The Design of Helicopter Powerplants

Extract

Over the past twenty years a large part of the activity of Turbomeca has been directed first to the creation and next to the subsequent development of propulsion units for helicopters.

The use of the gas turbine brought with it a fundamental advantage—low specific weight which led to the exceptional expansion of this specialised branch of the aircraft industry, and without wishing to minimise the constant improvement of rotor systems, we believe that above all else the qualities of the engine have played a significant part in the success of this system of transport and in the more specific success of this or that particular helicopter.