| RB.162 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Turbojet |
| Manufacturer | Rolls-Royce Limited |
| First run | January 1962 |
| Major applications | |
| Number built | 86 |
TheRolls-Royce RB.162 is a lightweight Britishturbojet engine produced byRolls-Royce Limited. Developed in the early 1960s, it was specially designed for use as alift engine forVTOL aircraft but was also used in a later variant of theHawker Siddeley Tridentairliner as an auxiliary boost engine. A smaller related variant, theRB.181 remained a design project only, as did aturbofan version designatedRB.175.
The RB.162 was designed to meet an anticipated need for a lift engine to power VTOL aircraft with the emphasis on simplicity, durability and lightweight construction. Development costs were shared by Britain, France and Germany after signing a jointmemorandum of agreement.[1] The engine was the worlds first turbojet to use compositefibre glasscompressor casings andplastic compressor blades to save weight which also had the effect of reducing production costs.[2] The engine has no oil system, a metered dose of oil instead being injected into the two main bearings by the compressed air used to turn the compressor at startup.[3] Although the RB.162 was a successful design, the expected large VTOL aircraft market did not materialise and the engine was only produced in limited numbers.[4] TheFrench government invested in losses 79 millionFrench francs (1970 value, or 94 million euros in 2022 values) between 1960 and 1966 for the Mirage IIIV.[5]
In 1966British European Airways (BEA) had a requirement for an extended range aircraft to serveMediterranean destinations. After a plan to operate a mixed fleet ofBoeing 727 and737 aircraft was not approved by the British Government[6]Hawker Siddeley offered BEA a stretched and improved performance version of theTrident that they were already operating. This variant, the Trident 3B, used, in addition to its threeRolls-Royce Speyturbofan engines, a centrally mountedRB.162-86 which was used for takeoff and climb in thehot prevailing conditions of the Mediterranean area. The 'boost' engine was shut down for cruising flight. Some conversion was needed for the change from vertical to horizontal installation. With the RB.162 fitted the Trident 3B had a 15% increase inthrust over the earlier variants for an engine weight penalty of only 5%.[7]
A design study for aturbofan version of the RB.162 was designatedRB175.[8] Another projected derivative, theRB.181 was to be a scaled-down version of the RB.162 producing approximately 2,000 lbs of thrust. Seven of these lift engines were to power the unbuiltLockheed/Short Brothers CL-704VTOL variant of theF-104 Starfighter.[9]
Comparable engines
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