Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba
Double Mamba | |
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Preserved Double Mamba at the Imperial War Museum Duxford | |
Type | Turboprop |
Manufacturer | Armstrong Siddeley |
First run | 29 September 1949 (First flight) |
Major applications | Fairey Gannet |
Developed from | Armstrong Siddeley Mamba |
The Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba is a turboprop engine design developed in the late 1940s of around 3,000–4,000 hp (2,500–3,000 kW). It was used mostly on the Fairey Gannet anti-submarine aircraft developed for the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy.
Design and development
The Double Mamba (rarely known as the Twin Mamba) was a development of the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba with two Mambas driving contra-rotating propellers through a combining gearbox.[1]
Engine starting was by cartridge, however, forced air restart was achieved in flight. One engine could be shut down in flight to conserve fuel.
Variants and applications
![](../I/m/Fairey_Gannet_T.2_XA522_Farnborough_10.09.55_edited-2.jpg)
The Ministry of Supply designation system for these engines reflects the obvious linkage to their Mamba lineage:
AS = Armstrong Siddeley
M = Mamba
D = Double
num = model
Model | Thrust (ehp) | Component engines | Aircraft fitted |
---|---|---|---|
ASMD.1 | 2,950 | 2 x ASM.3 | Fairey Gannet A.S. Mk.1 Blackburn B88 (prototype) |
ASMD.3 | 3,145 | 2 x ASM.5 | Fairey Gannet A.S. Mk.4 |
ASMD.4 | 3,875 | 2 x ASM.6 | Fairey Gannet AEW Mk.3 |
The Double Mamba engine was also proposed for the Westland Westminster, a 30-seat helicopter that was later built as a prototype powered by a pair of Napier Eland E220 turboshaft engines.
Engines on display
Preserved Double Mamba engines are on public display at the:
- Australian National Aviation Museum
- Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim
- Gatwick Aviation Museum
- Imperial War Museum Duxford
- Midland Air Museum
- Queensland Air Museum
Specifications (ASMD.3)
![](../I/m/Gannet_engine.jpg)
Data from Flight[2]
General characteristics
- Type: Turboprop engine
- Length: 102.25 in (2,597 mm)
- Diameter: 52.8 in (1,341 mm)
- Dry weight: 2,170 lb (984 kg)
Components
- Compressor: 10 stage axial (x2)
- Combustors: Six combustion chambers (x2)
Performance
- Maximum power output: 2,960 eshp (2,207 kW)
- Overall pressure ratio: 5.35:1
- Air mass flow: 18.5 lb/sec (8.4 kg/s) per single Mamba unit
- Specific fuel consumption: 1.71 lb/(lbf·h)
- Power-to-weight ratio: 1.36 eshp/lb
See also
- Related development
- Comparable engines
- Related lists
References
Notes
- ↑ Gunston 1989, p.20.
- ↑ Aero Engines 1954 Flight International magazine, Flight Global/Archives, 9 April 1954, on www.flightglobal.com. Retrieved: 29 October 2016
Bibliography
- Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba. |