The Rolls-Royce Avon was the first axial flow

jet engine A jet engine is a type of reaction engine, discharging a fast-moving jet (fluid), jet of heated gas (usually air) that generates thrust by jet propulsion. While this broad definition may include Rocket engine, rocket, Pump-jet, water jet, and ...

designed and produced by

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

. Introduced in 1950, the engine went on to become one of their most successful post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

engine designs. It was used in a wide variety of aircraft, both military and civilian, as well as versions for stationary and maritime power. An

English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havilla ...

transatlantic flight A transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, Africa, South Asia, or the Middle East to North America, South America, or ''vice versa''. Such flights have been made by fixed-wing aircraft, airships, bal ...

by a jet, and a BOAC de Havilland Comet 4 powered by four Avons made the first scheduled transatlantic crossing by a

jet airliner A jet airliner or jetliner is an airliner powered by jet engines (passenger jet aircraft). Airliners usually have twinjet, two or quadjet, four jet engines; trijet, three-engined designs were popular in the 1970s but are less common today. Air ...

. Production of the Avon aero engine version ended after 24 years in 1974.Gunston 1989, p. 149. Production of the Avon-derived industrial version continues to this day, by

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...

since 2015. The current version of the Avon, the Avon 200, is an industrial gas generator that is rated at . As of 2011, 1,200 Industrial Avons have been sold, and the type has established a 60,000,000 hour record for its class.

Design and development

The engine was initially a private venture put forward for the English Electric Canberra. Originally known as the AJ.65 for ''Axial Jet, 6,500 lbf'' the engine was based on an initial project concept by

Alan Arnold Griffith Alan Arnold Griffith (13 June 1893 – 13 October 1963) was an English engineer and the son of Victorian science fiction writer George Griffith. Among many other contributions, he is best known for his work on stress and fracture in metals that ...

."Rolls-Royce Aero Engines" Gunston, Bill, Patrick Stephens Limited 1989, , p.131,132,133 which combined an axial compressor with a combustion system and single-stage turbine using principles proven in the

Rolls-Royce Nene The Rolls-Royce RB.41 Nene is a 1940s British centrifugal compressor turbojet engine. The Nene was a complete redesign, rather than a scaled-up Rolls-Royce Derwent,"Rolls-Royce Aero Engines" Bill Gunston, Patrick Stephens Limited 1989, , p.111 ...

engine. Design work began in 1945. The Avon design team was initially headed by Stanley Hooker assisted by Geoff Wilde. Development of the engine was moved from Barnoldswick to Derby in 1948 and Hooker subsequently left the company, moving to Bristol Engines. The first engine ran on 25 March 1947, with a 12-stage compressor. The engine was difficult to start, would not accelerate and broke first-stage blades. Two-position inlet guide vanes and compressor bleed were among the design changes which allowed the engine, as the RA.2, to run a 25-hour test and fly in the two outboard positions on the converted

Avro Lancastrian The Avro 691 Lancastrian was a British and Canadian passenger and mail transport aircraft of the 1940s and 1950s developed from the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. The Lancastrian was basically a modified Lancaster bomber without armour or arma ...

military serial ''VM732'', from

Hucknall Hucknall () is a market town in the Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, Ashfield district of Nottinghamshire, England, north of Nottingham, southeast of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, from Mansfield and south of Sutton-in-Ashfield. Hucknall is on the west ba ...

on 15 August 1948. The first production engine, which needed a two-stage turbine, was the RA.3, or Avon Mk 101. Several modified versions of this design were produced in the Mk. 100 series. The Avon 200 series was a complete redesign having very little in common with earlier Marks. Differences included a completely new combustion section and a 15-stage compressor based on that of the Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire. The first application was the

Vickers Valiant The Vickers Valiant was a British high-altitude jet bomber designed to carry nuclear weapons, and in the 1950s and 1960s was part of the Royal Air Force's " V bomber" strategic deterrent force. It was developed by Vickers-Armstrongs in respon ...

