Volvo Aero
Encyclopedia
Volvo Aero, a subsidiary of Swedish
company Volvo
, develops and manufactures components for aircraft
and rocket engine
s with high technology content in co-operation with the world’s leading engine manufacturers.
, Sweden, in 1930 to produce aircraft engines for the Swedish Board of Aviation. As the name of the company indicates it was a subsidiary to NOHAB
. In 1937 it became a part of the newly founded SAAB
but already in 1941 Volvo
acquired a majority of the stock and the name was changed to Svenska Flygmotor AB (SFA), and later on Volvo Flygmotor.
Since the 1950s the company have been the major engine supplier to the Swedish Air Force
. The Volvo Aero Group has 3,600 employees and in 2003 had total sales of 0.9 billion euros. Today Volvo Aero is a partner in more than ten commercial engine programmes. Components from Volvo Aero are installed in more than 90% of all large commercial aircraft engines sold.
. These have largely been in partnership with other engine manufacturers, like the RM1 (de Havilland Goblin) for the Saab 21R
, RM2 (de Havilland Ghost
) for the Saab J29, RM5 and RM6 (Rolls-Royce Avon
) for the Saab 32 Lansen, the RM6B for the Saab 35 Draken, and RM8
(Pratt & Whitney JT8D) for the Saab 37 Viggen. The Gripen's
RM12 engine is a derivative of the General Electric F404.
Svenska Flygmotor also designed the B42, four-cylinder boxer-engine, intended for the SAAB Safir
. However, SAAB decided on using engines from de Havilland and Lycoming for the Safir. In the end the B42 came to power the Infanterikanonvagn 103 assault gun. A follow-up called B44 powered the Pansarbandvagn 301
armoured personnel carrier.
Volvo Aero delivers engine components, mainly complex engine structures like turbine exhaust casings, turbine mid frames, LPT cases, compressor housings, LPT shafts, vanes, and large rotating parts.
where they do maintenance on aircraft engines and stationary gas turbines. The aircraft engines are Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100
and TFE-731 engines. The Stationary gas turbines is General Electric LM1600
engine, and the DR990, which Volvo bought the OEM responsibility from Dresser Rand.
s under the Volvo Flygmotor and VOAC brands.
and Norway
, in addition to Volvo's home country, Sweden
. The Norwegian plant, in Kongsberg
, is the former Norsk Jetmotor (eng., "Norwegian Jet Engine"), itself formerly a part of Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
company Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
, develops and manufactures components for aircraft
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
and rocket engine
Rocket engine
A rocket engine, or simply "rocket", is a jet engineRocket Propulsion Elements; 7th edition- chapter 1 that uses only propellant mass for forming its high speed propulsive jet. Rocket engines are reaction engines and obtain thrust in accordance with Newton's third law...
s with high technology content in co-operation with the world’s leading engine manufacturers.
History
Nohab Flygmotorfabriker AB was founded in TrollhättanTrollhättan
Trollhättan is a city and the seat of Trollhättan Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 44,498 inhabitants in 2005. It is located 75 km north of Sweden's second-largest city, Gothenburg....
, Sweden, in 1930 to produce aircraft engines for the Swedish Board of Aviation. As the name of the company indicates it was a subsidiary to NOHAB
NOHAB
NOHAB was a manufacturing company in the city of Trollhättan, Sweden.The company was founded by Antenor Nydqvist, Johan Magnus Lidström and Carl Olof Holm in 1847 as Trollhättans Mekaniska Verkstad as a manufacturer of turbines for hydraulic power plants...
. In 1937 it became a part of the newly founded SAAB
Saab
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
but already in 1941 Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
acquired a majority of the stock and the name was changed to Svenska Flygmotor AB (SFA), and later on Volvo Flygmotor.
Since the 1950s the company have been the major engine supplier to the Swedish Air Force
Swedish Air Force
The Swedish Air Force is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces.-History:The Swedish Air Force was created on July 1, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the escalating international tension during the 1930s the Air Force was reorganized and expanded...
. The Volvo Aero Group has 3,600 employees and in 2003 had total sales of 0.9 billion euros. Today Volvo Aero is a partner in more than ten commercial engine programmes. Components from Volvo Aero are installed in more than 90% of all large commercial aircraft engines sold.
Aircraft engines and components
Volvo Aero is a supplier of single-engine systems for military aircraftMilitary aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
. These have largely been in partnership with other engine manufacturers, like the RM1 (de Havilland Goblin) for the Saab 21R
Saab 21R
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andersson, Hans G. Saab Aircraft since 1937 . London: Putnam, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-831-3....
, RM2 (de Havilland Ghost
De Havilland Ghost
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
) for the Saab J29, RM5 and RM6 (Rolls-Royce Avon
Rolls-Royce Avon
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:**** a 1955 Flight article on the development of the Avon...
) for the Saab 32 Lansen, the RM6B for the Saab 35 Draken, and RM8
Volvo RM8
|-See also:-External links:*...
(Pratt & Whitney JT8D) for the Saab 37 Viggen. The Gripen's
JAS 39 Gripen
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...
RM12 engine is a derivative of the General Electric F404.
Svenska Flygmotor also designed the B42, four-cylinder boxer-engine, intended for the SAAB Safir
Saab 91 Safir
|-See also:-References:*Smith, Maurice A. . Flight, 23 October 1947, pp. 459–462.-External links:* * * *...
. However, SAAB decided on using engines from de Havilland and Lycoming for the Safir. In the end the B42 came to power the Infanterikanonvagn 103 assault gun. A follow-up called B44 powered the Pansarbandvagn 301
Pansarbandvagn 301
Pansarbandvagn 301 , was a Swedish armoured personnel carrier used by the Swedish Army. It was a typical "battle taxi", armed with a 20 mm Bofors gun and with room for transporting 8 fully armed soldiers....
armoured personnel carrier.
Volvo Aero delivers engine components, mainly complex engine structures like turbine exhaust casings, turbine mid frames, LPT cases, compressor housings, LPT shafts, vanes, and large rotating parts.
Engine maintenance and service
Volvo Aero also has a facility in TrollhättanTrollhättan
Trollhättan is a city and the seat of Trollhättan Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 44,498 inhabitants in 2005. It is located 75 km north of Sweden's second-largest city, Gothenburg....
where they do maintenance on aircraft engines and stationary gas turbines. The aircraft engines are Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100
-External links:*...
and TFE-731 engines. The Stationary gas turbines is General Electric LM1600
General Electric LM1600
-External links:* ....
engine, and the DR990, which Volvo bought the OEM responsibility from Dresser Rand.
Space propulsion
Volvo Aero manufactures combustion chambers, nozzles and turbines for commercial launch vehicles.Hydraulic Motors
The company have produced the F-series hydraulic motorAxial piston pump
An axial piston pump is a positive displacement pump that has a number of pistons in a circular array within a cylinder block. It can be used as a stand-alone pump, a hydraulic motor or an automotive air conditioning compressor.-Description:...
s under the Volvo Flygmotor and VOAC brands.
Locations
Volvo Aero subsidiaries are located in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, in addition to Volvo's home country, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The Norwegian plant, in Kongsberg
Kongsberg
is a town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg....
, is the former Norsk Jetmotor (eng., "Norwegian Jet Engine"), itself formerly a part of Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk
Kongsberg Gruppen
Kongsberg Gruppen is Norway's major defence contractor and maritime automation supplier, located in Kongsberg, a former mining town....
.