Highly adaptable combined propulsion engine for an aircraft or a

Abstract

The combined propulsion engine comprises an air-breathing jet engine and a non-air-breathing rocket engine, the jet engine comprising an air inlet device and an external nozzle which, in association with a central body, defines an air-breathing combustion chamber, while the rocket engine comprises a non-air-breathing annular combustion chamber and at least one turbo pump for feeding it with propellant. The combustion chamber of the rocket engine is disposed inside a central body towards the rear thereof and is situated at the downstream end of the air-breathing combustion chamber, the rocket engine combustion chamber being itself delimited by a streamlined portion extending the central body and constituting a spike which penetrates into the throat of the external nozzle while ensuring aerodynamic continuity for the stream of combustion gases leaving the air-breathing combustion chamber. Means are provided for modifying the axial position of the external nozzle of the jet engine in order to adapt the section through the throat of said nozzle for passing the stream of combustion gases from the air-breathing combustion chamber to various different internal and external operating conditions of the engine, the air-breathing jet engine and the non-air-breathing rocket engine being capable of operating alternately or simultaneously, depending on the stage of a flight.