Fieseler Fi 103, Flakzielgerät 76 (FZG-76) engine run

[Kutscha]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8PF5DtX_Fg

Chino gets the Argus As 014 pulse jet engine running.

Is that you Greg in the dark T-shirt?

Do I hear car alarms going off at the end of the video?

[GregP]

Hi Kutscha,

Yes, that's me in the black T-shirt. That was one of our first runs. Actually, our engine is NOT an AS 014. It comes off a U.S.A. Gorgon missile. But, we didn't know that at the time. The AS 014 is a 22-inch PulseJet and our is a 14-inch PulseJet. Limited applications, loo it up. It's tough to find information. Yes, car alarms ... it's LOUD!

Today, it starts first time every time. The run in the video was at "low power" or "idle." Today, we can get it to full thrust.

Since then, the trailer has been restored and we added a cowling to the pulsejet. The cowling alone added 60 pounds of thrust! We did a night run last night, but it is not for U-Tube unless someone got it other than us.

The trouble was that we were trying to get the air-fuel mixture right. After several months of experiments, we determined that 2 1/4 turns was about right for 87-Octane pump gas and 3 1/8 turns were about right for 100-Octane aviation gas. That's for a low-power start.

To start it, we needed 90 pounds of compressed air pressue, and after it was running, we than needed to manually push the lever on the fuel controller to get it to full power, then turn off the compressed air & ignition, and open the air valve to the fuel controller.

After that, it would run at full power on its own. Since we don't have 400 mph of airspeed, the tube doesn't get cooled, so we recorded about 1,000°F at about 1 minute. We ran it longer once, up to about 1,200°F, but now limit the runs to about 1 minute since we don't have airspeed for cooling. After all, the valves need to be considered.

If anyone is interested, we will be pushing my Nissan Titan pickup down the taxiway during the Planes of Fame Airshow on May 16-17 of this year (did it last night for a dry run ... it was spectacular since it was dark). At that time in the airshow, we will also run an Allison engine without a propeller on a trailer, and a Wright R-2600 on a trailer with a propeller.

We will, of course , also have many flying WWII aircraft, but we get to play with engines, too! I am waiting with anticipation.

Hey, we'll also run our Sherman tank and a halftrack plues other armor from WWII.

Hey Trexx, c'mon down! Stay with me and have some fun.

I am taking off the Thursday and Friday before the airshow and the Monday afterward. You are welcome for any and all days. As you know, I live in Irvine, CA. Maybe we can go see San Diego on Monday ... maybe the Midway? Or San Diego Air and Space Museum?

Your call. Kutscha, you are welcome as well.

Heck, maybe we can get Romantic Technofreak back here from Germany! What say, Holger? Up for an airshow?

[Trexx]

Thanks for the heads up and invite, Greg.

I won't be able to make it this time, unfortunately...

Maybe a little later in the season though!

I am itching to see some high performance airplanes do their thing!