101 gas flow diagram](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Bristol_Olympus_101_gas_flow_diagram.jpg)
The first engine, its development designation being BOl.1 (Bristol Olympus 1), had six LP compressor stages and eight HP stages, each driven by a single-stage turbine. The combustion system was novel in that ten connected flame tubes were housed within a
cannular system: a hybrid of separate flame
cans and a true
annular system. Separate combustion cans would have exceeded the diameter beyond the design limit, and a true annular system was considered too advanced.
[Baxter 1990, p. 18]
In 1950, Dr (later Sir)
Stanley Hooker was appointed as Chief Engineer of Bristol Aero Engines.
The BOl.1 first ran on 16 May 1950 and was designed to produce thrust and to be free from destructive rotating stall on start up to idle speed and to be free from surging on fast accelerations to maximum thrust. The engine started without a problem and Hooker, supervising the first test run and displaying the confidence he had in the design, slammed the throttle to give a surge-free acceleration to maximum power. The thrustmeter showed . The next development was the BOl.1/2 which produced thrust in December 1950. Examples of the similar BOl.1/2A were constructed for US manufacturer Curtiss-Wright which had bought a licence for developing the engine as the TJ-32 or J67 for the projected
F-102
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was an American interceptor aircraft designed and manufactured by Convair.
Built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s, it entered service in 1956. Its main purpos ...
. The somewhat revised BOl.1/2B, ran in December 1951 producing thrust.
The engine was by now ready for air testing and the first flight engines, designated Olympus Mk 99, were fitted into a
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
''
WD952'' which first flew with these engines derated to thrust in August 1952. In May 1953, this aircraft reached a
world record altitude of . Fitted with more powerful Mk 102 engines, the Canberra increased the record to in August 1955. The first production Olympus, the Mk 101, entered service in late 1952 at a rated thrust of 11,000 lb, a weight of 3,650 lb, and with a
TBO of 250 hours.
Variants
The Olympus was developed extensively throughout its production run, and the many variants can be described as belonging to four main groups.
Initial
non-reheat variants were designed and produced by
Bristol Aero Engines and
Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd (BSEL) was a British aero engine manufacturer. The company was formed in 1959 by a merger of Bristol Aero-Engines Limited and Armstrong Siddeley Motors Limited. In 1961 the company was expanded by the purchase of t ...
and powered the
Avro Vulcan. These engines were further developed by
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce was a British luxury car and later an aero-engine manufacturing business established in 1904 in Manchester by the partnership of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. Building on Royce's good reputation established with his cranes, they ...
.
The first reheat variant, the Bristol Siddeley Olympus Mk 320, powered the cancelled
BAC TSR-2 strike aircraft. A further reheat variant was the
Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593
The Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 was an Anglo-French turbojet with reheat (afterburners), which powered the supersonic airliner Concorde. It was initially a joint project between Bristol Siddeley Engines Limited (BSEL) and Snecma, derived ...
, developed to power
Concorde
The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
in the 1960s. The Olympus 593 is a prime example of "propulsion and airframe integration". A variable intake was developed, along with a variable throat and thrust reversing system, to optimise the performance of the engine when used on Concorde. Looking ahead to future supersonic transports, due to noise limits for supersonic transport category airplanes, studies were conducted on ejector suppressors, leading to the conclusion that "a new, low bypass ratio version of the 593 could be suitable for future generations of supersonic transport aircraft".
The American
Curtiss-Wright company tested a license-developed version known as the J67 and a
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...
designated TJ-38 Zephyr. Neither design was produced.
Further derivatives of the Olympus were produced for ship propulsion and land-based power generation.
Applications
*
Avro Vulcan
*
BAC TSR-2
*
Concorde
The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
Proposed aircraft applications
Over the years, the Olympus was proposed for numerous other applications including:
* C104 which led to the C105
Avro Arrow: BOl.3"
[
* Avro 718: BOl.3][ Avro Type Lis]
Avro Heritage The Type 718 was a military transport aircraft with up to 110 seats.
* Avro 739 to OR339 (the requirement that culminated in TSR2): BOl.21R
* Avro 740: 3 x Mk 551
* Avro 750: 2 x Mk 551
* Avro Vulcan Phase 6 (B3): BOl.23, a development of the Mk 301.[Baxter 1990, p. 172] Different engine configurations, BOl.21, BOl.21/2 and BOl.23, with either reheat or an aft fan, were proposed for this aircraft to provide the required increase in take-off thrust.[Fildes 2012, p. 407]
* Bristol T172: B.E.10
* Bristol T177
* Bristol T180
* Bristol T198: Mk 591. Early supersonic airliner design (132 seats). The engine was a civilianised BOl.22R.
