Avon jet Engines-Re-Heat Versions.

The Museum is currently closed to the public for building work and I am using part of the floor space as a general workshop the Avon engine along with a RR gnome 1300, Bristol Hercules and a few other industrial engines are on the to do list for restoration.

The starter mounting is on the front of the engine, Any ideas on how the starter clutch works.

The only other avon i have seen minus starter had a planetary gear set in the front, I will put up some pictures of the 28R starter arrangement when i get a chance.

Hence the reason i ws looking at the one in wales for spares to use if needed for XJ494 Sea Vixen

The RA.28R was the Avon that took the Fairey Delta 2 WG774, to the speed record. The engine was retained for its transformation in to the BAC.221, as pictured above, for high speed Concorde wing trials.
Un reheated it was fitted to the Vickers Valiant and Sea Vixen.

Not knowing what the RA.28R went in, I googled it… and found this nice number:

http://www.transportarchive.org.uk/getobject.php?rnum=G3314&searchitem=Concorde&mtv=G1&pnum=7

So have you got the one that i knew was in wales or another from the same source, i wasn’t aware that it had been sold

Curiously the starter and accessory gears don’t appear to be connected to the rest of the engine, is there a clutch in there or something missing?

I assume this is fitted to the front of the engine. The answer would then be yes there is a clutch between the compressor and the starter drive.

Tis the very same engine, The story goes back to the early 80’s when Richard Noble was fund raising for Thrust 2. We sold some promotional merchandise to help the cause and during conversation A member of the thrust team mentioned that when looking for a suitable 302 engine they had been offered this one and while not suiting their needs would make an excellent display.
I have just sourced a type c6805/1 electric starter, Not sure whether it is suitable as my engine has a vertically off set starter mounting and what appears to be an accessory drive beneath.
Curiously the starter and accessory gears don’t appear to be connected to the rest of the engine, is there a clutch in there or something missing?

RA28R

I know of a RA28R in wales a friend of my father has it in a small museum in north wales, he beleives it was at some stage a spare for one of the land speed record cars, well that’s who he bought it of anyway It’s definately the type above as i’ve examined it closely to see if any components were sea vixen 208 compatable. The engine is complete and blanked properly with just it’s starter missing definately reheat though and definately annular combustion chambers I’ve seen the one at FAAM and it’s exactly the same type, at the time if only i had a box spanner i was desperate for ignitor plugs not that i would mind you

Hi
I have an Avon RA28R occupying a large space in my workshop, So far I have not been able to find any information on this engine.
The only other RA 28 with reheat that i know of is at The Fleet Air Arm Museum next to FD2 WG774 unless anyone here knows better.

Yes, the 300-series Avons (and only the 300-series) were designated RB146.

Avon RA.29 (mk301): thrust 12,100 lb (15,715 lb); length 138”; diameter 41.5”/44” reheat module; SFC .932/1.85
Avon RA.29 (mk302): thrust 12,690 lb (16,360 lb); length 138”; diameter 41.5”/44” reheat module; SFC .85/1.85

Avon RM6C (RA.29) [#66 reheat module]: thrust 12,690 lb (17,260 lb); length 138”; diameter 41.5”/44”; SFC .85/1.85
Avon RM6C (RA.29) [#67 reheat module]: thrust 12,690 lb (17,640 lb); length 138”; diameter 41.5”/44”; SFC .85/1.85

I found a weight of 2,890 lbs for the Avon RA.29 (mk 301), but this seems a bit light, as that is the same as I have found for the non-reheated Avon 201/2 series (RA.14/28).

There was a 500 lb difference between the Avon 100-series RA.7 (2,460 lb with no reheat) and the RA.7R (2,960 lb with reheat).

I was under the impression that the 300 series Avons were designated RB146.
The lack of weight difference between a reheated and non reheated isn’t so strange. Most of the reheat components weren’t actually fitted to the ECU.

