Napier Eland

Eland
Napier Eland on display at the Helicopter Museum (Weston).
Type Turboshaft/turboprop aero-engine
Manufacturer Napier & Son
First run 1953
Major applications Fairey Rotodyne
Convair CV-540



The Napier Eland was a British turboshaft or turboprop gas-turbine engine built by Napier & Son in the early 1950s. Production of the Eland ceased in 1961 when the Napier company was taken over by Rolls-Royce.[1]

Design and development

The Eland was first tested in 1953 in a Vickers Varsity aircraft.[2] Further flight proving was carried out from 1955 using the first production Airspeed Ambassador 2.[3] The Eland was dropped from production when Napiers was acquired by Rolls-Royce Limited in 1961.[2]

The Eland was used to power various aircraft including the Westland Westminster heavy-lift helicopter, the Canadair CL-66; a turbine-powered version of the Convair CV-340 for the Canadian military[2](later converted to Allison T-56 propjets after a number of engine failures), and the Fairey Rotodyne gyroplane. In the Rotodyne, the Eland powered the tractor propellors for forward flight and a compressor, via a clutch and shaft arrangement, to feed the rotor tip-jets with compressed air for vertical flight.[4]

Variants

Eland N.El.1
2,690 hp (2,010 kW) + 825 lbf (3.67 kN) residual thrust, static at sea level ICAN conditions.[5]
Eland N.El.3
Powerplant for the Fairey Rotodyne driving the propeller and an auxiliary compressor to feed the rotor tip jets 2,805 hp (2,092 kW) + 500 lbf (2.22 kN) residual thrust, static at sea level ICAN conditions.[5]
Eland N.El.4
3,765 hp (2,808 kW) + 610 lbf (2.71 kN) residual thrust, static at sea level ICAN conditions.[5]
Eland N.El.6

Applications

Napier's Eland testbed Airspeed Ambassador at Farnborough SBAC Show 1955

Turboshaft

Turboprop

Engines on display

A turboshaft Eland is on display at the The Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare.[6]

Specifications (Eland N.El.6)

Data from Flight [7]

General characteristics

Components

Performance

See also


Comparable engines
Related lists

References

Notes

  1. Gunston 1989, p.107.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Napier Eland 504A", Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum, retrieved 2008-05-26
  3. Jackson 1973, p. 26
  4. "A History of Fairey Engineering" (doc), WFEL.co.uk, retrieved 2008-05-26
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Taylor, John W.R. FRHistS. ARAeS (1955). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1955-56. London: Sampson, Low, Marston & Co Ltd.
  6. The Helicopter Museum - Fairey Rotodyne Retrieved: 28 July 2009
  7. Flightglobal archive - Flight, August 1958 Retrieved: 28 July 2009

Bibliography

  • Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9
  • Jackson, A.J. (1973), British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume I, Putnam & Company Ltd, ISBN 0-370-10006-9

External links