| Rolls-royce Avon |
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The Avon Turbojet was Rolls-Royce 's first Axial Flow Jet Engine , and went on to become one of their most successful post- WWII engine designs. It was used in a wide variety of aircraft, both military and civilian, and only ended production in 1974, after almost 25 years of production. The Avon design started under was headed by Cyril Lovesey, who had previously been in charge of Merlin development. The engine was intended both as an experiment in axial-flow engines, as well as (if successful) a replacement for the 5,000 lbf (22 kN) Nene . Originally known as the AJ.65 for ''Axial Jet, 6,500 lbf'', the engine developed as a single-spool design with a 15 stage compressor, Mass Flow Rate of 150 lb/s (68 kg/s) and a pressure ratio of 7.45. Development started in 1945 and the first prototypes were built in 1947. Introduction was somewhat slowed by a number of minor problems. The engine eventually entered production in 1950, the original RA.3/Mk.101 version providing 6,500 lbf (29 kN) thrust in the English Electric Canberra B.2 . Similar versions were used in the Canberra B.6, Hawker Hunter and Supermarine Swift . Uprated versions soon followed, the RA.7/Mk.114 producing 7,350 lbf in the De Havilland Comet C.2 , the RA.14/Mk.201 of 9,500 lbf (42 kN) in the Vickers Valiant and the RA.26 of 10,000 lbf (44 kN) used in the Comet C.3, Sud Aviation Caravelle , and Hawker Hunter F.6. An Avon-powered de Havilland Comet 4 flew the first scheduled transatlantic jet service in 1958. The line eventually topped out with the 12,690 lbf (56,450 N) and 16,360 lbf (72,770 N) in Afterburner RA.29 Mk.301/2 used in later versions of the English Electric Lightning . Other aircraft to use the Avon included the De Havilland Sea Vixen and Fairey Delta . The Avon was also produced under license by Svenska Flygmotor , the RA.3/Mk.109 as the RM5, and an uprated RA.29 as the '''RM6''' with 17,110 lbf (76,110 N). The RM5 powered the Saab Lansen , while the RM6 was the main powerplant of the SAAB Draken . In the US, the Avon was used to power the vertical landing Ryan X-13 Vertijet aircraft (in RA.28-49 form) and the Martin B-57 . The Avon is still in operational service with the RAF in the Canberra PR.9. The Avon continued production, mostly for the Caravelle and Lightning, until 1974, by which time over 11,000 had been built. The engine garnered an impressive safety record over that time. OTHER USES
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