Rolls Royce Palouste and Artouste engines
The Blackburn/Rolls Royce Palouste engine and it’s sister the Artouste; a Cold-War classic from the 1950s. The engine is a gas turbine compressor unit intended to supply starting air to aircraft. The Palouste engine was usually mounted in a trailer, cart or an air transportable pod. The Artouste engine is an air-borne auxiliary power plant (AAPP) or auxiliary power unit (APU) version of the Palouste. The engines are similar, the Artouste variant was fitted with an extra reduction gearbox and mounting pad and would carry a 400Hz generator. The Artouste would carry out normal aircraft APU duties such as supply compressed air for cabin air-conditioning, electric power for avionics and systems and of course starting air for cranking the main engines. Many Paloustes and Artoustes were built. The RAF made extensive use of the Palouste to start aircraft such as the Buccaneer and Gnat jet fighters. The Artouste engine was fitted to the Victor V-Bomber/Tanker, Trident and VC10.
Mechanically the Palouste is descended from a French design that featured the innovative rotating atomiser combustor system pioneered by Turbomeca. A neat arrangement where by fuel was “centrifuged” from a ring of rotating holes drilled in to the engine shaft. Fuel is passed along the hollow shaft from the front of the engine and created a disc shaped flame in the combustor.
There are also a turbojet and a twin shaft version (known as the Turmo) listed for the Palouste layout but it’s not clear if many were produced. A still-born “Cumulus” engine was also designed for the cancelled TSR2 aircraft.
A similar device to rival the Palouste for airfield ground starting was the Hants and Sussex STAD LP starter MK12
Palouste/Artouste Specification
Power Output...1.65Lbs/Sec @ 37 P.S.I. Air Delivery (Artouste AAPP MK113) + 10-48 Kw Elec.
RPM...........................….…………………………………………………….……………………………………………........35,000
Compressor.................….….……………………………………………......Oversize Centrifugal Impeller Pr. 3.6:1
Combustion Chamber...……………………………………………………….......Radial Unit with Rotary Atomiser
Turbine....................….……..………………………………………………………………………............2 Stage Axial Flow
Layout..................….………....……...............Single Shaft with Reduction Gear and Accessory gearbox
Starting......................….…..…………………………………...........Electric or back up Hand Crank (Palouste)
Ignition.......................................Torch Igniter with High Energy or High Tension Spark (Palouste)
Fuel System.................…...……......Gear Pump with Centrifugal Governor and Pneumatic Controls
Lubrication...................…..…………………......Dry Sump with Reservoirs built into Air Intake Region
Weight..........................….....……………………………………………………………………………………………......450 Lbs
Length.................….………...…………………………………………………………………………………..………..............70 in
Width................….....…………………………………………………………………………………………..………................23 in
Height................…......………………………………………………………………………………………………….................24 in
Application..............................Artouste 520 in Trident Airliner, Artouste 113 in Victor B2, VC10 Various Ground Starting Carts Palouste compressor in two seat pressure-jet helicopter.