Operational history

The engine entered production in 1950 as the RA.3/Mk.101 with thrust in the English Electric Canberra B.2. Similar versions were used in the Canberra B.6,

Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet propulsion, jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly dev ...

and Supermarine Swift. Uprated versions followed, the RA.7/Mk.114 with thrust in the de Havilland Comet C.2, the RA.14/Mk.201, in the

and the RA.26, used in the Comet C.3 and Hawker Hunter F.6. An Avon-powered de Havilland Comet 4 flew the first scheduled transatlantic jet service in 1958. The highest thrust version was the RA.29 Mk.301/2 (RB.146) used in later versions of the

English Electric Lightning The English Electric Lightning is a British fighter aircraft that served as an interceptor during the 1960s, the 1970s and into the late 1980s. It is capable of a top speed above Mach 2. The Lightning was designed, developed, and manufactured ...

. It produced "World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines – 5th edition" by

Bill Gunston Bill Gunston (1 March 1927 – 1 June 2013) was a British aviation and military author. He flew with Britain's Royal Air Force from 1945 to 1948, and after pilot training became a flying instructor. He spent most of his adult life doing researc ...

, Sutton Publishing, 2006, p.195 with afterburning. Other aircraft to use the Avon included the

de Havilland Sea Vixen The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen is a British twin-engine, twin boom-tailed, two-seat, carrier-based fleet air-defence fighter flown by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm from the 1950s to the early 1970s. The Sea Vixen was designed by the de Havi ...

Supermarine Scimitar The Supermarine Scimitar was a British single-seat naval strike aircraft. Operated exclusively by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, it was the final aircraft to be entirely designed and manufactured by Supermarine.Andrews and Morgan 1981, p. 297. ...

and Fairey Delta2. The RA.3/Mk.109 was produced under licence by Svenska Flygmotor as the RM5, and an uprated RA.29 as the RM6 with thrust. The RM5 powered the

Saab 32 Lansen The Saab 32 Lansen (English: Lance) is a two-seat, transonic military aircraft designed and manufactured by the Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab AB. In late Autumn 1946, development of the Lansen began as a successor to the Saab 18, Saab B 18 ...

and the RM6 powered the

Saab 35 Draken The Saab 35 Draken (; ''The Kite'', ambiguous with ''The Dragon'') is a Swedish interceptor aircraft, fighter-interceptor developed and manufactured by Saab AB, Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Saab AB, SAAB) between 1955 and 1974. Development of ...

and all-weather fighter version of the Lansen (J 32B). 300 Avon 113s, and a larger number of Avon 203s were produced under licence in Belgium by Fabrique Nationale Division Moteurs . In the US the RA.28-49 was used in the VTOL Ryan X-13 Vertijet aircraft. In Australia, the Avon was used by

Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) was an Australian aircraft manufacturer. The CAC was established in 1936, to provide Australia with the capability to produce military aircraft and engines. History In 1935 the Chief General Manage ...

in the CA-27 Avon-Sabre. The Avon continued in production for the

Sud Aviation Caravelle The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle is a French jet airliner produced by Sud Aviation. It was developed by SNCASE in the early 1950s, and made its maiden flight on May 27, 1955. It included some de Havilland designs and components developed for t ...

and English Electric (BAC) Lightning until 1974, by which time over 11,000 had been built. It remained in operational service with the RAF until 23 June 2006 in the English Electric Canberra PR.9. Initial design work was done on the 2-spool RB.106/RB.128 as an Avon successor for large supersonic fighters.

