jet engine racers - no interest?

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Somewhat suprised at the lack of interest in jet engine powered racers...

No expertise?

Uninteresting?

Unfeasible?

Send them two experts -- an engineer from pratt & whitney vs a homebuilt jet engine hobbyist!

I think demonstrating simple jet engine design and operation would make for a great show... loud, spectacular, lots of eye candy -- great for television.

(To reply in email replace blort dot invalid with anime dot net)

-- Dan Hollis (goemon@blort.invalid), January 08, 2001

Answers

Yea, I say make one and radio control it. Perhaps they could put them on railroad tracks.

How about this: just tell them to make the fastest vehicle they can that will go on a railroad track, and they can use whatever means they want.

-- Richard Manahan (rjcyclesk8@hotmail.com), January 08, 2001.


Why radio controlled?

It's surely not terribly more dangerous than the steam engine or dragster racers.

-- Dan Hollis (goemon@blort.invalid), January 08, 2001.


I may be way off, but it seems to me, that a Jet engine is a lofty challenge for two reasons: 1. Jet fuel may not be as combustible as gasoline, but alot is being consumed and handled. So there could be a safety issue there. 2. A Turbine Jet engine is a high RPM device. It is precision engineered, balanced, to handle some awesome forces of centrifugal force, vibration, heat, thrust, etc. Made with exotic metals....

If it ran, would it come apart? Would you want to be in the vicinity?

Just don't seem to me personally, something you would want to build out of scrap, even if you could.

Although I believe I understand the basic principles of a Jet engine, I am certainly no expert. Perhaps you folks are talking about a simpler design than I'm familiar with.

-- Terry King (terry.king@gecapital.com), January 08, 2001.


> 1. Jet fuel may not be as combustible as gasoline, but alot is being > consumed and handled. So there could be a safety issue there.

Who said anything about jet fuel? Propane does just as well -- in fact I believe it is the fuel of choice for jet engine hobbyists.

> 2. A Turbine Jet engine is a high RPM device. It is precision > engineered, balanced, to handle some awesome forces of centrifugal > force, vibration, heat, thrust, etc. Made with exotic metals....

Uhh you mean like a... bog standard automotive turbocharger? Naah.. they couldnt possibly seed the junkyard with those... ;)

Besides, no one said they had to make a *TURBINE* jet engine. There are several designs to choose from, including some designs with no moving parts what-so-ever.

> If it ran, would it come apart? Would you want to be in the > vicinity?

Any more than uh.. any of the other devices they've built? I can think of several scrapheap challenges that have been at least equally as dangerous.

(To reply in email replace blort dot invalid with anime dot net)

-- Dan Hollis (goemon@blort.invalid), January 08, 2001.


The main reason? You don't find many Jet engines in the junkyark LOL

-- Rick Lawrence (hoodoo2@povn.con), January 11, 2001.


Dude. People all over this planet have been converting old turbochargers into jet engines, often with quite a lot of thrust. Start at www.gas-turbines.com

-- Gregg Eshelman (gregg1@valint.net), March 13, 2001.

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