I like fast model aircraft, which the local model aircraft clubs refer to as guided missiles, as they expelled me........

Some of the pictures on this page are big and will take a little while to load. No thumbnails here.

One of the gas turbine motors shown below is actually a bit on the big side for model aircraft, as it makes 70bhp (shaft) and over 100 pounds of static thrust.... It is a Plessey Dynamics Solent, gas turbine starter or gts about 18 inches long.

There are more pictures of this gas turbine lower down the page.
It started life as a military APU (auxiliary power unit) on a full size Phantom F4 fighter Jet. It was used to start the main engines primarily, so it is just a starter motor! This device was big and bulky with its own fuel and oil, and electric starter system all built in. The gearbox, and secondary power take off turbine was all removed and machined away, leaving a light powerful pure turbojet jet engine that you can hold in one hand just.

The picture above is a 380mph Pulse-jet powered delta, that works entirely differently from gas turbines. This one plane has no undercarriage, and takes off with the aid of the bungi cords stretched out to 'ping' it off the ramp. Pulse-jets are fearsomely loud, to the point of blurring your vision and making you feel sick!

Basically they are a simple empty tube with a fuel injector and a reed valve in the front. No throttle and they start and stop instantaneously, and this also makes you jump! Radio Control and good piloting skills are essential!

Above another fast pulse-jet delta by a Dutch team at Evington. All these powerful pulse-jet engines are home built, from a drawing that you can download here as designed by the Dutch team. This is a well developed unit, but requires careful construction using rolled 0.5mm stainless steel sheet, and spot welding together.

A pair of 300mph plus pulse jet model aircraft.

Above is a small gas turbine, home built, Called a "Shreckling" after the designer, actually sat running on my bench in my bedroom. It might look peaceful here but it cleared us out the room pretty quick.

Front end compressor (wooden!) close up.

Rear view - stopped!

Side view...

Back to the bigger one first seen at the start of this page the Solent after conversion to thrust only. This may finish up propelling a wheelchair! I kid you not!

Front of the motor after its rebuild.

Stood up on my transfer board...

This is to show the size difference between the Solent, and the little Shreckling motor.

Finally the end of a very big page! This is a photo of noise, the plane can just be seen behind the guy bent over it. Pulse jets are VERY loud. The guys starting it have ear plugs, the crowd do not - look at their faces, and fingers in ears!

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