Variants and designations

;AJ65:The original designation, standing for Axial Jet 6,500 lbf thrust ;RA.1:Prototype engines for testing and development. RA standing for Rolls-Royce Avon. ;RA.2:Pre-production engines for testing – ;RA.3:Civil designation for the first Avon production mark. First avon with a two-stage turbine. – ;RA.7:Civil designation for the uprated version of the Avon RA.3. Electrically started. – ;RA.7R:RA.7 with reheat. Meant for use with an afterburner. Explosive-cartridge started. – without afterburner, with afterburner. ;RA.14:Civil designation for the uprated version of the Avon with can-annular combustion chamber and Sapphire style compressor – ;RA.14R:RA.14 with reheat. – without afterburner, with afterburner. ;RA.19: ;RA.19R:RA.19 with reheat. – with afterburner. ;RA.21:Production engine developed from the RA.7 – ;RA.21R:Production engine developed from the RA.7R. Same as the Avon Mk.21. – without afterburner, with afterburner. ;RA.23R:RA.23 with reheat. – without afterburner, with afterburner. ;RA.24: ;RA.24R:Same as the Avon Mk.47A. ;RA.25:Civil Mk.503 ;RA.26:Further improvements to the Avon 200 series – Civil Mk.521 ;RA.28:Second generation variant – ;RA.29:Civil designation for the Mk.300 series (used by the Sud Aviation Caravelle) ;RA.29/1: ;RA.29/3: ;RA.29/6:Same as the Avon Mk.533 – ;RB.146:Rolls-Royce designation for Avon Series 300

Avon Series 100

Avon Series 100 are early military versions of the Avon. ;Avon Mk.100:Military designation for the RA.3 Avon – ;Avon Mk.101C: ;Avon Mk.113: ;Avon Mk.114:Military designation for the RA.7 Avon – ;Avon Mk.115:Same as the Avon Mk.23 – ;Avon Mk.117: ;Avon Mk.118: ;Avon Mk.20:Australian version built on license by CAC for the

CAC Sabre The CAC Sabre, sometimes known as the Avon Sabre or CA-27, is an Australian variant of the North American Aviation F-86F Sabre fighter aircraft. The F-86F was redesigned and built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC). Equipping five R ...

Mk.31 – ;Avon Mk.21:Afterburning Swedish version built by RR and on license by SFA for the Saab 32A/C. Same as the RA.21R. Designated RM5A1. – without afterburner, with different afterburners. ;Avon Mk.21A:Improved Mk.21 with increased diameter on the engine outlet for more power. Built by RR and on license by SFA for the Saab 32A/C. Designated RM5A2. – without afterburner, with different afterburners. ;Avon Mk.23:Same as the Avon Mk.115. Non-afterburning Swedish version built by RR for the

Mk.50. Designated RM5B1. – ;Avon Mk.24:Non-afterburning Swedish version built by RR for the

Mk.50. Designated RM5B2. ;Avon Mk.25:Non-afterburning Swedish version built by RR for the

Mk.50. Designated RM5B3. ;Avon Mk.26:Australian version built by CAC for the

Mk.32 –

Avon Series 200

Avon Series 200 are uprated military versions of the Avon with can-annular combustion chamber and Sapphire style compressor. ;Avon Mk.200: – ;Avon Mk.47A:Afterburning Swedish version built by RR and on license by SFA for the Saab 32B. Same as the RA.24R. Designated RM6A. – without afterburner, with afterburner. ;Avon Mk.48A:Afterburning Swedish version built by RR and on license by SFA for the Saab 35A/B/C. Designated RM6B. – without afterburner, with afterburner.

Avon Series 300

Avon Series 300 are further developed military after-burning versions of the Avon for the

. ;Avon Mk.300: – ;Avon Mk.301:The ultimate Military Avon for the

– dry, wet. ;Avon Mk.302:Essentially similar to the Mk.301 ;Avon Mk.60:Afterburning Swedish version built by RR and on license by SFA for the

D/F. Same as the RA.29R. Designated RM6C. – without afterburner, with afterburner. ;Westinghouse XJ54:Avon 300-series scaled-down by Westinghouse to 105 lb/sec airflow to produce 6,200 lb thrust.

