The Allison T56 is a single shaft, modular design military turboprop with a 14 stage axial flow compressor driven by a four stage turbine. It was originally developed by the Allison Engine Company for the Lockheed C-130 transport[1] entering production in 1954. It is now produced under Rolls-Royce which acquired Allison in 1995. The commercial version is designated 501-D. With an unusually long and numerous production run, over 18,000 engines have been produced since 1954. It has logged over 200 million flying hours.
[edit] Design and development
The engine evolved from Allison's previous T38 series. It was first flown in the nose of a B-17 test-bed aircraft in 1954. Originally fitted to the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, the T56 was also installed on the P-3 and E-2/C-2 aircraft, as well as civilian airliners such as the Lockheed Electra and Convair 580. A shipboard version, the 501K engine, is used to generate electrical power for all U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers currently in commission.
In the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules which first flew in 1996, the T56 is replaced by the Rolls-Royce AE 2100, which uses dual FADECs (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) to control the engines and propellers. It drives new six-bladed scimitar propellers from Dowty.
[edit] Variants
[edit] Commercial
- Series I
- 501-D13,A, D, H
- Series II
- 501-D22
- 501-D36A (non-type certified)
- Series III
- 501-D22A, C, G
[edit] Military
Maintenance of a T56-A-16, 2009.
- Series I
- T56-A-9D, E
- Series II
- T56-A-7A, B
- T56-A-10WA
- Series III
- T56-A-14, LFE
- T56-A-15, LFE, GFE
- T56-A-16
- T56-A-425
- Series III.V
- (3.5) A fuel efficient and reliable upgrade to the SIII
- T56-A-14+, LFE
- T56-A-15+, LFE
- T56-A-16+
- T56-A-425+
- Series IV
- T56-A-427
- T56-A-427A
- T701
- (Allison T701-AD-700 / Allison 501-M62) Turbo-shaft engine for the Boeing-Vertol XCH-62 Heavy-lift helicopter.
[edit] Applications
[edit] Military
Notable applications include:
[edit] Civilian
Notable applications include:
[edit] Specifications (T56 Series IV)
[3]
General characteristics
- Type: Turboprop
- Length: 146.1 in (3,711 mm)
- Diameter: 27 in (690 mm)
- Dry weight: 1,940 lb (880 kg)
Components
- Compressor: 14 stage axial flow
- Combustors: 6 cylindrical flow-through
- Turbine: 4 stage
- Fuel type: JP8 2412 pounds per hour
Performance
- Maximum power output: 4,350 shp (3,915 kW) limited to 4,100
- Turbine inlet temperature: 860°C
- Power-to-weight ratio: 2.75:1 (shp/lb)
[edit] See also
- Related development
- Comparable engines
- Related lists
[edit] References
- ^ Global Security T56
- ^ Breffort, Dominique. Lockheed Constellation: from Excalibur to Starliner Civilian and Military Variants. Paris: Histoire and Collecions, 2006. Print. ISBN 2915239622
- ^ Rolls, Royce . Training Manual . T56/501D Series III. Rolls-Royce, 2003. 8-1 To 8-24. Print.
[edit] External links
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