TS-21 Gas turbine starter

The TS-21 is a very powerful GTS that is installed on several Russian turbojet and turbofan engines, such as the Tumansky R-29 (featured on this site) and the Llyulka engines. These were installed in aircraft like the Mig 23 and 27, Sukhoi 7, 20 and 22 etc.

The engine bears a resemblance to the Microturbo Noelle, has an electrically driven fuel and oil pump and features an single stage diagonal flow compressor and single stage axial turbine. The power section has a single stage axial turbine also. An interesting feature of this engine is that no nozzle guide vanes exist between the gas generator turbine and the free power turbine. The engine has two power settings, one for start and the other lower power setting for continuous cranking of the main engine (for up to an hour). I removed the free turbine and gearbox to run it as a turbojet engine. The Iraqis attempted to utilize these as missile engines, also by removing the free turbine and gearbox. However they were stalled by the massive fuel consumption and the inability to effectively or efficiently straighten the exhaust flow due to the turbine being designed to present the gas at the correct angle onto the NGV less free turbine, and not axially into an exhaust unit.

As it was made mostly from mild (or at least very low quality) steel and highly likely that it would explode on the first start attempt Adrian and I did not put to much expense into the running arrangement, however it started well and worked fine (even if was very, very scary)!! Unfortunately no video exists of this engine running as after a couple of runs we were shaking to much to go and get the video camera!!!