The Theseus was the

Bristol Aeroplane Company The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aircraft engines. Notable ...

's first attempt at a gas-

turbine A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced can be used for generating electrical ...

engine design. A

turboprop A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...

delivering just over 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) was chosen rather than compete with companies that were already developing turbojets. A

heat exchanger A heat exchanger is a system used to transfer heat between a source and a working fluid. Heat exchangers are used in both cooling and heating processes. The fluids may be separated by a solid wall to prevent mixing or they may be in direct contac ...

to transfer

waste heat Waste heat is heat that is produced by a machine, or other process that uses energy, as a byproduct of doing work. All such processes give off some waste heat as a fundamental result of the laws of thermodynamics. Waste heat has lower utility ...

from the exhaust to the compressor exit was necessary to meet a requirement for a fuel consumption comparable to a piston engine. However, the heat exchanger was abandoned after tests showed that it had a high pressure loss and only produced a fuel saving of 8%. Furthermore overall performance was reduced As well as being one of the first engines to feature a free propeller turbine, the Theseus was the first turboprop in the world to pass a type test in January 1947. Following 156 hours of ground runs and the receipt of a test certificate from the Ministry of Supply on 28 January 1947, two Theseus engines were fitted in the outer positions of a four-engined

Avro Lincoln The Avro Type 694 Lincoln is a British four-engined heavy bomber, which maiden flight, first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were initially known as the Lancaster IV and V; these were renamed L ...

for air tests. After ground and taxying test the Lincoln first flew on 17 February 1947. The engine was also installed in two Handley Page Hermes 5 development aircraft. It was soon superseded by the

Proteus In Greek mythology, Proteus ( ; ) is an early prophetic sea god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" (''hálios gérôn''). Some who ascribe a specific domain to Prote ...

design with more power.

Applications

* Avro Theseus LincolnTest bed only * Handley Page Hermes 5

Bristol Theseus on public display

East Midlands Aeropark East Midlands Airport is an international airport in Castle Donington, England. The airport is situated between Loughborough (), Derby () and Nottingham (); Leicester is to the south and Lincoln northeast. It serves the majority of the East ...

Castle Donington.

Variants

;Theseus Series TH.11 :Variant without heat exchanger. Ran for first time July 18, 1945 ;Theseus Series TH.21 :Variant with heat exchanger. Ran for first time in December, 1945 ;Theseus 502:

Specifications (Theseus Th.21)

References

Notes

Bibliography

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

External links

"Bristol Theseus I"
a 1945 ''Flight'' article

''Flight'' 30 November 1950 {{BristolAeroengines 1940s turboprop engines

Theseus Theseus (, ; ) was a divine hero in Greek mythology, famous for slaying the Minotaur. The myths surrounding Theseus, his journeys, exploits, and friends, have provided material for storytelling throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes desc ...

Mixed-compressor gas turbines