TheTurbomeca Artouste is an early Frenchturboshaft engine, first run in 1947. Originally conceived as anauxiliary power unit (APU), it was soon adapted to aircraft propulsion, and found a niche as a powerplant for turboshaft-driven helicopters in the 1950s. Artoustes were licence-built byBristol Siddeley (formerlyBlackburn) in the UK,Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in India, and developed byContinental CAE in the US as theContinental T51. Two major versions of the Artouste were produced. TheArtouste II family, mainly used in theAérospatiale Alouette II helicopter, had a one-stage centrifugal compressor and a two-stage turbine, with gearbox-limited power of 300 kW (400 hp). TheArtouste III family, mainly used in Aérospatiale'sAlouette III andLama helicopters, had a two-stage axial-centrifugal compressor and a three-stage turbine, with gearbox-limited power of 420–440 kW (560–590 hp).
