JET-POWERED - Maverick Blackout V2
Discussion
Well - it's taken me the whole duration of owning a Maverick Blackout V2, doing the standard servo upgrades, upgrading the engine to a Zenoah G290 4-bolt, to this latest source of propulsion - to figure out how to upload images on a forum! Although, I think they've only just recently made it a heck of a lot simpler!
So what you now see is the Maverick with the 2-stroke engine decommissioned - with the source of propulsion now a Wren iKero100 jet turbine! I've been smiling from ear-to-ear for days!
It puts out 10kg of thrust, idles at 45,000RPM, and is on full-power at 160,000RPM. And the sound is in-fecking-credible.
I haven't actually had a chance to test it for speed - and it may require a shift in perspective over the vehicle - so far a powerful mud-plugger suited only to good grass for traction. Now it's probably more in its element on tarmac and slicks of some sort. However, I like that it's still a Maverick Blackout V2, which incidentally I have loved all the duration of ownership - it's such a fantastic platform, that it gave me the confidence to try this.
This is the sort of engine which can propel a person on a bicycle to 30mph+
I will make the wiring neater, but it's still in test phases! If anyone's interested in the ins and out, just ask here.
I've left the original engine and even petrol tank in, to add weight to aid traction for the steered wheels, and to aid general stability, and really the extra inertia at start-off is helpful to keep it behaving.
Start-up is no longer an affair with propane bottles, a separate source of blown air, etc - it's completely, 100% self-contained - you can literally walk up to the vehicle - turn on receiver, turn on transmitter, and start - it does all of the rest until idling and ready for transmitter control.
And guess what - it just runs on standard paraffin!! Plus a dash of two-stroke.
In garage testing, I had the two front wheels chocked each by a six-pack of 1.5litre Evian, longways, so hardest to push - this was designed to prevent any forward movement during testing - but it shoved these properly when at full-throttle!
I got the engine directly from Wren Turbines - with them being UK-based, it's a no-brainer, as good as Jetcats also are. Wren literally hand-build every engine.
Below: An update since first pics - revised fuelling solution (story further on in thread)
Latest, as at 11 July:
VIDEO!!! But be warned - it is quick, dirty, and shaky! Better coming soon, esp of actual driving (piloting!). From about 2mins10secs it's shut down and in cooling-down mode - fully automated, might be boring to watch for some, but coming to a standstill is part of the show! Also - because of the sound issue mentioned at the other end of this thread (page 3), this video is only of start-up and idle (50,000RPM).
http://youtu.be/W4whKFUgc_0
So what you now see is the Maverick with the 2-stroke engine decommissioned - with the source of propulsion now a Wren iKero100 jet turbine! I've been smiling from ear-to-ear for days!
It puts out 10kg of thrust, idles at 45,000RPM, and is on full-power at 160,000RPM. And the sound is in-fecking-credible.
I haven't actually had a chance to test it for speed - and it may require a shift in perspective over the vehicle - so far a powerful mud-plugger suited only to good grass for traction. Now it's probably more in its element on tarmac and slicks of some sort. However, I like that it's still a Maverick Blackout V2, which incidentally I have loved all the duration of ownership - it's such a fantastic platform, that it gave me the confidence to try this.
This is the sort of engine which can propel a person on a bicycle to 30mph+
I will make the wiring neater, but it's still in test phases! If anyone's interested in the ins and out, just ask here.
I've left the original engine and even petrol tank in, to add weight to aid traction for the steered wheels, and to aid general stability, and really the extra inertia at start-off is helpful to keep it behaving.
Start-up is no longer an affair with propane bottles, a separate source of blown air, etc - it's completely, 100% self-contained - you can literally walk up to the vehicle - turn on receiver, turn on transmitter, and start - it does all of the rest until idling and ready for transmitter control.
And guess what - it just runs on standard paraffin!! Plus a dash of two-stroke.
In garage testing, I had the two front wheels chocked each by a six-pack of 1.5litre Evian, longways, so hardest to push - this was designed to prevent any forward movement during testing - but it shoved these properly when at full-throttle!
I got the engine directly from Wren Turbines - with them being UK-based, it's a no-brainer, as good as Jetcats also are. Wren literally hand-build every engine.
Below: An update since first pics - revised fuelling solution (story further on in thread)
Latest, as at 11 July:
VIDEO!!! But be warned - it is quick, dirty, and shaky! Better coming soon, esp of actual driving (piloting!). From about 2mins10secs it's shut down and in cooling-down mode - fully automated, might be boring to watch for some, but coming to a standstill is part of the show! Also - because of the sound issue mentioned at the other end of this thread (page 3), this video is only of start-up and idle (50,000RPM).
http://youtu.be/W4whKFUgc_0
Edited by Arif110 on Thursday 31st July 23:28
Ha ha - indeed! I've yet actually to even run it on ground of any sort. It's said that an object of given weight will 'use up' 5% of that weight, of the thrust of the engine used, just to be moving - thereafter however, the remainder of the engine's thrust is available for the imparting of speed.
Videos of them static are almost silly, as visually there's nothing much going on!
The noise is insane - I could be standing down the end of my street, and at full throttle, it could well be a full-size small jet aircraft taxiing.
Videos of them static are almost silly, as visually there's nothing much going on!
The noise is insane - I could be standing down the end of my street, and at full throttle, it could well be a full-size small jet aircraft taxiing.
Ha ha!! Well - just be glad that this project has gotten out my system the need to itch the other scratch I had, to stick a helicopter turbine in a Landrover (I had a 110 Defender for quite a few years) - I even had that fantasy down to calculating how much intake volume the sliding rear windows would allow, etc!
