Jet Beetle
That is my street-legal jet automotive on full afterburner. The automotive has two engines: the manufacturing gasoline engine within the entrance driving the entrance wheels and the jet engine within the again. The thought is that you simply drive round legally on the gasoline engine and once you need to have some enjoyable, you spin up the jet and get on the burner (you can begin the jet whereas driving alongside on the gasoline engine). The automotive was constructed as a result of I needed the wildest street-legal experience doable. With this challenge, I used to be in a position to make use of some stuff I realized whereas getting my fancy engineering diploma (I’ve a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford College) to design a street-legal jet automotive with out the distraction of how different folks have executed it up to now – as a result of nobody has. I do not understand how quick the automotive will go and possibly by no means will. The automotive was constructed to thrill me, not kill me. That does not cease me from the occasional blast on the freeway although.
The automotive is licensed right here in California. In California, new vehicles have bi-annual smog inspections so should you modify the engine, it’s more likely to fail the inspection and you will not be capable of drive it on the road. There are some exempt engine modifications (ex. after-cat mufflers – large deal) however none that may assist you to add 1350 hp to a brand new automotive.
Automobile was constructed to look as if VW delivered the automotive this manner. It handles nice and is protected. I used to be pondering of placing it into an import automotive present however the promoter informed me that it regarded too plain and really helpful that I put some decals on it, decrease it, and placed on some aftermarket wheels. Positive child, placed on some flimsy wheels will not take a curb and do not middle on the hubs, decrease the automotive so the tires rub and get lower by the physique utilizing springs that bounce me everywhere in the highway, and promote for corporations that could not engineer themselves out of a paper bag. I might have thought the 14″ diameter tailpipe was sufficient for him however I assume it wasn’t. Response from the new rod magazines has been sluggish. One editor informed me that’s as a result of I did not use something they promote. However the response to driving it on the road and going to the new rod exhibits (San Francisco Customized Automobile Present, Grand Nationwide Roadster Present in Pomona, and the Detroit Autorama) has been implausible. This automotive attracts crowds higher than any ’32 Ford, ’69 Camaro, or decaled Honda.
The Beetle was chosen as a result of it seems to be cool with the jet and it exhibits it off nicely. Bear in mind the Hurst wheelstanding Barracuda “Hemi Beneath Glass”? Properly, that is “Jet Beneath Glass”. Air for the jet enters the automotive via the 2 aspect home windows and the sunroof. It is somewhat windy inside however not insufferable.
The manufacturing hatch launch change on the driving force’s door prompts two new latches (one on either side) and the hatch pops open similar to a manufacturing automotive. The “hatch not closed” warning mild works too.
Right here you may see the break up within the tailpipe after a particularily impolite burner pop. All mounted and bolstered now. The warmth blanket retains the plastic bumper from melting when the jet is working.
The again of the gauge panel was saved open to offer the automotive a techie look. One thing to speak about. The automotive’s an engineering gadget, let’s examine some engineering thingies. The aluminum panel was designed in SolidWorks and lower out of billet, bead blasted, clear annodized, after which the labels for the switches had been milled into the entrance utilizing a font matching the VW cluster. Little particulars just like the holes having flat sides so the switches do not spin and precisely matching the contour of the sprint added time to the challenge. A number of variations had been made out of styrofoam first to get the format and lighting proper. From the again, the panel jogs my memory of the Seventies McLaren CanAm vehicles.
The very first thing I did once I bought the automotive was to chop the outlet within the again for the engine. Made a elaborate jig out of a tripod, a rod, and a lawnmower wheel to mark out the lower and went at it with a pneumatic noticed. Then completed it off with jeweler’s information. No paint required. Did not even chip. The opening was tough as a result of it goes via 3 layers (bumper and two layers of metallic) and it is a circle projected onto angled surfaces. Simply discovering the centerline of the automotive wasn’t trivial. Worrying what my neighbors would say if I ruined the again of a brand-new automotive made me REAL cautious. I imagine the outlet is inside 2 mm.
There are three gauges for the jet: %RPM, Oil Stress, and Turbine Inlet Temperature. An important is turbine inlet temperature. If you happen to exceed about 650 levels C for very lengthy, you injury the engine. That is important on start-up. You do not need a “hot-start”. The throttle for the jet engine is positioned subsequent to the gear selector. It’s a lever and has three buttons: Cool, Massive-Fireplace, and Afterburner. “Cool” leans out the engine and is used to decrease the turbine inlet temperature should you get a hot-start. To mild big-fire or the afterburner, you maintain a button down and 1/2 second later, press the hot-streak button on the ground. Then issues occur! Discover the kerosene stage gauge in entrance of the gear selector (jet gas is usually kerosene) and the bud vase lacking a rose. The place did it go?
