Rolls-Royce Tyne


The Rolls-Royce RB.109 Tyne is a twin-shaft turboprop engine developed in the mid to late 1950s by Rolls-Royce Limited. It was first test flown during 1956 in the nose of a modified Avro Lincoln. Following company naming convention for gas turbine engines this turboprop design was named after the River Tyne.

Design and development

Designed in 1954 by a team under Lionel Haworth and intended as a more powerful alternative to the Dart, the RB.109 Tyne was initially designed for a power of 2,500 shp but when first run in April 1955 the engine far exceeded expectations and was soon being type-tested at 4,220 shp. The Tyne was developed primarily for the four-engined Vickers Vanguard airliner, the prototype first flying on 20 January 1959 equipped with four Tyne Mk.506 of 4,985 e.s.h.p. Production deliveries of the engine were made from mid-1959 onwards to power the 43 Vanguards delivered to British European Airways and Trans-Canada Airlines.
The engine was further developed with greater power and used in the later twin-engined Dassault-Breguet Atlantique long-range reconnaissance aircraft; also in the Canadair CL-44 and Transall C-160 transport aircraft.
A single stage HP turbine drives the nine-stage HP compressor. A three-stage LP turbine drives the six-stage LP compressor and, through a reduction gearbox, the propeller. The combustor is cannular.
The Mark 515 Tyne had a nominal takeoff power output of equivalent power, flat rated to ISA+16.8C.
An agreement was signed in 1963 between Hispano-Suiza and Rolls-Royce for the licence production of the Tyne for the Breguet Atlantic and Transall C-160. Each company that was part of the agreement built parts for itself and the partners, Rolls-Royce 20%, Hispano-Suiza 44%, MAN 28% and FN 8%. The final assembly was undertaken by both MAN and Hispano-Suiza. The first production batch was for 80 engines and 40 spares for the Atlantic.

Variants

;RTy.1: fitted to Vickers Type 951 Vanguard and Vickers Merchantman.
;RTy.11: for Vickers Type 952 Vanguard
;RTy.12: for Canadair CL-44
;RTy.12: for Short Belfast.
;RTy.20 Mk 21: for Breguet 1150 Atlantic and Breguet ATL2 Atlantique
;RTy.20 Mk 22: for Transall C-160
;RTy.20: for Aeritalia G.222T
;RTy.20: for Transall C-160 and Breguet ATL2 Atlantique
;RTy.22: projected military use engine rated at equivalent
;RTy.32: projected military use engine rated at equivalent
;Mk.101:
;Mk.506:
;Mk.512:
;Mk.515:
;Mk.515-101W
;Mk 801
;Mk 45:
;RM1A:Marinised ship powerplant
;RM1C:Essentially similar to the RM1A
;RM3C:Essentially similar to the RM1A

Applications

Aircraft

The marine version, the Rolls-Royce Tyne RM1A, RM1C and RM3C remained in service as the cruise gas turbines in Royal Navy Type 42 destroyers and Type 22 frigates until the retirement of the 4 Batch 3 Type 22 frigates and the last remaining Type 42 Destroyer.

Engines on display

A Rolls-Royce Tyne is on public display at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford.