Lycoming T53

The Lycoming T53, (company designation LTC-1) is a turboshaft engine used on helicopters and (as a turboprop) fixed-wing aircraft since the 1950s. It was designed at the Lycoming Turbine Engine Division in Stratford, Connecticut, by a team headed by Anselm Franz, who was the chief designer of the Junkers Jumo 004 during World War II.

T53
Cutaway view of an early T53 turboprop, with single stage HP and power turbines
Type	Turboshaft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Lycoming Engines Honeywell Aerospace Ozark Aeroworks LLC
First run	~1955 [1]
Major applications	AH-1 Cobra Kaman K-MAX OV-1 Mohawk UH-1 Iroquois
Developed into	Lycoming T55

A much larger engine, similar in overall design, became the Lycoming T55 produced by Honeywell Aerospace. The T53 model is produced by Ozark Aeroworks LLC.

Variants

Military designations

Lycoming T53-L-1 turboshaft engine at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, USA

T53-L-1

T53-L-1A

770 hp (570 kW)

T53-L-1B

860 hp (640 kW)

T53-L-3

T53-L-5

960 hp (720 kW)

T53-L-7

T53-L-11

1,100 hp (820 kW)

T53-L-13

T53-L-13B

1,400 hp (1,000 kW) improved L-11

T53-L-701

1,400 hp (1,000 kW) turboprop variant used on Mohawk and AIDC T-CH-1

T53-L-703

1,800 hp (1,300 kW) improved durability variant of the L-13B

TF12

1,150 hp (860 kW) marine gas turbine fitted to prototype hydrofoil Halobates.^[2]

Civil designations

T5307A

commercial L-7

T5309A

commercial L-9A

T5309B

commercial L-9B

T5309C

similar to T5309A but with L-11 combustion chamber

T5311A

1100 shp (820 kW)

T5313A

1400 shp (1044 kW) commercial variant of the L-13

T5313B

1400 shp (1044 kW) commercial variant of the L-13

T5317A

1500 shp (1119 kW) improved variant of the L-13

T5317A-1

T5317B

T5317BCV

LTC1B-1

LTC1B-2

company designation for L-1A

LTC1F-1

company designation for L-3

LTC1F-2

company designation for L-7

LTC1K-1

company designation for L-5

LTC1K-2

company designation for L-9

LTC1K-2A

company designation for L-9A

LTC1K-2B

company designation for L-9B

LTC1K-4

company designation for L-13

LTC1K-4A

for tilt-wing / tilt-rotor aircraft (Canadair CL-84 Dynavert)

LTC1K-4K

1550 shp (1156 kW) direct drive variant of the L-13B

LTC1K-5

company designation for L-11

Kawasaki KT5311A

Kawasaki production for Fuji-Bell 204B helicopters

Applications

Aircraft

• AIDC T-CH-1 (T53-L-701)
• AIDC XC-2
• Bell 204B (T5311A)
• Bell 205A (T5313B)
• Bell 205A-1 (T5313B and T5317A)
• Bell AH-1 Cobra (T53-L-703)
• Bell UH-1H Iroquois (T53-L-703)
• Bell XV-15 (LTC1K-4K)
• Canadair CL-84 Dynavert
• Doak VZ-4
• F+W C-3605
• Grumman OV-1D Mohawk (T53-L-701)
• Kaman HH-43 Huskie
• Kaman K-MAX (T5317A-1)
• Ryan VZ-3 Vertiplane
• Vertol VZ-2 (YT53)
• Eagle Single (T5317A, T5317B, or T5317BCV)^[3][4]

Non-aircraft

• DB Class 210, diesel railway locomotive

Specifications (T53-L-701)

Data from Flight International ^[5]

General characteristics

• Type: Turboshaft
• Length: 58.4 in (1,483 mm)
• Diameter: 23 in (584 mm)
• Dry weight: 688 lb (312 kg)

Components

• Compressor: 5-stage axial and 1-stage centrifugal
• Combustors: reverse flow
• Turbine: 2-stage high pressure turbine; 2-stage power turbine

Performance

• Maximum power output: 1,451 shp (1,082 kW)
• Overall pressure ratio: 7.4
• Air mass flow: 10.7 lb/s (4.853 kg/s)
• Power-to-weight ratio: 2.109 hp/lb

See also

Related development

• Lycoming T55

Related lists

• List of aircraft engines