Pulsejet powered World Models TameCat RC plane, maiden flight

After a few delays and some last-minute changes to the fuel system so that the engine could draw fuel up the 8-inches between the tank-bottom and the spraybar, the first flight of the pulsejet-powered World Models TameCat has happened.

It's sure not lacking in power (10lbs thrust versus 7lbs flying weight) and it was damned fast!

Despite being a mild-mannered pussy-cat when powered by a regular glow-engine it's very apparent that under full jet-thrust I'm going to have to cut back the elevator throw a little. The TameCat is such a big pussy to fly once the power's off though - landing is a breeze!

The engine switched to lean-mode short-cycling when I pulled high-G's in the second turn so I'll have ti increase the fuel pressure some more and reduce the size of the fuel-metering jet so as to reduce the effect of hi-G's on fuel-flow.

With luck, I'll get the changes done and fly it again tomorrow!

Don't miss that video -- subscribe now.

And if you like what you see, tell World Models that they should offer a pulse-jet version with a few modifications. I'll let them have the necessary changes. This is the *perfect* pulsejet trainer!

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• pulsejet
• pulsoreactor
• pulsoreacteur
• rc
• plane
• jet-powered
• FrSky
• FriSky
• TameCat
• World
• Models
• Tokoroa
• SWMAC
• turbine

[MrCommonlane]

i know its a stupid question but how much dose the puls jet weigh and is it more eficent than a turbine i am only asking these question because were we fly your not aloud turbins

[xjet]

@MrCommonlane The pulsejet engine weighs about 680 grams. They are not as efficient as a turbine and *much* louder ;-)

[EnglishTurbines]

Thats great, I assume you are using ordinary petrol from the pump?...Why dont you use a pressurised tank?...IE an aerosol type container you can then pressurise with air and a regulator on it to give constant feed pressure to the liquid tank. You just open the fuel feed after the engine starts up....:)...Constant setting regardless of flight effects.....:) I make my own turbine engines BTW..:)

[xjet]

@EnglishTurbines My engines have a pressure tap on them so I actually get about 2PSI of pressure from the combustion chamber to push the fuel through when they're running. However, on this model there is a very large difference between the fuel-jet and the tank level so when you pull very high Gs, the pressure is not enough to compensate for the fuel-head.

[EnglishTurbines]

@xjet Yes, but you forgetting, pressure conditions in a Pulse Jet change during flight, and so will your pressure from your tapping point. You need something constant which does not rely on pressures generated from within the engine itself. Your tapping point will also pulse...just like the engine itself does as the pressure wave travels back and forth along the engine.

[xjet]

@EnglishTurbines Due to the elasticity of the gases involved, the choking effect of the small (0.8mm) orifice through which they must pass and the mass of the fuel, a huge amount of integration (smoothing) takes place so that the resultant pressure in the tank is surprisingly stable. It's a system that works very well on my other aircraft but they only have a fuel-head of about 3-4 inches. On this one it's closer to 8 inches when the tank is half full.

[JOCKATEO]

thats what happened to my metal bong

[CHELLIE2408]

I really enjoyed the Tame Cats Build and Maiden Flight, I know that air bubbles in the fuel will shut down the jet, Question ? would a bladder tank and springs in the fuel line at the fuel injection spray valve help to eliminate air bubbles and keep the jet running, and would a on board ignition system or a glow plug help to keep the jet running, just my 2 cents worth, BTW I really enjoyed your Hummor and Aussie Accent :) :) :) Take care and have fun, Chellie in So. Calif, USA

[scflyer55]

@xjet Die Wunderwaffe ist ein Erfolg, Herr Simpson!

[scflyer55]

Back in '76 by buddy and I first fired up his Redhead pulsejet in the alley in about 4 ft of snow.

Just for the heck of it, we tried some stating spray (ether) while it was running. Talk about a spectacular exhaust flame! It cooled the tube too- the color darkened momentarily, but the sound was awesome. It would be cool if you could figure a safe way to inject short bursts for flybys!

[Aragonman567]

Sweet

[w00kiey]

awsome

[JontyKilpatrick]

Saw your FrSky review on hobby king - Impressed.

Have you done or know anyone who has done a FPV "how to" I'm finding it difficult to understand what lit is needed and what the options are.

[tomken8dy]

For the money, pulse jets are the most

efficient jet./rocket engines ever made.

That why they scare governments.

They're cheaply and easily made!

[tnhl77]

@davidrodgersNJ not reliable hard to start Fuel hogs I could go on forever

[WarblesOnALot]

@xjet Ah, just found this. Epic ! The Kerosene-Powered Flame-Farting Flying- Didgeridoo... ; Yahoo ! I still have an old 70's Advertisement for a pair of these, on a Hang-Glider's A-Frame, fed by a Butane Backpack...! Reportedly, when tried, it pitched up uncontrollably, then stalled & slid backwards to crash ; and then it burned, when the Jets lit the Dacron. Pulse-Jet & Weight-Shift, bad combination !

Ciao.

[1stMrSceptical]

Nice one Mr Simpson