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Build Your Own Jet Engine
jgarland79 writes "Have you ever wanted your very own jet engine? Build one at home in your own garage. The guys over at www.garagejet.com have done just that. Their jet engine is made from an automotive turbo, spark plugs, and some scrap metal. I have made a mirror site here." We've had a couple of previous stories about a guy building pulsejet engines - the type of engine described above is a turbojet.
'Nuff said! ;)
Now I'm going to have to start worrying about real rice rockets on the way home from work.
Combined with the Slashdot articles on Build Your Own Cruise Missle, I'm good to go!
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Another site that shows you some of the steps in building a gas turbine engine (also known as a jet engine) this one uses a turbo charge, probably not quite as good though
http://asciimation.co.nz/turbine/
he also uses it to cool beer.
http://asciimation.co.nz/beer/
These guys are amateurs compared to Mark Nye of Nye Thermodynamics. I realize the page is a little old, but homebuilt gas turbines aren't exactly high tech till you get up to the FADEC systems of commercial jetliners
http://www.nyethermodynamics.com/
Off topic: Ooo... lets slashdot the server to oblivion. It's got MOVIES!
If you like small engines, take a look at 5bears.com -- he's made a turbojet (centrifugal compressor and turbine) and a turboprop, complete with microcontroller-based starter/fuel system, in addition to a couple of radial engines, a CNC mill, and a homebuilt spotwelder.
The FBI were right to go after you.
I had a friend who knew this guy one time and his sister's cousin built a jet engine just like the one in the article and bolted it to the top of this old Nova that he had. He took it for a test run in the desert in, like, Arizona. He forgot that his normal brakes wouldn't be enough to stop it, and the accident investigators found the remains of the jet engine 80 feet up the side of a mesa.
Dude, his teeth were still embedded in the melted steering wheel. That's how they identified him. Don't mess with home-brewed jet propulsion, it's a recipe for trouble. You could put someone's eye out.
The Dalai LLama
...true story, I swear...
My sig could be your sig!
This would definitely be a source of inspiration for those budding innovators and inventors.
I like the drill being used as an oil pump, but what happens if some bright spark hits the reverse direction button?
I hope those chaps have good home & contents insurance!
Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.
-- Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
When building an engine that will potentially operate at over 1000 degrees Celsius, be sure to build frame out of wood.
Just a side note, the New Zealand government recently shot down bruce's $5,000 cruise missle project. read about it here.
Very sad, i was looking forward to its completion.
Newsie, Moderator, www.tauniverse.com
The upshot is that you can't use a jet engine to get into outer space, only a rocket engine, because there's not oxygen up there for a jet engine to burn enough fuel to make enough thrust.
Wrong! You *can* use a jet engine to go into space. You just need to accelerate to 11,000 km/h, the escape velocity (lower if you are at higher altitude, or just want to go into orbit). You can even go into space with a (really big) cannon.
Your jet engine will come crashing down.
And if you do reach space, you will be wishing that you did come crashing down.
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
I'm with you. I don't want to have to put real crap on a machine unless absolutely necessary, e.g. bomb threat, man with gun, summons from SCO...
Stay tuned for new sig...
Especially if you plan on titling one of your videos "Ooops! Forgot to make sure the fittings were tight!"
Jeez...
These guys are charging $20 for the 555 chip. These things go for around $0.90 at radio shack. At first I thought it was the entire assembly, but then I saw the assembly for $50.
-William
God is everything science has yet to explain.
Let's see, super chargers are ungodly expensive....
Adding turbo or even replacing turbo, out of this world....
But! Two 300 dollar jet engines welded to the side of your Ford Escort!?!?!?!? Francine Dee! Here I come!
They used an automotive turbo, etc. It was the "jet car" episode.
As I recall it didn't generate very much thrust.
(didn't RTFA)
Once you'd built one of these, build another. Then tie a lawn chair in between, and start 'em up! Should be a real blast.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
In the Bibical sense?
and his sister's cousin
Wouldn't it just be easier to say, "his cousin"?
Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
back in the mid 1980's. He was a mech engineer and used the company machine shop to fab the parts. He said it got up to about 200 lbs of thrust - until the turbine blades flew out the back end ( he used aluminum instead of titanium) - luckily he only got slightly injured.
Pulsejets, turbojets... what's the big deal? They invented Laserjets years ago. Can get one of those for $400 or less, and the laser just runs on electricity, doesn't need fuel...
You've seen the movie, now buy the book: Gas Turbine Engines for Model Aircraft by Kurt Schreckling
What Kurt's design looks like when built per plans.
Gas Turbine Builders Association
Photos from the GTBA of various completed motors, note the small sizes.
Luke, help me take this mask off
The guy who built the cruise missile and those pulsejets (me) also built a turbo-turbine back in 2001 and documented it here
Then I added the afterburner
And if you want to see a really cool turbine-powered gokart check out Nick's website.
More pulsejet/turbojet links and things here.
Now we're all really keen to enter the chinese version of full metal challenge!