Rolls-Royce Nene

Rolls-Royce Nene. The Rolls-Royce Nene was a pioneering centrifugal-flow turbojet engine developed in the immediate post-World War II period. It represented a significant leap in thrust over its predecessor, the Rolls-Royce Derwent, and became one of the first jet engines to achieve widespread international use through licensing. Its design profoundly influenced early Cold War military aviation on both sides of the Iron Curtain.

Development and design

The Nene was designed by a team led by Stanley Hooker at Rolls-Royce Limited in Derby, building directly upon the successful architecture of the Rolls-Royce Welland and Derwent. Its primary innovation was a substantially larger impeller and a new annular combustion chamber, which together enabled a dramatic increase in airflow and thrust. The engine first ran in 1944, and its initial design thrust of 5,000 lbf was more than double that of the contemporary General Electric J31. The Air Ministry initially showed limited interest, but the Admiralty saw its potential for naval aviation. The straightforward, robust centrifugal compressor design made it reliable and easier to manufacture than competing axial compressor designs of the era, such as those from Metropolitan-Vickers.

Operational history

Entering service in 1947, the Nene first powered the Hawker Sea Hawk for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Its reliability was immediately proven in the demanding carrier environment. However, its most historically significant operational impact stemmed from an unprecedented decision by the Attlee government to sell production licenses to foreign nations. Most consequentially, the engine was sold to the Soviet Union in 1946, where it was reverse-engineered as the Klimov RD-45 and later the Klimov VK-1. This engine powered the formidable Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, which shocked UN forces during the Korean War. Licenses were also granted to the United States to Pratt & Whitney (producing the Pratt & Whitney J42), and to France for use in the SNECMA Atar program.

Variants

The baseline Nene, designated the Nene I, was followed by the Nene II with minor improvements. The Rolls-Royce Tay was a developed version featuring a new turbine and an afterburner, used in the de Havilland Venom. In the United States, Pratt & Whitney produced the Pratt & Whitney J42 for the Vought F7U Cutlass and the Pratt & Whitney J48, which incorporated an afterburner. The most prolific variants were the unlicensed Soviet derivatives: the Klimov RD-45 and its refined successor, the Klimov VK-1, which powered the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. In Canada, Avro Canada built a version known as the Chinook for test purposes.

Specifications (Nene)

* **Type:** Centrifugal-flow turbojet * **Length:** 96.4 in (2,449 mm) * **Diameter:** 49.5 in (1,257 mm) * **Dry weight:** 1,600 lb (726 kg) * **Compressor:** Single-stage double-sided centrifugal compressor * **Combustors:** Annular combustion chamber with 16 liners * **Turbine:** Single-stage axial turbine * **Maximum thrust:** 5,000 lbf (22.2 kN) at 12,400 rpm * **Specific fuel consumption:** 1.06 lb/(lbf·h) (108 kg/(kN·h)) * **Thrust-to-weight ratio:** 3.125

Applications

The Nene and its derivatives powered a wide array of early jet aircraft across the globe. Key applications included the British Hawker Sea Hawk, Supermarine Attacker, and Avro Canada Jetliner. In American service, it powered the Vought F7U Cutlass and Grumman F9F Panther. Its most famous application was in the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, which saw extensive combat in the Korean War. Other international users included the French Air Force (SNECMA Atar testbed), the Royal Australian Air Force (CAC CA-27 Sabre), and the Argentine Air Force (FMA IAe 33 Pulqui II). The engine also saw use in experimental projects like the Miles M.52 supersonic research aircraft design.

Category:Aircraft engines Category:Rolls-Royce aircraft engines Category:Turbojets