Collection
Marbore 2
Marbore 2
Marbore 2
Larzac
SEP Viking 5,
unknown
SEP Viking 5,
unknown
SNECMA Museum — Villaroche (3)
Images and Narrative by John Martin
Published 2008; Revised 7 Aug 2022
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Turbomeca was formed in 1938 and started out by making compressors and turbines for superchargers. Post WW2 it turned towards its own gas turbine engines and found a niche in the market for small gas turbines in the form of jets, turboprops and turboshafts. Several examples of their products are on show as they became part of SNECMA in 2006. The SNECMA group has also been involved in rockets, and a range of examples are on show including hardware from the Ariane launcher programme well as a range of missiles and an experimental one-man rocket powered vehicle, the Ludion. The companies which make up SNECMA have produced other products as well and examples are on show of cars and bicycles made by Hispano-Suiza and Gnome. |
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| Turbomeca Collection |
Turbomeca Marbore 2 |
Turbomeca Marbore 2 |
Turbomeca Marbore 2 |
Aztazou XIV | Aztazou XIV | Aztazou XIV | Aztazou XIV | Turbomeca Larzac |
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| SEPR 633 Rocket | SNECMA Ludion | Eleonore | SEP Vulcain 1, SEP Viking 5, unknown |
SEP Vulcain 1, SEP Viking 5, unknown |
Le Rhone Cycles | Bugatti Type 57 | Industrial ATAR | Rolls-Royce Tyne |
As always, behind every good museum is a workshop. We had hoped to have a guided tour but nobody arrived so we decided to explore by ourselves. Some very interesting engines were being restored and it would have been good to have had a guide because it has proved impossible so far to find out anything about some of the exhibits. Any information would be welcomed.
One such example is the Körting Kg IV, a liquid cooled V-12. Any references I have found to the Körting company relate to it being a manufacturer of industrial gas engines with no mention of any aero related activities.
Another anonymous exhibit was simply labelled "MAN" and is clearly a U8 configuration, like the Bugatti U16 featured in an earlier Torque Meter. Similarly there is a V-10 engine simply labelled "Schneider".
The Junkers 205 is rather better known and it was fascinating to see an opposed piston diesel in its stripped down condition.
Before this visit, I understood that all radial engines were air cooled, that being the advantage of the layout. However, it seems that the Salmson company in France produced a range of water cooled radials in the early days of flying. One was being restored in the workshop.
Snecma used to carry out flight testing of engines at the Villaroche site, using, among other platforms, the Sud-Aviation Vautour bomber. A long serving example is on display outside the museum to highlight the importance of flight testing at Villaroche.
The SNECMA museum was restoring some engines on behalf of the Musee de l’Air at Le Bourget.
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| Körting Kg IV | Körting Kg IV | Körting Kg IV | Körting Kg IV | Körting Kg IV | Körting Kg IV | Körting Kg IV | Körting Kg IV |
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| Körting Kg IV | Körting Kg IV | Körting Kg IV | Junkers Jumo 205 | Junkers Jumo 205 | Junkers Jumo 205 | Junkers Jumo 205 | Junkers Jumo 205 |
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| Junkers Jumo 205 | Junkers Jumo 205 | Junkers Jumo 205 | Junkers Jumo 205 | Junkers Jumo 205 | Junkers Jumo 205 | Adler U8 | Adler U8 |
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| Adler U8 | Damblanc Variable Stroke Rotary | Damblanc Variable Stroke Rotary | Salmson Z-9 | Salmson Z-9 | M.A.N. Mana V | M.A.N. Mana V | Sud Aviation Vautour |
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