Avon Series 500

Avon Series 500 are civilian equivalents to the military Avon Series 200 variants. ;Avon Mk.504: ;Avon Mk.506: ;Avon Mk.521: ;Avon Mk.522: ;Avon Mk.524: ;Avon Mk.524B: ;Avon Mk.525: ;Avon Mk.525B: ;Avon Mk.527: ;Avon Mk.527B: ;Avon Mk.530: ;Avon Mk.531: ;Avon Mk.531B: ;Avon Mk.532R: ;Avon Mk.532R-B: ;Avon Mk.533:Same as the RA.29/6 – ;Avon Mk.533R: ;Avon Mk.533R-11A:

Swedish designations

;Reaktionsmotor 3A – RM3A:Swedish designation for the Avon Mk.101C ;Reaktionsmotor 5A1 – RM5A1:Swedish designation for the Avon Mk.21 ;Reaktionsmotor 5A2 – RM5A2:Swedish designation for the Avon Mk.21A ;Reaktionsmotor 5B1 – RM5B1:Swedish designation for the Avon Mk.23 ;Reaktionsmotor 5B2 – RM5B2:Swedish designation for the Avon Mk.24 ;Reaktionsmotor 5B3 – RM5B3:Swedish designation for the Avon Mk.25 ;Reaktionsmotor 6A – RM6A:Swedish designation for the Avon Mk.47A ;Reaktionsmotor 6B – RM6B:Swedish designation for the Avon Mk.48A ;Reaktionsmotor 6C – RM6C:Swedish designation for the Avon Mk.60

Applications

Military aviation

* CAC CA-23 (cancelled) *

* Fairey Delta 2 *

* Ryan X-13 Vertijet *

* Supermarine Swift *

Civil aviation

de Havilland Comet The de Havilland DH.106 Comet is the world's first commercial jet airliner. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland in the United Kingdom, the Comet 1 prototype first flew in 1949. It features an aerodynamically clean design with four ...

* Lockheed L-193 (cancelled) *

Other uses

*The Avon is also currently marketed as a compact, high reliability, stationary power source. As the AVON 1533, it has a maximum continuous output of 21,480 shp (16.02 MW) at 7,900 rpm and a

thermal efficiency In thermodynamics, the thermal efficiency (\eta_) is a dimensionless performance measure of a device that uses thermal energy, such as an internal combustion engine, steam turbine, steam engine, boiler, furnace, refrigerator, ACs etc. For ...

of 30%. An example can be found at

Didcot Power Station Didcot power station (Didcot B Power Station) is an active natural gas power plant that supplies the National Grid (UK), National Grid. A combined coal and oil power plant, Didcot A, was the first station on the site, which opened in 1970 and w ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

where four Avon generators are used to provide

Black start A black start is the process of restoring an electric power station, a part of an electric grid or an industrial plant, to operation without relying on the external transmission network, electric power transmission network to recover from a tota ...

services to assist in a restart of the National Grid in the event of a system-wide failure, or to provide additional generating capacity in period of very high demand. *As a compact electrical generator, the type EAS1 Avon based generator can generate a continuous output of 14.9 MW. *On 4 October 1983, Richard Noble's Thrust2 vehicle, powered by a single Rolls-Royce Avon 302 jet engine, set a new land-speed record of at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada.

Surviving engines

*Several Avon-powered

aircraft remain airworthy in private ownership in 2010. * Thunder City in South Africa as of 2011 operated two Avon-powered

s.
SWAHF
operates three Saab Lansen and two Saab Draken airworthy for air shows.

Engines on display

*A Rolls-Royce Avon Mk 1 is on display at Amrita University,

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...

in the Department of Aerospace Engineering's Lab. *A Mk 524 Avon has been restored at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina by the Museum Friend's Association in Moron, Argentina and is now on display. *An Avon Mk.203 was donated by Rolls-Royce to the

National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is ...

in July 1986 for public display. *A Rolls-Royce Avon is on public display at the Midland Air Museum. *A preserved Rolls-Royce Avon Mk.203 is on display at the

Royal Air Force Museum London The Royal Air Force Museum London (also commonly known as the RAF Museum) is located on the former Hendon Aerodrome, in North London's Borough of Barnet. It includes five buildings and hangars showing the history of aviation and the Royal Air ...