I've been into jets (& lasers, as it happens) ever since I can remember, and even did a school project on the jet engine when I was 11. I'm conscious that as someone who's 40, I've lived at the same time as the inventor of the jet engine (as far as I know, unless the Greeks or the Arabs really got there first, in BC, or something) - Sir Frank Whittle. Quite amazing, really.
I've gotta sort somewhere decent to test it - my usual grassland haunts are proving to have too much debris for the engine to try to suck up - I'm thinking either Miele vacuum cleaner exhaust carbon filters (which offer virtually no resistance to air movement), or find strips of tarmac to go on instead of said grass, which is what most RC people have to do!
Or, some kind of cowling- but then that would well detract from the ability to see the engine, which I think it part of the novelty.
When it was two-stroke powered, it'd come back covered in grass and crp.
I'll sort videos as soon as can.
I've been into jets (& lasers, as it happens) ever since I can remember, and even did a school project on the jet engine when I was 11. I'm conscious that as someone who's 40, I've lived at the same time as the inventor of the jet engine (as far as I know, unless the Greeks or the Arabs really got there first, in BC, or something) - Sir Frank Whittle. Quite amazing, really.
I've gotta sort somewhere decent to test it - my usual grassland haunts are proving to have too much debris for the engine to try to suck up - I'm thinking either Miele vacuum cleaner exhaust carbon filters (which offer virtually no resistance to air movement), or find strips of tarmac to go on instead of said grass, which is what most RC people have to do!
Or, some kind of cowling- but then that would well detract from the ability to see the engine, which I think it part of the novelty.
When it was two-stroke powered, it'd come back covered in grass and crp.
I'll sort videos as soon as can.
rhinochopig said:
So is the turbine simply a 'pusher' or is it driving the centre diff like the motor would?
Purely thrust alone. The logistics and complications of actual shaft-drive were just not worth the stress - and then with very uncertain outcomes (e.g. would the torque have been enough anyway?).I don't think jets are usually ever (never?) deployed to shaft-drive driven wheels = only props and rotors.
vx220 said:
I think tarmac would help your directional stability!
A consideration, certainly - but those tyres would need to go, for optimised behaviour on tarmac. Even when it was run by the two-stroke, it would skip all over the place and spin its wheels (all four!) on tarmac - of course part testament to how powerful the engine was, but also to lack of good traction.I need to get to know it on grass first, better learning-ground. I've tried it at full throttle now, just once, but got scared as it started off so quickly, after it got past inertia. And I'm not scared easily, as the two-stroke would take it to 40/50mph in a blink, almost.
Arif110 said:
rhinochopig said:
So is the turbine simply a 'pusher' or is it driving the centre diff like the motor would?
Purely thrust alone. The logistics and complications of actual shaft-drive were just not worth the stress - and then with very uncertain outcomes (e.g. would the torque have been enough anyway?).I don't think jets are usually ever (never?) deployed to shaft-drive driven wheels = only props and rotors.
Looking forward to seeing the video. It'll certainly make jumping interesting - launch and then open the throttle and simply keep going straight up until you run out of fuel
Arif110 said:
I don't think jets are usually ever (never?) deployed to shaft-drive driven wheels = only props and rotors.
Chrysler, Rover, General motors would disagree.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Turbine_Car
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover-BRM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_Firebi...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Turbina
Even ships do it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_gas_and_gas
And before you quibble those are gas turbines not jets, a jet is just a specific type of gas turbine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_turbine
Looks like an Allison 250 fron a Jet Ranger etc. Firing it up in what appears to be the blokes garage... 
Gas turbines sound like great power plants for cars; light, high power, compact etc. Unfortunately they only really like to run at constant speed and snaffle fuel like nobody's business. They smell awesome though
Gas turbines sound like great power plants for cars; light, high power, compact etc. Unfortunately they only really like to run at constant speed and snaffle fuel like nobody's business. They smell awesome though
Arif110 said:
I've gotta sort somewhere decent to test it - my usual grassland haunts are proving to have too much debris for the engine to try to suck up - I'm thinking either Miele vacuum cleaner exhaust carbon filters (which offer virtually no resistance to air movement), or find strips of tarmac to go on instead of said grass, which is what most RC people have to do!
Slight technical update - it kept on stalling (flaming out) under hard acceleration - so then there's me stressing that reputedly one of the most reliable engines about is not being reliable for me - turns out that the fuel was chucking to the back of the tank, leading then of course to bubbles in line & flame-out. And at full tilt, it'll get through the whole tank in a few minutes or under, so it will almost always have (create) space to let the remaining fuel gather to, away from the pick-up. The same will then happen on steering. Now I see why a lot of other models have tall tanks! Evian bottles will have to serve as a stop-gap.
P.s. Even at a good way less than full throttle, it was clearing a speed significantly faster than with the original engine, so clearing 40/50mph easily. I won't be surprised now if I eventually see it go past 80mph - just need to sort the fuelling issue. I'll likely stick my phone on top of it some time and use the Crank cycling app to discern actual top speed.
And thankfully all that weight meant that if I steered quite hard - it did just as it used with the normal engine - skidded about/spun - but no question of a flip/roll or anything.
P.s. Even at a good way less than full throttle, it was clearing a speed significantly faster than with the original engine, so clearing 40/50mph easily. I won't be surprised now if I eventually see it go past 80mph - just need to sort the fuelling issue. I'll likely stick my phone on top of it some time and use the Crank cycling app to discern actual top speed.
And thankfully all that weight meant that if I steered quite hard - it did just as it used with the normal engine - skidded about/spun - but no question of a flip/roll or anything.
Edited by Arif110 on Sunday 6th July 22:37
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