Small gas turbines for helicopters

Extract

Despite it being 19 years since Major Halford died, his influence is still felt at Rolls-Royce Small Engine Division, (formerly the de Havilland Engine Co Ltd) which indicates the stature of the man. One way that his influence is felt is that we still have some 3000 Gipsy engines in service. Considering that the first were delivered in 1926 and production stopped in 1964, he certainly had hit upon a good formula. As Mr. Perkins said at the last Halford Lecture, Halford was really as keen on doing the biggest engine in the world as on the smallest, so we cannot claim to be following a trail blazed in that direction. He was, however, very keen on the demonstration method of launching engines, and was good at getting something together very quickly to prove if he was on the right track and to “cut the cackle”.