. *A partially sectioned Mk.101 Avon is on display at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford. *A Rolls-Royce Avon is on display at the Australian National Aviation Museum, Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia *A Rolls-Royce Avon is on public display at East Midlands Aeropark *A Rolls-Royce Avon is on display at the

Fleet Air Arm Museum The Fleet Air Arm Museum is devoted to the history of British naval aviation. It has an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft, aero engines, models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships (especially aircraft carriers), and paintings ...

RNAS Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, commonly referred to as WAFU central, (HMS ''Heron'') is an airbase of the Royal Navy, sited a few miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm bases, the ...

. *Several RR Avon engines are on display at the Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra, Australia *A Rolls-Royce Avon engine is on public display at the

Historical Aircraft Restoration Society The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, often referred to by its acronym, HARS, is an Australian based aircraft restoration group. The group has two museums, at Shellharbour Airport in New South Wales, Australia, and Parkes, New South Wale ...

museum at

Illawarra Regional Airport Shellharbour Airport, formerly Illawarra Regional Airport, also referred as Albion Park Aerodrome or Wollongong Airport, is an airport located in Albion Park Rail, New South Wales, Australia. The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society is lo ...

, New South Wales, Australia. *A Rolls-Royce Avon engine is on public display at the Parkes Aviation Museum in Parkes, New South Wales, Australia. *A Rolls-Royce Avon is on display at the Classic Flyers Aircraft Museum, Mt Maunganui, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. *A Rolls-Royce Avon Mk.26 is on display at Mikes Dyno Tuning and Performance Engines, Dandenong, Victoria, Australia *A Rolls-Royce Avon (GAF) is on display at the South Australian Aviation Museum, Port Adelaide, South Australia. *A Rolls-Royce Avon is on public display in the car park (under cover) at South Lanarkshire College,

East Kilbride East Kilbride (; ), sometimes referred to as EK, is the largest town in South Lanarkshire in Scotland, and the country's sixth-largest locality by population. Historically a small village, it was designated Scotland's first "new town" on 6 Ma ...

as an exhibit about Nae Pasaran. *A Rolls-Royce Avon MK 101 is on display at the entrance foyer of

Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya The Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya is one of the eight academic faculties at the university. It is the oldest engineering faculty in Sri Lanka. It offers full-time Undergraduate Courses leading to the degree of Bachelor of Sci ...

which was gifted by Professor Selvadurai Mahalingam * A partially sectioned Avon is on public display at the

City of Norwich Aviation Museum The City of Norwich Aviation Museum is a volunteer-run museum and charitable trust dedicated to the preservation of the aviation history of the county of Norfolk, England. The museum is located on the northern edge of Norwich International ...

in Horsham St Faith, Norfolk. * A Rolls-Royce Avon engine is on public display in The Charlesworth Transport Gallery, at

Kelham Island Museum The Kelham Island Museum is an industrial museum on Alma Street, alongside the River Don, South Yorkshire, River Don, in the centre of Sheffield, England. It was opened in 1982. The site The island on which it is located is man-made, resultin ...

, Sheffield.

Specifications (Avon 301R)

References

Notes

Bibliography

*Gunston, Bill. ''World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines''. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. * *

External links

The fascinating story of the Rolls Royce Avon turbojet engine, the first Rolls Royce axial flow turbojetNational Museum of USAF – Avon MK 203 Turbojet
a 1955 ''Flight'' article on the Avon

a 1957 ''Flight'' article {{Navboxes , title=Articles and topics related to the Rolls-Royce Avon , state=collapsed , list1= {{RRaeroengines {{Volvo aeroengines {{Westinghouse aeroengines {{US military gas turbine aeroengines {{Swedish military gas turbine aeroengines {{Aero-derivative engines Avon 1940s turbojet engines Aero-derivative engines Products introduced in 1950 Axial-compressor gas turbine engines