The RC Jet Engine on a Budget
Is it Really Possible to Build a Working RC Jet Engine? I have been doing some research on this question because up until now RC Jet Engines have been, as you can imagine very expensive to buy.
Certainly in the thousands of dollars range, one major manufacturer is Jetcat USA, who have a fantastic range of products, but the do come with a hefty price tag.
The problem has always revolved around the turbine and the material it needs to be made of to work efficiently, and absorb the heat involved.
Indeed this was exactly the same problem faced by the engineers in Germany at the later part of WW2, they simply could not get the most suitable alloys to ensure the reliability of the early jumo series jets.
During my research I have found that it is now possible to buy an off the shelf Turbine that will form the basis of your home built RC Jet engine.
It is clear however that you will still need a reasonable amount of engineering skill to use this turbine and produce a working Jet engine.
I think that it would still be possible to out source the manufacture of the components to small local engineering firms, so that you might just need to carry out assembly of the components.
The Turbine will be used to produce a centrifugal type jet engine.
This is the type of format favored by the majority of commercial RC Jet engine manufacturers.
It is the type of engine first designed by Sir Frank Whittle and used in many early designs of post war aircraft such as the Gloster Meteor, the UK's first operational Jet Fighter.
Later developments saw a switch to the slimmer axial flow engine design, such as we see fitted to modern fighter jets.
I'm sure some very talented modelers out there will just be able to take the of the shelf turbine wheel and go and produce a working RC Jet Engine.
For the rest of us mere mortals there are plans available that give us a blue print to work with.
Clearly this will be a major project, but the satisfaction gained, not to mentioned the money saved, will certainly make this project a truly worthwhile one.
The only question is, are you up for the challenge?
Certainly in the thousands of dollars range, one major manufacturer is Jetcat USA, who have a fantastic range of products, but the do come with a hefty price tag.
The problem has always revolved around the turbine and the material it needs to be made of to work efficiently, and absorb the heat involved.
Indeed this was exactly the same problem faced by the engineers in Germany at the later part of WW2, they simply could not get the most suitable alloys to ensure the reliability of the early jumo series jets.
During my research I have found that it is now possible to buy an off the shelf Turbine that will form the basis of your home built RC Jet engine.
It is clear however that you will still need a reasonable amount of engineering skill to use this turbine and produce a working Jet engine.
I think that it would still be possible to out source the manufacture of the components to small local engineering firms, so that you might just need to carry out assembly of the components.
The Turbine will be used to produce a centrifugal type jet engine.
This is the type of format favored by the majority of commercial RC Jet engine manufacturers.
It is the type of engine first designed by Sir Frank Whittle and used in many early designs of post war aircraft such as the Gloster Meteor, the UK's first operational Jet Fighter.
Later developments saw a switch to the slimmer axial flow engine design, such as we see fitted to modern fighter jets.
I'm sure some very talented modelers out there will just be able to take the of the shelf turbine wheel and go and produce a working RC Jet Engine.
For the rest of us mere mortals there are plans available that give us a blue print to work with.
Clearly this will be a major project, but the satisfaction gained, not to mentioned the money saved, will certainly make this project a truly worthwhile one.
The only question is, are you up for the challenge?
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