Walter Engines
Encyclopedia
The Walter Aircraft Engines was a company that manufactures aircraft engines, particularly the M601 turboprop. Based in Prague
, Czech Republic
, the company has been a subsidiary of GE Aviation since July 2008.
and Fiat 514
under license. Car production ceased in 1954.
From the early 1920s the company manufactured BMW
aircraft engines under license, as well as their own family of air-cooled radial piston engines. In the 1930s Walter also produced Bristol Jupiter
, Mercury
and Pegasus engines under license, before producing their own in-line inverted air-cooled four- and six-cylinder engines, and in 1936 an air-cooled inverted V12
.
Walter aircraft engines were used by the Air Forces of thirteen countries before World War II
.
During World War II Walter produced Argus
engines under license for Germany. Production of the BMW 003 turbojet was put into preparation, but none were produced.
The Walter plant survived the war intact and in 1946 the company was nationalized
as Motorlet n.e. They produced Soviet-licensed piston engines, and in 1952 production of the Walter M-05 jet engine began - this was the Soviet Klimov VK-1
engine, based on the Rolls-Royce Nene
, which powered the MiG-15
, and was exported to many countries. The company produced a series of Soviet-designed engines during the 1950s and 1960s, though piston engine production was closed and handed over to Avia
in 1964.
In 1995, the company was privatised
as Walter a.s., and in 2005 the aviation engine division became Walter Aircraft Engines. In July 2006, it was acquired by the Czech investment firm, FF Invest. In March 2007, it was announced that Walter Aircraft Engines would merge with Avia's aero-engine division. The company was also merged with the precision casting company PCS.
In September 2007, it was announced that the Company's assets (which do not include its current facility in Prague) would be purchased by GE Aviation. The transaction was completed in July, 2008. GE's interest in Walter has to do with the former's desire to compete more aggressively with Pratt and Whitney in the small turboprop
market; Pratt Whitney holds a commanding market share there. Walters builds the M601 engine, which GE hopes to refine and position against Pratt and Whitney's PT6. Walter currently builds 120 M601 engines per year; GE intends to increase production, by 2012, to 1,000 engines per year.
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, the company has been a subsidiary of GE Aviation since July 2008.
History
The company was founded by Joseph Walter, Bohemia in 1911 to produce motorcycles and motor tricycles. They started to manufacture cars in 1913, both their own models, and later the Fiat 508Fiat 508
The 508 was a car introduced by Fiat in 1932. It effectively replaced the Fiat 509, although production of the earlier model had ceased back in 1929. It had a three-speed transmission , seated four, and had a top speed of about . It sold for 10,800 lire...
and Fiat 514
Fiat 514
The Fiat 514 is a model of car produced by Italian automotive company, Fiat between 1929 and 1932.36,970 cars were produced in total.-Types:*2-seater plus dickey, 2 doors aka "Spider"*Tourer, 4 doors, 4 seats aka "Torpedo"...
under license. Car production ceased in 1954.
From the early 1920s the company manufactured BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
aircraft engines under license, as well as their own family of air-cooled radial piston engines. In the 1930s Walter also produced Bristol Jupiter
Bristol Jupiter
The Bristol Jupiter was a British nine-cylinder single-row piston radial engine built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Originally designed late in World War I and known as the Cosmos Jupiter, a lengthy series of upgrades and developments turned it into one of the finest engines of its era.The...
, Mercury
Bristol Mercury
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Bridgman, L, Jane's fighting aircraft of World War II. Crescent. ISBN 0-517-67964-7* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
and Pegasus engines under license, before producing their own in-line inverted air-cooled four- and six-cylinder engines, and in 1936 an air-cooled inverted V12
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
.
Walter aircraft engines were used by the Air Forces of thirteen countries before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
During World War II Walter produced Argus
Argus Motoren
Argus Motoren was a German manufacturing firm known for their series of small inverted-V engines and the V-1 pulse jet engine.-History:...
engines under license for Germany. Production of the BMW 003 turbojet was put into preparation, but none were produced.
The Walter plant survived the war intact and in 1946 the company was nationalized
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
as Motorlet n.e. They produced Soviet-licensed piston engines, and in 1952 production of the Walter M-05 jet engine began - this was the Soviet Klimov VK-1
Klimov VK-1
-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:* *...
engine, based on the Rolls-Royce Nene
Rolls-Royce Nene
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgman, L, Jane's fighting aircraft of World War II. Crescent. ISBN 0-517-67964-7-External links:* *...
, which powered the MiG-15
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was a jet fighter developed for the USSR by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful swept-wing jet fighters, and it achieved fame in the skies over Korea, where early in the war, it outclassed all straight-winged enemy fighters in...
, and was exported to many countries. The company produced a series of Soviet-designed engines during the 1950s and 1960s, though piston engine production was closed and handed over to Avia
Avia
Avia is a Czech aircraft and automotive company notable for producing biplane fighter aircraft, especially the B-534, and trucks.- History :...
in 1964.
In 1995, the company was privatised
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
as Walter a.s., and in 2005 the aviation engine division became Walter Aircraft Engines. In July 2006, it was acquired by the Czech investment firm, FF Invest. In March 2007, it was announced that Walter Aircraft Engines would merge with Avia's aero-engine division. The company was also merged with the precision casting company PCS.
In September 2007, it was announced that the Company's assets (which do not include its current facility in Prague) would be purchased by GE Aviation. The transaction was completed in July, 2008. GE's interest in Walter has to do with the former's desire to compete more aggressively with Pratt and Whitney in the small turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
market; Pratt Whitney holds a commanding market share there. Walters builds the M601 engine, which GE hopes to refine and position against Pratt and Whitney's PT6. Walter currently builds 120 M601 engines per year; GE intends to increase production, by 2012, to 1,000 engines per year.
Engines
- Walter Atlas
- Walter AtomWalter AtomThe Walter Atom is an air-cooled horizontal two-cylinder engine used on light aircraft. The Atom is a Czechoslovakian engine first produced in 1937.-Specifications :-See also:-References:...
- Walter BoraWalter Bora|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
- Walter CastorWalter Castor|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
- Walter Gemma
- Walter Junior
- Walter M202
- Walter M208
- Walter M332
- Walter M337
- Walter M601
- Walter M602
- Walter Major
- Walter MarsWalter Mars|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
- Walter MikronWalter Mikron|-See also:-References:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:*...
- Walter MinorWalter Minor|-See also:-References:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9*...
- Walter NZ 40
- Walter NZ 60Walter NZ 60|-See also:-References:* Němeček, V. . Československá letadla. Praha: Naše Vojsko....
- Walter NZ 85
- Walter NZ 120
- Walter PolluxWalter Pollux|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
- Walter RegulusWalter Regulus|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
- Walter Sagitta
- Walter ScolarWalter Scolar|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
- Walter Super Castor
- Walter VegaWalter VegaThe Walter Vega was a five-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine for aircraft use built in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s.-Specifications:* Bore: 135 mm * Stroke: 170 mm * Displacement: 12.2 L...
- Walter VenusWalter VenusThe Walter Venus was a seven-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine for aircraft use built in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s.-Specifications:* Bore: 135 mm * Stroke: 170 mm * Displacement: 17.1 L...
External links
- http://www.praguecast.cz
- http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel/Duxford/czechaer1.htm
- http://turbinepowertech.com/procedures/operation-limitations/ - Starting up the Walter M601 B, D & E Turbines.