What an amazing 'donk' the T56 has been. I spent many happy years associated with the Herc/T56 combo in the RAF, C130Ks to be exact using the T56-A-15. I always thought how 'cutting edge' the whole package was, being a constant speed engine (115/200 VAC 400Hz AC power generation a piece of cake, with no need for a CSD), electronic synchrophase and engine turbine temperature control. (I still remeber some of the 'numbers' involved: 1010
°C controlling Turbine Inlet Temperature (TIT) with an overtemp release at 1077°C. And the engines were rated at 4,910 eshp and limited (circa 1967 to 1974) to 19,000 inch/pounds torque. What a sad bastard I am.
I remember it used to take ages to set up the Temperature Datums on the ramp (usually a freezing cold, soaking wet evening at Lyneham), using a test box and tweaking away at four 'blind' potentiometers deep inside the engine.
Setting up the synchrophaser prop phase angles was much more fun, as it had to be done in the air. (NO YOU DID NOT SIT ON THE ENGINE TO DO IT
).
Ah the memories..
Best regards
Dude
