| Double Mamba | |
|---|---|
| |
| Preserved Double Mamba at the Imperial War Museum Duxford | |
| Type | Turboprop |
| Manufacturer | Armstrong Siddeley |
| First run | 29 September 1949 (First flight) |
| Major applications | Fairey Gannet |
| Developed from | Armstrong Siddeley Mamba |
The Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba is a turboprop engine design developed in the late 1940s of around 3,000–4,000 hp (2,200–3,000 kW). It was used mostly on the Fairey Gannet anti-submarine aircraft developed for the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy.
The Double Mamba (rarely known as the Twin Mamba) was a development of the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba with two Mambas driving contra-rotating propellers through a combining gearbox.[1]
Engine starting was by cartridge, however, forced air restart was achieved in flight. One engine could be shut down in flight to conserve fuel. Shutting down one engine also stopped one of the propellers.
The Double Mamba engine was also proposed for the Westland Westminster, a 30-seat helicopter that was later built as a prototype powered by a pair of Napier Eland E220 turboshaft engines.
Preserved Double Mamba engines are on public display at the:
Data from Flight[2]
