26 May 2007 at the Adelaide Model Aerosport Field, Monarto, South Australia
My first visit to Jet Action was no disappointment. With great weather, clear skies, slight wind from the north and a top temp of about 21 Celsius the day was of to a great start. A few friends also turned out along with my brother and my son.
The action started very soon after we got there at 10AM with the first and only crash of the day. F-18 Hornet suffered a problem with the radio gear resulting in the engine shutting down just over the field leaving the pilot struggling to wipe of speed and get the plane down as quickly as possible. Anyway, you can see the video here:
It wasn’t to long after that we had Peter Agnew’s Navy Panther jet on the runway and doing some circuits of the field. These things are expensive. At some $20,000 plus 300 hours of labour, it’s not something that you crash. Anyway, for your enjoyment you can see it in action.
This pilot/plane was probably the highlight of the day. A jet doing things that I have never imagined a jet can do, like stand on end still in mid air and hold it there. I’ve seen this done with other aircraft but as soon as they stall at the top of the climb, they fall over and head back to earth. You just need to take a look. I think you will be amazed.
This next video is a very well built aircraft. It’s an F16 that looks so much like the real thing you won’t notice it’s not until something puts it’s size into perspective. Have a look.
With either a JetCat or a Wren turbine which operate on Jet A1 fuel exactly the same as the real jet turbine engines found in that Qantas jet that lands at Adelaide airport, these model aircraft are an incredible piece of engineering. When you hear them before seeing them, you’ll swear your hearing a real jet engine.
Jet turbine driven model helicopters
How fast?
I don’t really know yet. The US FAA has placed a speed limit on these models of 377kmh (234mph) however these pilots report faster speeds than that. To put a little perspective around this, a Cessna 174 (typical single engine 4 seater) has a top speed of 320kph (200mph) at sea level.
The helicopters seem to get speeds up to about 140km/h, a little slower than their real life counterparts but not much.
Fuel
These engines use the same fuel as their the full size versions, Jet A1, 1-K kerosene. So when you are around these planes, you’d swear your at the airport. Fuel consumption varies but as an example, the JetCat P160 uses 454 grams (16 oz) per min at full power.
How the engine works
They really work the same as the full size engines with the main difference being the size of the parts used. They have a compressor, combustion chamber, turbine and exhaust nozzle. Air enters the engine and is compressed by the compressor. The compressed air is moved through the combustion chamber where the air is heated, making it expand (and compress even more). This air moves through the turbines at very high speed which makes them spin. A shaft is connected to the turbines and back through the front of the engine which connects to the compressor blades turning them. The air from the turbine stage exits the engine through the exhaust nozzle at very high speed (about 2,000km/h or 1,300mph) which pushes the engine and plane through the air.
With the helicopter, there is a second shaft connected to the turbines which goes through a gearbox to drive the helicopters rotor. In this version the air coming out of the turbines is exhausted and not used for thrust.
Two good articles that explain this with illustrations is:
JetCat P160 Jet Turbine engineHelicopter powerplant using a JetCat Turbine engine.Alternative helicopter power plant using a JetCat Turbine engine
How much?
If your anything like me, I have to know what would a hobby like this cost me? Well here’s what I found out so far. Please note, I don’t sell these and the prices here are what I found the things for on the Internet at the time of writing.
Engines:
Prices range from AU$3,400 for a JetCat P80 to AU$7,600 for the JetCat P200. For helicopters, you would spend about AU$7,300 for a SPH5 Helicopter Power Unit.
Plane:
I’ve found kits start at about AU$1,200 for a Boomerang Intro ARF Jet Kit and work up from there. The sky really is the limit as some of the planes are really impressive with enormous amounts of time going into their construction.
Controllers, computers etc:
You need to be able to control these models and they don’t come with a controller. Most hobbyists have a tendency to like a particular controller so its left up to the individual. Priced that I found started from about AU$199 for a simple 4 channel radio kit to AU$3,350 for a Futaba 14CH Radio Control System.
So for a full kit, one should expect to start at about AU$6,000 when you get the other bits that are not included, with most hobbyists spending much more.
A tip:
If you don’t have experience in flying these models, start small and cheap. When they crash, there is usually nothing left.
The next two pictures are of a B52 Remote Control model aircraft which was flown by someone with experience. You can see the results anyway.
Remote control B-52 aircraft before takeoffRemote control B-52 aircraft crash site
Comment from a YouTube viewer explains a little what happened:
pete2778 (6 March 2007) I was there and saw this happen, RAF Barkston Heath, Lincolnshire, England, August Bank Holiday Weekend in 2005. It was the BMFA national championships. It was blustery but many other models were being succesfully flown. The problem was that the roll spoilers on the B52 become very ineffective past a certain angle of roll, a gust pushed it beyond that angle and the rest was history. Sure looked realistic, most realistic model crash I’ve ever seen!
Where can you buy (in Australia)?
This is not exhaustive, it’s what I found in a short time of looking. If your a dealer, and want to be listed here, feel free to drop me an emailÂ
Flying session at a club – click image to see video
After finding the first video of a model jet propelled aircraft, I had to investigate further. There is quite a number of communities around the world that get into this hobby. The next four pictures are links to a 6 1/2 min video clip I found on Google Video showing what looks like an airfield with a number of these jet propelled model aircraft.
Flying session at a club – click image to see video
The planes have a push button start engine and run on kerosene like the real thing. The US FAA won’t allow them to fly faster than 377km/h (234mph) but it’s believed they will do considerably quicker.
A rough estimate is US$12,000 for an flying aircraft. Not bad for something that looks, smells and sounds like the real thing.
Landing is not all that easy. The nature of these jet engines is even at idle, they generate considerable thrust. So slowing to a good landing speed requires a level of skill. Probably a good idea to buy a cheap prop plane first to get used to it. At least crashing that won’t cost you a cool 12G’s.
Some flying action – click image to see video
Not all things go as planned though as seen in the video. Just click any of the four pictures above to link directly to the video on Google Video.
Not all things always go as planned
If your interested, here are a few links of interest on these types of engines
Although practical model jet engines have been around since the early 1980’s it has only been in the past few years that home construction has become viable. Careful design has made simple home construction possible using basic tools and a small centre lathe.
Small extract from page:
Aprox Price: AU$5,200 (US$3,995) (as at 10Nov06)
Weight: 1.52KG (3.34 LB)
Diameter: 11.2 cm (4.4 inches)
RPM Range: 32,000 – 128,000 RPM
Exhaust gas temp.: 650°C-770°C
Fuel consumption: 454 grams (16 oz) per min at full power
Fuel: Jet A1, 1-K kerosene
Anyone into unique toys will just love this video. It’s an Radio controlled F14 model that couldn’t be any more realistic. Just watch as they fire up the engines.
Will I need a pilots license? And what about flying lessons, so I don’t crash
