Boeing T50-BO-8A (502-10VC) Turboshaft Engine
date: label: Date
content: Circa 1950s
name: label: Manufacturer
content: Boeing Company
notes: label: Physical Description
content: Type: Turboshaft
label: Physical Description
content: Power Rating: 224 kW (300 hp) at 28,380 rpm
label: Physical Description
content: Compressor: Single-stage centrifugal
label: Physical Description
content: Combustor: 2 combustion chambers
label: Physical Description
content: Turbine: Single-stage axial
label: Physical Description
content: Weight: 152 kg (334 lb)
label: Summary
content: In the mid-1940s, Boeing engineers conducted research to become familiar with gas turbines, but it became apparent that the research engines were significant in themselves. First engine run was the 667 N (150 lb) thrust Model 500 turbojet, closely followed by the 119 kw (160 shp) Model 502 turboprop. Because no applications materialized for the turbojet, efforts were focused on the Model 502, initially developed as a turboprop and later as the more widely used turboshaft engine, first delivered in 1949.
label: Summary
content: In late-1951, a Model 502 powered Kaman K-225 helicopter became the world's first gas turbine-powered helicopter, and, in late-1952, a Model 502 powered Cessna XL-19B Bird Dog became the world's first turboprop-powered light aircraft.
label: Summary
content: By the mid-1960s, significant power and reliability improvements produced the Model 502-10VC, the first U.S. turbine engine in the 149 to 224 kw (200 to 300 shp) range to receive an approved 150-hour qualification. This artifact powered the Gyrodyne QH-50C (DSN-3) drone helicopter.
place: label: Country of Origin
content: United States of America
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Air and Space Museum Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transferred from the U.S. Navy, Naval Supply Center, Norfolk, Virginia
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Air and Space Museum
identifier: label: Inventory Number
content: A19740506000
objectType: label: Type
content: PROPULSION-Turbines (Jet)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Materials
content: Aluminum, Steel, Paint, Rubber, Copper, Stainless Steel, Titanium
label: Dimensions
content: Length 101.6 cm (40.0 in.), Diameter 61.0 cm (24.0 in.)