Open AccessPower Sources of Military Helicopters
Author(s) -
Varga Béla
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
academic and applied research in military and public management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2786-0744
pISSN - 2498-5392
DOI - 10.32565/aarms.2018.2.10
Subject(s) - maintainability , aeronautics , airplane , automotive engineering , fuel efficiency , engine power , engineering , usable , power consumption , propulsion , power (physics) , computer science , reliability engineering , aerospace engineering , physics , quantum mechanics , world wide web
In the early 1940s the first practically usable helicopters rose into the sky. Their importance was quickly recognised both by the military and civilian decision makers. A good summary of their most important advantage is the next quotation: “If you are in trouble anywhere in theworld, an airplane can fly over and drop flowers, but a helicopter can land and save your life.” (Igor Sikorsky, 1947) Just after their appearance it immediately became an urgent problem to replace the relatively low-power and heavy piston engines, forwhich the much lighter and more powerful turboshaft engines offered a good alternative. Significant improvement of helicopter engines, which has embodied mainly in power to weight ratio, thermal cycle efficiency, specific fuel consumption, together with reliability and maintainability, of course, has influenced the technicaltactical parameters of helicopters. In this paper I introduce the evolution of helicopter turboshaft engines, the most important manufacturers and engine types. Through statistical analysis I display what kind of performance parameters the helicopter turboshaft engines had in the past and have in the present days.