* Bristol T201: Mk 551
* Bristol T202
* Bristol T204 to OR339: BOl.22SR (simplified reheat)
* Bristol T205: Mark 551
* Bristol T213
* Bristol T223: Mk 593. Later supersonic airliner design (100 seats). Engine as Mk 591 with zero stage LP compressor and cooled HP turbine.
* de Havilland
The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited () was a British aviation manufacturer established in late 1920 by Geoffrey de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome Edgware on the outskirts of north London. Operations were later moved to Hatfield in H ...
design to OR339: BOl.14R, BOl.15R. Developed from BOl.6R.
* Handley Page HP98: Pathfinder variant of Victor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
.
* Handley Page Victor B1: Mk 104
* Handley Page Victor Phase 3
* Handley Page HP107
* Handley Page Pacific
* Hawker P.1121
The Hawker P.1121 was a British supersonic fighter aircraft designed, but never fully completed, by Hawker Siddeley during the mid-1950s. It was designed by a team headed by Sydney Camm, Sir Sydney Camm.
The P.1121 was initially funded as a p ...
: BOl.21R
* Hawker P.1129 to OR339: BOl.15R
* Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F Canberra
The Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F Canberra is a specialized strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1960s for the United States Air Force by General Dynamics from the Martin B-57 Canberra tactical bomber, which itself was a license- ...
: Mk 701 developed from Mk 301.
* Gloster P492/3: Mk 591
* Republic F-105 Thunderchief
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vie ...
: BOl.21 for possible sale to RAF.
* Saab 36
__NOTOC__
The Saab 36 (also known as Projekt 1300) was a supersonic bomber planned by Saab AB during the 1950s. The aircraft was intended to be able to carry an 800 kg free-falling nuclear weapon, but the Swedish nuclear weapons program was ...
* Saab 37 Viggen
Historien om Vigge
''Protec'' 2005 No 4
*
Vickers VC10: Development of Mk 555 with aft fan.
Engines on display
*
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...
North, Manchester – Mk 101
*
RAF Museum Cosford – Mk 320
*
Gatwick Aviation Museum
The Gatwick Aviation Museum is located in the village of Charlwood, in Surrey, United Kingdom on the boundary of Gatwick Airport.
History
Originally started in 1987 as a private collection by local businessman Peter Vallance, the museum became ...
Charlwood Surrey – Two Mk 320
*The
Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Collection (Derby - UK) Mk 101 and Mk 593 and a Marine version.
*
Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre
The Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre is located to the North of Montrose, Angus, Scotland. Montrose has the distinction of having the first operational military airfield in Great Britain and the Heritage Centre is located on the former ...
– Bristol B.E.10
*
Museum of Science and Industry (Manchester)
The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, England, traces the development of science, technology and industry with emphasis on the city's achievements in these fields. The museum is part of the Science Museum Group, a non-departmental pub ...
– Mk 202 (Engine is displayed as a Mk 201 but its ECU plate reveals it as a Mk 202)
*
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Doncaster, England - Mk.104 on loan from the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust.
Specifications (Olympus 101)
See also
References
;Notes
;Citations
;Bibliography
* Baxter, Alan. ''Olympus – the first forty years''. Derby, UK: Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, 1990.
* Blackman, Tony. ''Vulcan Test Pilot''. London, UK: Grub Street, 2009.
* Bullman, Craig. ''The Vulcan B.Mk2 from a Different Angle''. Bishop-Auckland, UK: Pentland Books, 2001.
* Fildes, David W. ''The Avro Type 698 Vulcan'' Barnsley, UK: Pen % Sword Aviation, 2012,
* Hooker, Stanley. ''Not Much of an Engineer''. Marlsborough, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2002.
External links
Rolls-Royce Heritage TrustTurbine Supportimage of Olympus power station
enginehistory.orgGood image of Mk 301
''Flight'' cutawayof BOl.1/2A
1961 ''Flight'' article
The Mighty Olympus YouTube Playlist from AgentJayZ
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{{USAF gas turbine engines
Olympus
Olympus or Olympos ( grc, Ὄλυμπος, link=no) may refer to:
Mountains
In antiquity
Greece
* Mount Olympus in Thessaly, northern Greece, the home of the twelve gods of Olympus in Greek mythology
* Mount Olympus (Lesvos), located in Les ...
Olympus
Olympus or Olympos ( grc, Ὄλυμπος, link=no) may refer to:
Mountains
In antiquity
Greece
* Mount Olympus in Thessaly, northern Greece, the home of the twelve gods of Olympus in Greek mythology
* Mount Olympus (Lesvos), located in Les ...
1950s turbojet engines