The Boeing T50 (company designation Model 502) was a small turboshaft engine produced by Boeing. It was the first turboshaft engine to ever power a helicopter: a modified Kaman K-225 in 1951. Based on Boeing's earlier Model 500 gas generator, the T50's main application was in the QH-50 DASH helicopter drone of the 1950s. An up-rated version designated Model 550 was developed to power the QH-50D and was given the military designation T50-BO-12.
Two T50 were tested on a HTK-1 (Kaman HH-43 Huskie) in the 1950s, which was the first test of twin turbine engine on a helicopter.
Variants T50-BO-1 T50-BO-2 T50-BO-4 at 6,000 output rpm, military rating turboprop. T50-BO-6 T50-BO-8 at 5,950 output rpm, revised reduction gear ratio, fuelsystem and other changes. T50-BO-8A T50-BO-10 at 6,000 output rpm T50-BO-12 502-1-1Auxiliary power unit 502-2ETurboprop, at 2,900 output rpm max. continuous at sea level. 502-6Engine for an engine-generator set used for magnetic minesweeping by the US Navy. 502-7BCompressed air generator. 502-8ATurboshaft. 502-8BTurboprop, at 37,500 compressor rpm for take-off. 502-10BTurboprop, at 37,500 compressor rpm for take-off. 502-10CTurboshaft power unit / gas producer 502-10F 502-10V (T50-BO-4) 502-10VB at 3,000 output rpm, variant of -10V / T50-B0-4 with revised reduction gear ratio. 502-10VC (T50-BO-8) 502-11Compressed air generator. 502-11B 502-12B 502-W 502-14 (T50-BO-10) 550-1 (T50-BO-12)
Applications T50 (Model 502) Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH Kaman K-225 Kaman HTK-1 Kaman K-1125 XL-19B Bird Dog Radioplane RP-77D
GT502 Stridsvagn 103
Specifications (T50-BO-10 / 502-14)
See also Rover 1S60
References Notes
Bibliography
External links
Boeing Model 502 Gas Turbine Engine "Jet Sheds Weigh" , September 1947, Popular Science article at bottom of page on earlier Model 500