Abstract: An aircraft power plant for vertical take-off and landing comprises a jet propulsion unit having an air inlet and an exhaust outlet and incorporating a combustion chamber, a high pressure compressor for supplying air from the air inlet to the combustion chamber, a fuel inlet for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber, and a turbine coupled to drive the compressor and arranged to be driven by the exhaust gases passing from the combustion chamber to the exhaust outlet. Swivelling front nozzles are provided for selectively directing a proportion of air from a fan arrangement downwardly in front of the propulsion unit and swivelling rear nozzles are provided for selectively directing at least a proportion of the exhaust gases from the exhaust outlet downwardly to the rear of the propulsion unit, in order to effect lift on take-off or landing.

Abstract: An aircraft power plant for vertical take-off and landing comprises a jet propulsion unit having an air inlet and an exhaust outlet and incorporating a combustion chamber, a high pressure compressor for supplying air from the air inlet to the combustion chamber, a fuel inlet for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber, and a turbine coupled to drive the compressor and arranged to be driven by the exhaust gases passing from the combustion chamber to the exhaust outlet. Swivelling front nozzles are provided for selectively directing a proportion of air from a fan arrangement downwardly in front of the propulsion unit and swivelling rear nozzles are provided for selectively directing at least a proportion of the exhaust gases from the exhaust outlet downwardly to the rear of the propulsion unit, in order to effect lift on take-off or landing.

Abstract: A water turbine (1) comprises a turbine chamber (3), an inlet port (4) and an outlet port (6) opening into the chamber (3), and two or more rotors (11, 12) arranged within the chamber (3) with their axes of rotation parallel so as to be rotatable in the water flow passing between the inlet port (4) and the outlet port (6). Each of the rotors (11, 12) has two or more substantially equi-angularly distributed lobes (17, 18), and the arrangement is such that the rotors (11, 12) rotate in opposite directions with their lobes in mesh with one another under the action of water impinging on the lobes of the rotors. Such a turbine can be constructed to operate efficiently with a low head of water, and is additionally of simple construction and therefore inexpensive to produce.

Abstract: A mechanism for varying the angle of attack of stator vanes of a compressor in a turbo machine. The vanes in each row are all connected to a respective encircling ring. The rings from all the rows of variable stators are connected to a beam which lies along the outside of the casing. The beam is connected at about its middle to a screw jack actuator which is bolted to the casing and one end of the beam is pivotted to the casing with a compound pivot which accommodates the compound movement of the beam caused by the straight line movement of the screw jack actuator.

Abstract: A gas turbine powerplant which has two compressor parts alternatively connectable:1. in series for supersonic flight, or,2. in parallel for subsonic flight and particularly useful at take-off. The compressor parts are co-axial and a valve extends obliquely between them having two positions corresponding to the two alternatives above. In the first position the valve allows series flow and in the second position its obliquity deflects the delivery of the first compressor part out into a bypass duct and allows ambient air into the second compressor part.

Abstract: The disclosure of this invention pertains to a bladed rotor for gas turbine engines wherein each blade has a root portion connected to a blade support element spaced radially outwardly from the rim of a single disc and being of greater axial extent than the rim. The element is connected to the rim by a web extending in part radially outside the rim and in part at the sides of the rim.

Abstract: The disclosure of this invention relates to a gas turbine engine combustion chamber including a flame tube having holes closed by a filling of a material of lower melting point than the flame tube material so that if in operation the temperature of the tube exceeds that of the filling the latter melt and cooling air can enter the tube through the holes.