RC Turbines. . .The ultimate RC experience!How Turbines Work RC turbines operate by the same principle as full-scale jet engines. Heck, they even use the same 'Jet A1' fuel! There are three sections of a turbine engine. There is the compressor, the combustion chamber, and the turbine as you can see on the image to the right, courtesy of DYI's "Radio Control Hobbies". The compressor compresses the incoming air. Because of this extreme compression, the air is heated up in the process. Heated very high pressure air makes its way into the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber has a glow plug similar to the glow plug in a basic glow engine. When the air in the combustion chamber is at the appropriate temperature and pressure, a fine mist of fuel is introduced and the glow plug is lit. The fuel explodes pushing the exhaust gases through the turbine and eventually out the small nozzle at the rear of the jet. The high velocity of these exhaust gases is what produces the thrust to propel the jet. The turbine and the compressor are connected to a common shaft. The exhaust gas from the combustion process turns the turbine which drives the compressor. In order to get this process started the turbine must initially be powered by an outside source until the air in the combustion chamber is at the right temperature and pressure. This Jetcat RC turbine has a small electric motor that spools the engine up to obtain the proper temperature and
The GSU connects to the ECU through an LED board. The LED board indicates what function the ECU is performing while spooling up and starting the engine.
Purchasing an RC Turbine EngineRC turbine engines are by far the most extreme aspect of this hobby! However, these engines are very expensive and even more dangerous. It takes years of practice and dedication to acquire the necessary skills and confidence to fly a turbine powered jet. These turbines, along with the sophisticated electronics needed to run them, will set you back several thousand dollars. And that's just for the engine, not counting the cost of the aircraft. So you had better be pretty darn confident in your flying abilities before putting that much money on the line!Here are some places where you can buy a gas turbine engine when you are ready. Make sure you are setting down before looking at the prices! The
Gas Turbine Builders Association
in the UK has an excellent site with tons of information on model gas turbine design and history. This organization helped to improve the design of the Kamps Micro turbine engine. Wanna see one fly? Back to RC Jets
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pressure before fueling and igniting can take place. The entire starting sequence is controlled by the ECU (Engine Control Unit), which is the computer that controls the fuel valves and ignition system. Once the turbine is lit and running the computer turns the controls over to the transmitter.
