Helicopter engine technology — with particular reference to the Rolls-Royce Gem engine

Extract

Any aero engine designer works against a background of a list of general desirable features for all engines of:

Low acquisition costs

Low operating costs

High reliability

Good performance and fuel efficiency

Ease of maintenance

In the helicopter business however, the engine designer is faced with a real dilemma. On the one hand there is the desire to produce an engine which has as wide an application as possible, (i.e. turboshaft, turboprop, turbofan, APU, industrial power generator, marine traction etc) and this produces a basically low cost, high volume, production flow provided that the required changes in the engine configuration are kept to a minimum.