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Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered Volkswagen Beetle (2006)

ronpatrickstuff.com

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Re: Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered Volkswagen Beetle (2006)

#21

Post by generalizations »

> You have to give the California Department of Motor Vehicles (the DMV) credit for creativity on this one. A DMV insider has disclosed to me that the DMV has made a formal request to a federal agency to rule if my Beetle constitutes a threat to national security based on what could happen if it got into the wrong hands. This raises three questions in my mind: #1 Does this mean I’m the right hands? #2 If someone with the name "b_laden13" is the highest eBay bidder for my Beetle can I refuse his offer even if he has the prestigious eBay Red Shooting Star feedback rating (the highest)? #3 Would this affect my eBay rating?

Wonder if they ever found a way to give the guy a ticket.

Re: Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered Volkswagen Beetle (2006)

#22

Post by [deleted] »

mindslight wrote: post #18
xrd wrote: post #11

This should be retitled "Now I'm going to finish adding jet engines to my wife's scooter."

The scooter seems like it could be a poor idea due to asymmetric thrust, and I have to wonder if he just mocked it up in jest. It does look pretty awesome though.

[deleted]

Re: Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered Volkswagen Beetle (2006)

#23

Post by shortcake27 »

mindslight wrote: post #8
omginternets wrote: post #4

How on earth is it street legal to emit a high-pressure plume of jet exhaust behind you?

We live in a society where things are legal by default. Why would adding a jet engine to a car be a priori illegal? If he harms somebody or otherwise causes damage, that itself is what's illegal and he'd be liable regardless of motor vehicle regulations. If this mod became a larger trend, especially consumer-available, then regulations would be implemented to head it off. But for a few lone instances it's not particu…

20 years ago in Australia my car got canaried because I had LPG and a pod filter, which was illegal because you were only allowed 1 modification to the intake system. I am 100% confident that if I strapped a jet to the car, it would be illegal. As it should be. If you want to do extremely dangerous modifications, do it on your own property. Not a public road where you risk killing a family of 5.

Re: Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered Volkswagen Beetle (2006)

#24

Post by Aurornis »

Awesome project, but are there any actual videos of it running the jet engine?

He says the jet engine moves 11,000 CFM of air, but that air can only come through the windows and the sunroof. Pulling 183 cubic feet of air per second through those little openings while sitting in the drivers seat isn't going to work. Just try to do the math on how fast that air would have to be moving through those windows.

Cool show piece though.

Re: Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered Volkswagen Beetle (2006)

#25

Post by K0balt »

ynoxinul wrote: post #2

Apparently the post is from 2006. I wonder if this contraption is still street-legal.

It would be legal to run it on the factory engine, at which point the jet is just cargo. If you start the jet on a public road, it could be considered a public nuisance, reckless driving, etc.

If a the vehicle presents a clear and present danger of any kind it is a-priory a ticketable offence at least. With the jet off, it poses no such danger.

Re: Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered Volkswagen Beetle (2006)

#26

Post by ceejayoz »

Aurornis wrote: post #24

Awesome project, but are there any actual videos of it running the jet engine? He says the jet engine moves 11,000 CFM of air, but that air can only come through the windows and the sunroof. Pulling 183 cubic feet of air per second through those little openings while sitting in the drivers seat isn't going to work. Just try to do the math on how fast that air would have to be moving through those windows. Cool show p…

Yes, there's video online.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCqxWhKe_tA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zNdkXwFQ3c

(Noise warning, for obvious reasons.)

Re: Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered Volkswagen Beetle (2006)

#27

Post by sokoloff »

Aurornis wrote: post #24

Awesome project, but are there any actual videos of it running the jet engine? He says the jet engine moves 11,000 CFM of air, but that air can only come through the windows and the sunroof. Pulling 183 cubic feet of air per second through those little openings while sitting in the drivers seat isn't going to work. Just try to do the math on how fast that air would have to be moving through those windows. Cool show p…

Give 6 sq ft for openings, that's around 30 linear feet per second. ~30 feet per second is ~20 miles per hour. That's a stiff breeze, but it doesn't seem outrageous.

Re: Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered Volkswagen Beetle (2006)

#28

Post by samtho »

Aurornis wrote: post #24

Awesome project, but are there any actual videos of it running the jet engine? He says the jet engine moves 11,000 CFM of air, but that air can only come through the windows and the sunroof. Pulling 183 cubic feet of air per second through those little openings while sitting in the drivers seat isn't going to work. Just try to do the math on how fast that air would have to be moving through those windows. Cool show p…

This not a typical low-bypass, cigar-type turbofan jet engine you see on airplanes, rather, it’s a modified turboshaft jet engine used for helicopters, intended to provide longitudinal rotational energy. The air it moves from the intake is a fraction of what it produces as the combustion process itself results in gasses being chemically formed. There is no propeller or fan on this engine - it’s closer to a rocket than what we think of as a jet.

Re: Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered Volkswagen Beetle (2006)

#30

Post by ceejayoz »

omginternets wrote: post #17
dylan604 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Hmmm, the car has two engines making the car a hybrid so maybe we can drive in the commuter lanes along with the Toyota Priuses. "

Imagine being the cop who has to argue over the ticket with that guy ^^

"I'm... gonna park a little further back."
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