The Turbomeca Artouste is an early French turboshaft engine, first run in 1947. Originally conceived as an auxiliary 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 by Bristol Siddeley (formerly Blackburn) in the UK, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in India, and developed by Continental CAE in the US as the Continental T51. Two major versions of the Artouste were produced. The Artouste II family, mainly used in the Aérospatiale Alouette II helicopter, had a one-stage centrifugal compressor and a two-stage turbine, with gearbox-limited power of . The Artouste III family, mainly used in Aérospatiale's Alouette III and Lama helicopters, had a two-stage axial-centrifugal compressor and a three-stage turbine, with gearbox-limited power of .
Variants
Artouste I
Artouste II
Artouste IIB, IIB1 for takeoff, continuous
Artouste IIC, IIC1, IIC2, IIC5, IIC6 for takeoff, continuous (limited by engine gearbox) (Without gearbox limit, ratings are for takeoff and continuous) Artouste IIIB for takeoff, continuous (limited by engine gearbox) (Without gearbox limit, sea level ratings are for takeoff and continuous) Artouste IIIB1, IIID for takeoff, continuous (limited by engine gearbox) (Without gearbox limit, sea level ratings are for takeoff and continuous) Continental T51Licence production and development of the Artouste in the United States Turbomeca MarcadauA turboprop variant, the Marcadau was a development of the Artouste II, producing through a 2.3:1 reduction gearbox.
Applications
Artouste
Aérospatiale Alouette II
Aérospatiale Alouette III
Aerospatiale Lama
Aerotécnica AC-14
Atlas XH-1 Alpha
Curtiss-Wright VZ-7
Handley Page Victor - as APU
Hawker Siddeley Trident - as APU
IAR 316
IAR 317
Merckle SM 67
Nord Norelfe
Piasecki VZ-8 Airgeep
SNCASO Farfadet
Vickers VC10 - as APU
Marcadau
Morane-Saulnier Epervier
Engines on display
A Turbomeca Artouste is on public display at:
The Helicopter Museum (Weston) Aviodrome - Lelystad Airport - The Netherlands
Specifications (Artouste IIIB)