We can only hope it won't be too long before we hear those immortal (as I butcher them) words "Engines on.......Turbines to speed...." I only hope that 4Yacht chooses someone more like Bat Girl for the unveiling. Can't wait. We won't tell anyone where the Cave is, honest. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Indeed. Maybe in about the yr. 2121, some "retro-Kustom" guy will find that thing and re-Kustomize it into the mint-green Lincoln Futura all over again. I would, however, have preferred a mummyfied Julie Newmar as the Catwoman for the display model...
4Yacht posted: //There will be a disc brake on the "front" side of the engine to allow it to be shifted into gear. However there will also be a load on it from the AC and 12 V alternator.// Um, does that mean that you are just going to attach the AC compressor and the alternator right onto the output turbine shaft? Does that not mean that they would therefore not be turning when the car is not in motion? I would think that this was intended as much for display or public event use as for constant speed running, so would that not be a concern? A second question I had when reading through this was on the gearbox - are you planning to have multiple ratios, or just go with direct gearing? If so, and the maximum output RPM is only 6K, then "top gear" or "only gear" as the case may be, would have to be pretty high...about as high as the original Testarossa fifth gear. Did you do any calculations on the torque curve and resulting acceleration potential of such a gear ratio? My "gut feel" would be that it would nearly have to have at least a 3 or 4 speed planetary gearbox (like an automatic tranny but without the torque converter) to get acceptable low speed acceleration.
These are some of my observations as well. The A/C and alternator (probably also the starter on a turbine) would need to run off of the accessory drive (always turning) ,the output shaft needs a brake (maybe with a "Line-Lock" so you can start the engine without your foot on the brake) and a clutch so you can back up without shutting down. Some kind of transmission with reverse seems pretty important as well. Your electrical system will now operate at 24-48 volts to match the engine starter/generator output.
My friend who worked at Sikorsky is Dan Martin. Really meticulous and worked on helicopters for about 30 years. Now he is an independant contractor. Keep us up to date on the progress! BT
Craig, This sounds like such a cool project, and I am really looking forward to seeing the progress, so please keep us posted with pictures Oh, and please put your TR interior bits on ebay as well, so I can bid on them too David
I saw this thread a few weeks ago, and I thought it looked cool. What is even cooler is that I just saw it featured on Fast Lane Daily today!
That is a might fine looking coffin you are building man It takes the burial out of the cremation vs burial argument. I was looking in to an Ultima GTR powered by a http://marineturbine.com/ set up, but the heat consideration and a 54,000 rpm motor just a foot from my head left me wondering...
Hi David, sold the engine/trans already. Happy buyer, got all the engine compartment stuff. I am probably going to sell the complete interior, seats, door panels, complete dash with gauges, center console. The engine and trans come out this Saturday. Lots of pressure cleaning to do then
Nice thread! Most here may not know that Craig had a very nice stock TR he sold to begin this venture......then he openly advertised to buy a 'project' TR... Some project! This is what can happen, when you hang out too long with Offshore Boat racing guys.....LOL!
Why would you do that? Are you going to redo the interior as well? When all is said and done, just remove that prancing horses. Best Jon
My neighbor is on his second turbine project and now owns six Boeing T50 engines. His boat has been running up and down the Willamette River in Portland for over three years now. For his TransAm project he is using an automatic transmission minus the torque converter and mounting a disc brake on the turbine fan so he can stay stopped when he wants to. He claims reverse is easy - just let the tranny do it.
Well yes, a "jet engine" just uses the exhaust stream for thrust, while a turbine ports the exhaust through a fan and drive shaft to convert to rotational energy. You can have an afterburner on a turbine if you want some special effect. All you need to do is squirt some fuel into the exhaust stream after it has exited the fan. My neighbor did this with his boat. Just make sure you're not under a tree when you light it up. At this very moment... as I am writing this, I am just hearing my neighbor's turbine spin up 100 yards from my house. Fun Saturday work! Edit: two minutes later - now I can smell it!
Craig, Are you doing this here in Ft. Lauderdale? I would love to come by and see it...........maybe even give you a hand. PM me and let me know.
A "fan" compresses air by adding energy and a turbine extracts energy by expanding gas. In a turbo jet, the compressor (fan) provides high pressure air to the combustor for burning and then it exhausts through a high pressure turbine which drives the compressor and also provides hot exhaust gas. This hot exhaust gases passes through a nozzle to provide thrust. As you said you can also mount an afterburner for additional thrust or a flame show In a turboshaft for a car, boat or helicopter, the the same compressor, combustor and high pressure turbine exist (called a gas generator) but the hot exhaust gases passes through a separate low pressure or power turbine to provide torques to a drive shaft or transmission. In a turbofan, again the same gas generator, compressor, combustor and high pressure turbine exist but the exhaust gas drives a low pressure or fan turbine which drives a big front fan which supercharges the core airflow and provides bypass air for additional thrust and better fuel efficiency. Good luck with this project. Interesting to see how bad the the response time or turbo lag is.
Engine, trans and sub frame out today. Might big space there now. Tommorrow we test fit the turbine, though plenty of room. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi Craig, A turbine Testarossa? Cool!!! Kudos for originality... and also for tackling one hell of an engineering project. Some of my past colleagues work at Lockheed and visit S. FL on occasion. They would enjoy seeing this and may be able to arrange some resources, if needed. Good luck! Carl @ YachtForums