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Powering
my T58 Turbine Powered Boat Project
My
T58-GE-8F Turbine
A very
rare opportunity presented itself and as a result I now have
a new T58-GE-8F motor for my project. All bright and shiny,
this beauty has zero hours since depot level overhaul.
That's right boys and girls; complete with paperwork and pretty
little stickers on all the components. And (as if that were
not enough) the T58-GE-8F
is rated at a whopping 1400 HP output. The output ratings
vary according to aircraft and the reporting agency; the T58-GE-8F
is rated at 1,450 HP in the SH-2F
Helo, rated at 1,350HP in the Kaman
SH-2 Seasprite, and rated at 1,450HP in the SH-2F
Seasprite
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The
T58 turbine engine powers the Sea King helicopter shown
on the left in a hover during an Anti-Submarine Warfare
(ASW) mission.
The T-58 turboshaft engine also powers the CH-46 shown
on the right lifting cans of helicopter blades during
an UNREP (Underway Replenishment) for the Navy fleet
while underway at sea.
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It
looks a lot like a "jet shop" around here.
Requiring only minor periodic maintenance, this T58-GE-8F
is fresh from overhaul and won't need any attention
for at least the next 2,500 hours.
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I
mounted my T58-GE-8F motor on my test cart and brought it
out of preservation. It starts right up and runs great- WOW,
what a monster!
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Next,
I'll focus on converting my T58 for marine use. Among
the many modifications, the exhaust will be turned 90º (pointing up) and a throttle linkage will be
fabricated. I'll also need to work on the drive-train.
I suspect it will likely be very similar to the drive-train
Dino designed for his T58
powered boat project.
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A
little about Naval Aviation
Running
my turbine engine brought back a lot of memories of my experiences
in Naval Aviation. In particular, I recall those cold, rainy
nights on 'The Rock' when we had to trim the J-52-P-408
engine on the EA-6B
Prowler while standing right next to it out at 'high power'.
Pretty noisy!
In Naval
Aviation, there are three levels of maintenance; Organizational
('O' Level), Intermediate ('I' Level), and Depot (Overhaul).
The squadrons ('O' Level) are where the aircraft are flown
and maintained. Aircraft components are removed and sent to
be repaired at I Level. Complete rework of entire aircraft,
subassemblies or individual components is performed at Depot
Level. I was fortunate enough to work in all three levels
at various times over the course of my career. I enjoyed the
challenge and found the work to be interesting as well as
rewarding.
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As
a retired Senior Chief (Navy E-8), I applaud the dedication of
our men and women currently serving in uniform around
the globe in our Armed
Forces. The Sailors on the left are preparing a
J-52-P-408 aircraft engine for running in the test cell
while deployed aboard the nuclear powered aircraft carrier
USS
Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).
The
Sailors on the right are performing an engine change
on an EA-6B Prowler in the hangar bay while at sea aboard
the USS
Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Try working under those
yellow lights in an effort to meet the morning flight
schedule. Been there, done that! I've got a wall full
of awards and an 'alphabet soup' of designations including
(AW/SW/MTS).
Now it's someone else's turn.
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General
Electric T-58 Turbine Engine
Fuel and Lube Oil Requirements
Thanks
to all those folks who have provided tips, technical advice,
and information to help me with this project.
Soon I hope to be skimming across the waves at 120 miles an
hour with a permanent grim etched on my face!
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