Lotsa stuff again right here. The pressure from the jet is tied to the car via sandwich plates contained in the automotive bolted to contoured aluminum billets that had been slid into the body rails. You possibly can see the billet on the left aspect with a gap in its middle, welded to the plate with 4 bolts. Used helium because the inert gasoline and a whole lot of present to weld that chunk of aluminum. To return the automotive to its manufacturing top, adjustable spring perches had been used. Similar spring fee, simply corrected the experience top. Drives and handles nice. Kerosene is saved in a customized 14 gallon, baffled, foam-filled kevlar gas cell within the spare tire nicely. Two gas exits within the again: a -12 on the left aspect and a -10 on the precise. The -10 goes to a shutoff, then a Barry Grant pump (one of many few sizzling rod components on the automotive), then up into the automotive the place it sees a filter, a regulator, and {an electrical} shutoff valve earlier than feeding the engine. The -12 goes right into a shutoff, then a 1.5 hp, 11,000 rpm, 24V customized electrical pump. Pump is magnesium and may keep 100 psi at 550 gph. From the pump it goes into the automotive to a filter, then a big regulator, after which to the afterburner solenoid and the big-fire solenoid (to left of pump and feeding backside of tailpipe via orange lined hose). Gas system was examined for move functionality. Above the massive pump you may see the relocated gasoline cap actuator and all that black stuff on the precise aspect is the inventory gas evaporative management tools. All circuits feeding solenoids and pumps have fuses, relays, kick-back diodes to reduce contact arcing, sealed connectors, and use automotive wires of a gauge giving a most of 1V drop over the circuit loop.
The engine is a Basic Electrical Mannequin T58-8F. This can be a helicopter turboshaft engine that was transformed to a jet engine by some inner modifications and a customized tailpipe. The engine spins as much as 26,000 RPM (idle is 13,000 RPM), attracts air at 11,000 CFM, and is rated at 1350 hp. It weighs solely 300 lbm. It grows because it warms up so the engine mounts should account for this. The mounts within the entrance are rubber and the again are sliding mounts on rubber. The construction holding the engine was designed utilizing finite factor evaluation and is redundant. Sturdy, injury tolerant, and light-weight. Second battery and fuse/relay panel on the precise, halon hearth system and 5 gallon dry sump tank on left. 24V starter motor is within the nostril of the engine. 700 A of present goes into that motor for 20 seconds throughout start-up. Resulting from warmth, should restrict begins to a few in a single hour. Massive display screen is to keep away from FOD (international object injury). Jet retains sucking the rose out of the bud vase on the sprint!
Lots of consideration to particulars within the automotive. Word the aluminum block holding/defending the halon gasoline line, pull line, harness to engine, and oil strain line. Rectangular tank beneath inlet display screen is for numerous gas drains. Word temperature gauge and shutoff valve for dry sump tank. 3 gallons of turbine oil at $25/quart (ouch!). Two-stage PPG paint matching exterior of automotive was used contained in the automotive. It’s not straightforward to color round a whole lot of bars, and so forth whereas crouched in a automotive, in your dusty residence storage, avoiding drips, and along with your spouse screaming that the fumes will trigger mind injury within the youngsters. Particularly with two-stage the place you could have a number of coats and demanding drying occasions. Youngsters handed their grades so I assume injury was minimal, however extra importantly, the paint turned out nice!
Road racing motion. The opposite man wimped out after a couple of “big-fire” demonstrations. What you see within the image is about one-twentieth the complete measurement of the fireball. Man standing beside automotive had by no means seen it run earlier than and was smiling ear-to-ear all through the present. Had I launched, I might have burned him to a crisp. Properly, dwell and be taught.
We get this lots. A police officer selecting at his nostril whereas attempting to determine what to cost me with. Discover the hopeful anticipation of us on the precise. We’re rooting for him and provide strategies however sadly, the California Division of Motor Automobiles didn’t anticipate such a car so he is out of luck. Hmmm, the automotive has two engines making the automotive a hybrid so perhaps we are able to drive within the commuter lanes together with the Toyota Priuses.
*** Replace 7/18/06 *** It’s important to give the California Division of Motor Automobiles (the DMV) credit score for
creativity on this one. A DMV insider has disclosed to me that the DMV has
made a proper request to a federal company to rule if my Beetle constitutes a
menace to nationwide safety based mostly on what might occur if it bought into the incorrect
fingers. This raises three questions in my thoughts: #1 Does this imply Im the
proper fingers? #2 If somebody with the identify “b_laden13” is the best eBay
bidder for my Beetle can I refuse his provide even when he has the distinguished eBay
Purple Taking pictures Star suggestions score (the best)? #3 Would this have an effect on my
eBay score?
The automotive was constructed on this storage. Paint, welding, all the things besides some mill work. That is me standing beside the engine that’s out of the automotive for some gas controller work. The orange line is for the afterburner. There’s one on the opposite aspect too. Right here you may make out the 4 rows of variable inlets/stators on the entrance of the engine. Their angle adjustments with engine pace and are used to keep away from compressor stall. There are 11 compressor levels and a couple of turbine levels. The engine’s strain ratio is 8.3:1. That is how you’re employed on a jet engine. Stick it on its finish. Simple to retailer them that approach too.
Here is my spouse’s Honda Metropolitan scooter. She needs it to go sooner than 40 mph. So I’ve these two little JFS 100 jet engines and I’m pondering the way to put them on the scooter. Engines are 50 lbm every so weight is a matter. Will most likely use air-start with a carbon fiber tank of compressed air. That saves weight since batteries will then not be wanted.
Seems cool from the highest. Will need to make aluminum housings to go over the engines similar to on a DC-9.
Bitchin’ from the again too. Ought to get the scooter going. On one jet engine alone, this engine will get a kart as much as 60 mph. Seems like I’ve a whole lot of spare wire left over from the Beetle job to do the scooter.