Avon RA.29 (mk301): thrust 12,100 lb (15,715 lb); length 138”; diameter 41.5”/44” reheat module; SFC .932/1.85
Avon RA.29 (mk302): thrust 12,690 lb (16,360 lb); length 138”; diameter 41.5”/44” reheat module; SFC .85/1.85

Avon RM6C (RA.29) [#66 reheat module]: thrust 12,690 lb (17,260 lb); length 138”; diameter 41.5”/44”; SFC .85/1.85
Avon RM6C (RA.29) [#67 reheat module]: thrust 12,690 lb (17,640 lb); length 138”; diameter 41.5”/44”; SFC .85/1.85

I found a weight of 2,890 lbs for the Avon RA.29 (mk 301), but this seems a bit light, as that is the same as I have found for the non-reheated Avon 201/2 series (RA.14/28).

There was a 500 lb difference between the Avon 100-series RA.7 (2,460 lb with no reheat) and the RA.7R (2,960 lb with reheat).

I’ve had a look around and cannot find much hard data out there for the late series Avons. Does anyone know what the length, diameter and dry weight of the RM6C and Avon 301 are?

Which was the most powerful Avon? The 301R appears to have more dry thrust whilst the RM6 appears to have more in reheat. Finally, was there any proposed more powerful Avons after the above mentioned examples? I know we are starting to go into the turbofan era, but was there work done on further Avons in the aeronautics field as a back-up in case the Spey, for example, failed?

:DFrom the Iris type afterburn nozzle I’m going to debunk all of you and say FD1 & 2 (Fairey Delta for those unfimiliar with the type)

Firstly the FD.1 was powered by the humble Derwent 8, and secondly the FD.2 was powered by the RA14 (later RA28) which was a version of one of the 200 series Avons.

The T&L link at Jon H’s #5 has Mk.114 as Swift FR.5 and Mk.116 as F.7 (the AAM trials type at Valley). Your doc is Amendment List No.14, Nov.55, so original doc (AL0) may have been 1952 or 3, when there were to have been reheated Swift F.3, F.4 (as pagen01 says) and PR.6: mayhap Mk.108?

Re-Heat Avons again.

Very interesting Folks, thanks for input, at least we’ve narrowed down the field, and checks on Museum Aircraft could solve it, but as that is unlikely to be allowed, ( Elf-n-Safety ) I’ll keep this one in the pending tray.—LOL–:D

Bill T.

:DFrom the Iris type afterburn nozzle I’m going to debunk all of you and say FD1 & 2 (Fairey Delta for those unfimiliar with the type)

Swift indeed, the first British fighter to enter RAF service equiped with reheat (already first with swept wing) which was fitted to the F.3 – 4, and more usefully in the FR.5.

Indeed, the 100 series (RA7)engines with reheat were fitted to the Swift. There were also experimental fits for the Canberra (testing) and also prototype equipment for the Hunter and the Mystere. If remember correctly, it was also fitted in the SAAB Lansen.

Btw the engine looks nothing like the later 200/300 series engines. The later engines had cannular combustion chambers instead of multiple. The 100 had a 12 stage compressor and the 200 a fifteen. The 300 had an extra stage grafted onto the front (zero stage) to make it sixteen. There were a host of other changes, the more important being metallurgical.

Re-heated early Avons.

D

You Know Anon And Jon H ( Hi Guys ) Looks like we are going in right direction now. Swift Indeed. I’ve just been looking through Mike Lithgows Book:- “Mach One”. That is on loan to me at moment.

His record breaking run in the Mk4 Swift ( In Tripoli ) on September 25th, 1953 was with a re-heat engine. And also earlier in the book is mentioned that the 2nd. Swift prototype was also fitted with a re-heated engine. And it is mentioned that both engines gave lots of re-heat troubles.

So the era is right The RAF then did have reason to produce these AP’s as The re-Heat Swift version started with Mk. 4 and it’s possible the 3 Series of engines I’m talking about, started with that 2nd. prototype.

But then again, I’m still guessing somewhat calculated, me-thinks a Swift Mk4 Vol. AP is now the item to look for.
Also a trip to Millom to see if we can identify the Swift jet Pipe. And surely the engine itself . ( If it was still in there–LOL )

Bill T