Lyulka AL-21
| AL-21 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lyulka AL-21F3 engine, Airforce Museum of the Bundeswehr; Berlin-Gatow | |
| Type | Turbojet |
| Manufacturer | Lyulka |
| Major applications | Sukhoi Su-17 Sukhoi Su-24 Yakovlev Yak-38 |
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The Lyulka AL-21 is an axial flow turbojet engine created by the Soviet Design Bureau named for its chief designer Arkhip Lyulka.
Design and development
The AL-21 is similar in power and technology to the General Electric J79 first flown in 1955 which was first engine for supersonic flight using the variable stator.[1] Western analysts believe they were designed by reverse engineering a J-79 engine which was most widely used on the F-4 Phantom from a plane shot down in Vietnam.[2]
After the fall of Soviet Union, it's became clear that AL-21F3 turbojet engine is different and more advanced design than J-79. It sucks in more air, compresses it more, and burns it hotter. AL-21F3 is a later design and superior in all respects. Its compressor is much more advanced getting more compression from less stages.[3] [4] It is generally described as being in the "third generation" of Soviet gas turbine engines which are characterized by high thrust-to-weight ratios and the use of turbine air cooling.[5]
The AL-21 entered service in the early 1960s. With later marks AL-21F3 it was used in the Sukhoi Su-17, Sukhoi Su-24, Ground-attack variant Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23, and Sukhoi T-10 (Sukhoi Su-27 prototype). A non-afterburning version powered the Yakovlev Yak-38 VTOL fighter.
Specifications (AL-21F3)
General characteristics
- Type: Afterburning turbojet
- Length: 5,300 mm (209 in)
- Diameter: 1,000 mm (39 in)
- Dry weight: 1,700 kg (3,740 lb)
Components
- Compressor: Two-spool 14-stage axial compressor with variable stator vanes
- Turbine: Two-stage high pressure, single-stage low pressure
Performance
- Maximum thrust:
- 76.4 kN (17,175 lbf) dry
- 109.8 kN (24,675 lbf) with afterburner
- Overall pressure ratio: 14.75:1
- Turbine inlet temperature: 1,100 °C (2,000 °F)
- Specific fuel consumption:
- 77.5 kg/(h·kN) (0.76 lb/(h·lbf)) at idle
- 87.7 kg/(h·kN) (0.86 lb/(h·lbf)) at maximum military power
- 189.7 kg/(h·kN) (1.86 lb/(h·lbf)) with afterburner
- Thrust-to-weight ratio: 64.7 N/kg (6.6:1)
- Life expectancy: 1,800 hours
See also
- Related lists
References
- ↑ Aircraft Propulsion and Gas Turbine Engines By Ahmed F. El-Sayed p. 16
- ↑ The Su-24 attack interceptor: jack of two trades, master of both
- ↑ http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?113202-J79-versus-AL-21
- ↑ http://www.motor-lutsk.com.ua/production_en.html
- ↑ Sosounov, V.A. (1990). The Development of Aircraft Power Plant Construction in the USSR and the 60th Anniversary of CIAM. AlAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE 26th Joint Propulsion Conference, July 16–18, 1990. Orlando, Florida. AIAA-90-2761.
External links
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