Go Karting is fun. And if you are one of those who really get a high with speed, try using a jet engine instead of a normal one on the kart. All you’d need is may be a JFS 100 by Allied Signal. This engine which is a twin shaft is generally used as a starter engine for aircraft engine. So you can estimate the kind of power it would produce. Well nothing under 90 horsepower! Easily convertible into a thrust jet engine, all one would need to do is to remove the entire power turbine and gear reduction system and add a suitable nozzle, getting a thrust of 85 pounds. Now, that is enough to whoosh around with your kart, only if you have ample land area.
The entire engine, which weighs nearly 50 pounds on completion, is a self contained, easy to operate engine which has its own starter and fuel control system.
The guy behind this idea calls himself TurboJer, and he has actually used two lawn mower batteries to power the starter and fuel control. Well, there are a few things he found difficult to figure out in this design.
1. The choice to locate the fuel tank. He had to put it over the hot engine.
2. How to get that throttle is undecided. Whether to leave the fuel just bleed off while going to the five fuel injectors.
3. The oil reserve is limited so one can not expect a long run.
With the flip of the switch, the engine fires on. And as he himself explains, it’s like taking off in the 12th gear. Well all the best Mr TurboJer, this surely sounds like a great adrenaline rusher, only if you could check out those little loopholes and may be experiment in an open enough area. All the best till then.
