Turbomeca Astazou

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The Turbomeca Astazou is a highly successful series of turboprop and turboshaft engines, first run in 1957. The original version weighed 110 kg (240 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.

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 basic design of the 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 hot exhaust enters a three-stage axial turbine. Maximum rpm was later raised to 43,500.

Production turbines have a reduction gear in front of the air inlet, reducing propeller speed to 1,800, 2,080, 2,200, 0r 2,400 rpm, or 6,000 rpm in the helicopter version. The engine controls itself automatically, so the pilot only needs to set the desired rpms.

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 aprojected output of 1075 kW in the turboprop application. The XXB derivative, used in the single engine SA 361H Dauphin, has 1043 kW.

Astazou XVI

The circular air inlet behind the reduction gear has a de-icing device using hot air. The compressor's two axial stages use blisks. The shaft runs on ball bearings. Air flow through the annular combustion chamber is S-wise, with fuel being added in radial direction by a rotating atomizer disc. The blades of the three-stage turbine's wheels, also blisks, are air-cooled from the inside. The jet nozzle is fixed with an interior cone. Auxiliary drives are mounted on a mounting plate behind the inlet, which also has the connections for starter motor/generator, oil and fuel pumps, engine speed control and tachometer. There are also optional drives for an AC generator and a hydraulic pump. The whole engine is mounted at three points, two trunnions on the right and left front of the turbine casing and one on its underside to the rear. Speed control is effected automatically by governing the injection volume, with a thermal regulator allowing for short-term overloads.

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 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 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: 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 MD320 Hirondelle 2x Astazou XIV 860 hp (640 kW) equivalent.
Dornier Do27T-l 2x Astazou II 562 hp (419 kW) equivalent.
FMA IA 58 Pucará
Handley Page Jetstream 100 2x Astazou XIVC 921 hp (687 kW) equivalent.
Mitsubishi MU-2
Nord Noralpha
Pilatus PC-6/A1-H2 Turbo Porter lx Astazou XII 731 hp (545 kW) 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 731 hp (545 kW) equivalent.
SIPA S-2510 Antilope
Israel Aircraft Industries Arava 2x Astazou XIV 850 hp (630 kW) equivalent.

Helicopters

Aérospatiale Alouette II 1x Astazou IIA 554 hp (413 kW) equivalent.
Aérospatiale SA.319 Alouette III 1x Astazou XIV 600 hp (450 kW) equivalent.
Aérospatiale Gazelle lx Astazou XIV 360 hp (270 kW) equivalent.
Agusta A.106
Agusta A.115
Aérospatiale SA 360 Dauphin
Dechaux Helicop-Jet 1x Astazou II

Specifications

Parameter	II^[1]	IIA	IIIC2/N2	X	XIVB/F	XIVH	XIVM
Max output	390 kW (523 hp)	390 kW (523 hp)	480 kW (644 hp)	465 kW (624 hp)	440 kW (590 hp)	440 kW (590 hp)	440 kW (590 hp)
Length	1,810 mm (71.3 in)	1,427.5 mm (56.2 in)	1,433.5 mm (56.4 in)	1,912 mm (75.3 in)	1,434 mm (56.5 in)	1,470 mm (57.9 in)	1,474 mm (58.0 in)
Diameter	460 mm (18.1 in)	460 mm (18.1 in)	460 mm (18.1 in)	460 mm (18.1 in)	460 mm (18.1 in)	460 mm (18.1 in)	460 mm (18.1 in)
Width		516 mm (20.3 in)	483 mm (19.0 in)		520 mm (20.5 in)	500 mm (19.7 in)	460 mm (18.1 in)
Height		560 mm (22.0 in)	508 mm (20.0 in)		623.5 mm (24.5 in)	565 mm (22.2 in)	570 mm (22.4 in)
Weight	123 kg (271.2 lb)	142 kg (313.1 lb)	150.3 kg (331.4 lb)	128 kg (282.2 lb)	160 kg (352.7 lb)	160 kg (352.7 lb)	160 kg (352.7 lb)
Air mass flow	2.5 kg (5.5 lb)/sec
Pressure ratio	6:1			7.5:1	8:1	8:1	8:1

Notes

↑ Taylor, John W.R. FRHistS. ARAeS (1962). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1962-63. London: Sampson, Low, Marston & Co Ltd.

References

Taylor, John W.R. FRHistS. ARAeS (1962). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1962-63. London: Sampson, Low, Marston & Co Ltd.