Truth or dare

Bruno Ogorelec · Post by **Bruno Ogorelec** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 11:19 pm

OK, guys, anyone care to guess what this sexy-looking machine is? I'll give you one tip -- it is not French. Alas, it is not mine, either. I wish it were. I've always thought that one day, when I'm a famous engine designer, my machines would look something like this.

I am paying a couple of rounds of beer at the Oxford Festival of Fire and Noise to the guy who identifies this beauty.

Bruno Ogorelec · Post by **Bruno Ogorelec** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 11:33 pm

OK, one more tip -- the builder is (was) a very famous name in the history of aircraft.

resosys · Post by **resosys** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 11:49 pm

Below is a drawing I made recently of an augmented, straight through pulsejet. We were looking at designs to get a nice column of fresh air blowing upward so we can inject liquid fuel and ignite it. This is purely for show and not for thrust. Performance art is still my main reason for bending and welding up pulsejets.

Now we're thinking of just sticking 5 U shaped lockwoods in a really big augmentor and using that, since we've already got them built.

Interesting how pulsejet designs never seem to change.

Where's that breakthrough engine design? I know one of you has it lodged in your throat. Come on, choke it up.

And I have no idea who designed the other one.

Chris

Bruno Ogorelec · Post by **Bruno Ogorelec** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 1:06 am

resosys wrote:And I have no idea who designed the other one.

A more important question is, 'what is it?' though the name of the builder is also fascinating.

Here's another picture of the same thing in another version, a cruder sketch of the configuration without the streamlining.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 2:24 am

Bruno

My first guess would be Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson as the designer and that it is a supersonic ram jet engine.

Dave

Post by **Mike Everman** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 5:44 am

That would be my guess, too. If Dave's right, do I get half the beer?

Bruno Ogorelec · Post by **Bruno Ogorelec** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 7:14 am

Dave wrote:My first guess would be Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson as the designer and that it is a supersonic ram jet engine.

Um... not close enough, never mind the cigar. But you are vaguely pointing in teh right direction.

Mike Everman wrote:That would be my guess, too. If Dave's right, do I get half the beer?

Nope. You only get to see me drinking beer. And not what the misguided English call 'Real Ale' either. I respect them for many things, but beer is not one of those.

OK, another hint. Look at the left-hand side of the engine -- both pictures. Does the sudden, sharp transition from the narrow intake into a broad chamber remind you of a ramjet? Doesn't look like one to me.

Also, the thing is subsonic. Top speed Mach 0.9.

Post by **Mike Everman** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 8:03 am

How about Howard Hughes? It's definitely a pulse jet.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 8:28 am

OOOOOH! Good come back Mike!
Lets not give up on that beer thing yet.
Dave
PS: Bruno, love the flame holder type thingie. Did it ever get past the plan stage and into the noise phase?

vhautaka · Post by **vhautaka** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 8:40 am

Hmm... I'll rather spend my money on sheet metal and propane equipment than on getting to GB for beer, and don't know anything about famous designers... but the one important question: is this design efficient and is there any idea of the scale?

Those inside-out annular thingies are nagging "buildme, buildmeee" in the back of my head... and this seems way more plausible starting point for such an engine than Lockwood or Kentfield with their choking little exhaust throats.

- ville

Bruno Ogorelec · Post by **Bruno Ogorelec** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 8:44 am

Dave wrote:OOOOOH! Good come back Mike! Lets not give up on that beer thing yet.
Dave
PS: Bruno, love the flame holder, did it ever get past the plan stage?

Yes. There are photos of the thing belching impressive flames. And no, Hughes was not involved. No long fingernails or unkempt beards. This, guys, was Teutonic precision at work.

Here's the next revelation:

Bruno Ogorelec · Post by **Bruno Ogorelec** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 8:59 am

vhautaka wrote:Hmm... I'll rather spend my money on sheet metal and propane equipment than on getting to GB for beer

Ville, but it would be a lot of fun. And Ryanair is cheap.

vhautaka wrote:the one important question: is this design efficient and is there any idea of the scale?

As for efficiency, I am still looking at the documents, trying to understand the words and figures properly.

The scale is about this: 3 meters length, slightly over 200 mm diameter. Size of the pulsejet combustion chamber approximately 400x200 mm.

Post by **Mike Everman** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 9:17 am

Werner von Braun?

Bruno Ogorelec · Post by **Bruno Ogorelec** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 9:52 am

Mike Everman wrote:Werner von Braun?

Ha-ha-ha... No, Von Braun must have been contemplating retirement by then -- it was in the 1970s. Besides, he was with NASA. This thingy was being developed (to power guided missiles) in Germany.

One word: Messerschmidt.

Viv · Post by **Viv** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 11:09 am

brunoogorelec wrote:
Dave wrote:OOOOOH! Good come back Mike! Lets not give up on that beer thing yet.
Dave
PS: Bruno, love the flame holder, did it ever get past the plan stage?
Yes. There are photos of the thing belching impressive flames. And no, Hughes was not involved. No long fingernails or unkempt beards. This, guys, was Teutonic precision at work.

Here's the next revelation:

That restriction just back from the inlet reminds me of this one

Viv

www.pulse-jets.com

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