The Microturbo TRS 18 is a small, low thrust

turbojet The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...

designed and built in

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in the 1970s. It was installed on both manned and unmanned aircraft.

Design and development

The TRS 18 was originally designed for self-launching motor gliders but was adapted to power conventional

ultralight aircraft Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and Aircraft flight control system, conventional three-a ...

and unmanned vehicles ( RPV). It was originally designed and developed by Sermel, a competitor company to Microturbo which the latter took over in 1971. It is a simple, low thrust, reverse flow single shaft engine with a

centrifugal compressor Centrifugal compressors, sometimes called impeller compressors or radial compressors, are a sub-class of dynamic axisymmetric work-absorbing turbomachinery. They achieve pressure rise by adding energy to the continuous flow of fluid through th ...

and axial turbine. It is built in three modules: an intake section containing starter and lubrication systems; a centre section with compressor and turbine on ball bearings; and an aft section with the folded

combustion chamber A combustion chamber is part of an internal combustion engine in which the air–fuel ratio, fuel/air mix is burned. For steam engines, the term has also been used for an extension of the Firebox (steam engine), firebox which is used to allow a mo ...

s and tail-pipe. It gained its US

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type certificate A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). Certification confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production is in compliance w ...

in May 1976.

Variants

''Data from'' Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1984-85 ;TRS 18-046:Production version, primarily intended for manned applications with full self start provision, oil lubrication and temperature and pressure transducers. ;TRS 18-056: Cut down

gas generator A gas generator is a device for generating gas. A gas generator may create gas by a chemical reaction or from a solid or liquid source, when storing a pressurized gas is undesirable or impractical. The term often refers to a device that uses a ...

or core engine version, fuel lubricated and only 62% the weight of the 18-046 version but the same thrust; intended for RPVs. ;TRS 18-075: Intended respectively for the Flight Refuelling ASAT target drone. Includes an engine driven alternator and fuel and oil lubrication pumps. Dry weight as 18-046. Take-off thrust increased to 1.15 kN (260 lb st) and maximum continuous thrust to 1.10 kN (247 lb st). ;TRS 18-076: Intended for the Meteor-Mirach 100. Includes an engine driven alternator and fuel and oil lubrication pumps. Dry weight as 18-046. Take-off thrust increased to 1.15 kN (260 lb st) and maximum continuous thrust to 1.10 kN (247 lb st).

Applications

''Data from'' Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1984-85 Manned * Bede BD-5J * Caproni Vizzola A-21SJ * Chagnes Microstar (version of Rutan VariViggen) * EFF Prometheus 19 * EFF Prometheus 12 * Microjet 200 *

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slew wing Unmanned * Flight Refuelling ASAT * France-engins Mitsoubac * Meteor-Mirach 100

Specifications (TRS 18-046)

References

{{Microturbo aeroengines 1970s turbojet engines Centrifugal-flow turbojet engines