Originally designed by the Garrett AiResearch team in 1961, the first motor shipped from Garrett’s Engines facility in Phoenix, Az. In its 50th year of production, 13,000 TPE331 engines have shipped from that facility and new engines continue to be built and tested there on a daily basis.
In the 1960’s, the increased use of jet engines by commercial airlines translated into a demand by general aviation operators for increased speed. Rockwell International was one of the first companies to introduce the TPE331 in a commercial application; installing the engine in the Aero Commander in 1964. The TPE331 was destined for expanded markets as small jet engines became available for more business aircraft.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force and the Marine Corps, along with the U.S. Navy added the OV-10 Bronco to their fleets. The Bronco was powered by two T76 engines, the military version of the TPE331. The aircraft complemented the performance requirements between jets and helicopters. Faster and more tactically versatile than helicopters, yet slower and more maneuverable than jets, the Bronco utilized tactics not possible with either.
In the late 1960’s, Fairbanks, Alaska saw increasing air traffic for the pre-Trans Alaska Pipeline. TPE engine flight test and installations were also taking place on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Aviation team for use on long-range patrol in the Arctic Ocean. Conditions required a rugged engine that could handle quick throttle response for shorter take-offs, good power-to-weight ratio and the ability to climb faster and cruise farther. The TPE331 engine delivered. With successful extreme cold and hot weather high altitude testing of the engine, operators in other regions of the world began to consider the TPE331 for their aircraft.
During the 1980’s British Aerospace embarked on the development of the Jetstream family of Regional Turboprops. Several hundred engines were developed and the TPE331 family grew larger finding applications in developing aircraft from manufacturers around the world. In 1996, the first U.S. TPE331 engine was certified on a twin-engine prop transport aircraft in Russia. A Phoenix-based engineering team determined that the large block upgrade to the TPE331 could increase the power output by over 50%. Hundreds of these engines are still in use on commuter airliners around the world.
Today, customers select the TPE331 engine as a retrofit for Caravans, Single Otters and other utility aircraft to boost their power and performance. In fact, the 1000th TPE332-12 production engine was shipped to Texas Turbine Conversions in March 2013 for installation on a Cessna Grand Caravan. The engine was selected due to the exceptional performance, durability, and lower operating cost - which matters when aircraft are used daily.
In addition to use on commercial aircraft, the Royal Air Force in the U.K. utilizes the TPE331 engine on the Shorts Tucano, a fully aerobatic military training airplane. Spain has the engine installed on the CASA C-212 Aviocar, a turboprop-powered medium transport aircraft and the United States military utilizes the engine’s advanced performance with the MQ-9 Reaper.
Honeywell engineers continue to collaborate with aircraft manufacturers from across the Aerospace industry to ensure that the TPE331 will meet the needs of the aviation community for the next 50 years. This workhorse of an engine will continue to be tough, proven and efficient for commercial, business and military customers.