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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)

#41

Post by thebutcher »

hrichards wrote: post #40

Seems like a good time to ask this question that has been bugging me forever, since all the HN jet nerds will be drawn to this thread: Why hasn't anyone made a hybrid car that uses a gasoline-powered turbine generator to charge its batteries instead of a piston engine? I'd imagine that hooking up such an engine directly to the drivetrain like in a Prius would be difficult, but surely a small turbine with one hell of…

I think someone is making this, or maybe I misunderstood your question. The Ariel Hipercar uses a jet engine to power it’s 4 electric engines. I think it’s just used as a range extender, and last I saw they didn’t have it working yet. It’s been a while since I checked up on the car.

EDIT: I just read this article from 2023 that says the turbine engine still isn’t working: https://www.evo.co.uk/ariel/206120/ariel-hipercar-prototype-...

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

#42

Post by whynotmaybe »

brucethemoose2 wrote: post #35
avg_dev wrote: post #31

nice... does anyone remember a K Car with a supercar engine? that was not quite as crazy as this one, no jet engine, but it was nice. i can't seem to find it but i remember reading about this "sleeper car".

Crazy engine swaps are not uncommon. There are some Fiat 500s and such with v8 double motorcycle engines, wankels or even v12s and racecar v6s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A52W20Z38Bw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6SZuionhqQ A turbine is relatively exotic, if only because they are even more impractical.

Even a snowblower with a HEMI...

https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/06/22/that-thing-got-a-hem...

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

#43

Post by gafferongames »

mindslight wrote: post #32
shortcake27 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

You're speaking from an Australian perspective about what is , to make an otherwise unsupported argument about what should be in the US. I'll be one of the first to point out problems and blindspots from the American conception of "freedom", but in this case it seems highly appropriate. You yourself even got bit by overregulation for something seemingly reasonable and forward-looking, and yet you're still reflexively…

As an Australian-American living in the US I can confirm that the Australian concept of law (aka Nanny State) would ensure that this modification is illegal by default. Think of the children.

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

#44

Post by xattt »

hrichards wrote: post #40

Seems like a good time to ask this question that has been bugging me forever, since all the HN jet nerds will be drawn to this thread: Why hasn't anyone made a hybrid car that uses a gasoline-powered turbine generator to charge its batteries instead of a piston engine? I'd imagine that hooking up such an engine directly to the drivetrain like in a Prius would be difficult, but surely a small turbine with one hell of…

I don’t have the source at hand, but a gas turbine is ridiculously inefficient for variable loads. At idle, fuel consumption can be ~35% of what it is at full power.

It would only need to charge for short time, and subsequently shut off. When a charge top-up is required, startup would be another rigamarole.

Now, rotary engines, that’s a different story…

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

#45

Post by civilitty »

gafferongames wrote: post #43
mindslight wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're speaking from an Australian perspective about what is , to make an otherwise unsupported argument about what should be in the US. I'll be one of the first to point out problems and blindspots from the American conception of "freedom", but in this case it seems highly appropriate. You yourself even got bit by overregulation for something seemingly reasonable and forward-looking, and yet you're still reflexively…

As an Australian-American living in the US I can confirm that the Australian concept of law (aka Nanny State) would ensure that this modification is illegal by default. Think of the children.

Children don't really fit in the intake so it shouldn't be a problem

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

#47

Post by h2odragon »

hrichards wrote: post #40

Seems like a good time to ask this question that has been bugging me forever, since all the HN jet nerds will be drawn to this thread: Why hasn't anyone made a hybrid car that uses a gasoline-powered turbine generator to charge its batteries instead of a piston engine? I'd imagine that hooking up such an engine directly to the drivetrain like in a Prius would be difficult, but surely a small turbine with one hell of…

i think even the tiny, model jet engines used in radio control planes are both very hot, and move lots of air. both of which are hard to tame to the point of making them comfortable to coexist with on a city street in large herds.

I still want one. direct the exhaust forward, dump in a little extra fuel, and instant snowblower / flamethrower. Makes that pesky crosswalk crowd just melt away.

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

#48

Post by clucas »

hrichards wrote: post #40

Seems like a good time to ask this question that has been bugging me forever, since all the HN jet nerds will be drawn to this thread: Why hasn't anyone made a hybrid car that uses a gasoline-powered turbine generator to charge its batteries instead of a piston engine? I'd imagine that hooking up such an engine directly to the drivetrain like in a Prius would be difficult, but surely a small turbine with one hell of…

Having an ICE that drives a generator (alternator?) to power a traction motor(s), without being mechanically linked to the drivetrain, is how diesel locomotives operate. I believe the concept also has been (is being?) explored for linehaul trucks. But I'm not sure what constraints there are on passenger vehicles though... I'm also curious.

If I had to guess, I would bet that the constraints are more commercial than physical... hybrids are already very efficient, so the market for such a vehicle would probably not justify the engineering costs. But that's just a guess!

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

#49

Post by TuesdayNights »

hrichards wrote: post #40

Seems like a good time to ask this question that has been bugging me forever, since all the HN jet nerds will be drawn to this thread: Why hasn't anyone made a hybrid car that uses a gasoline-powered turbine generator to charge its batteries instead of a piston engine? I'd imagine that hooking up such an engine directly to the drivetrain like in a Prius would be difficult, but surely a small turbine with one hell of…

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Hummer from the early 2000’s is setup like this — 100mpg with bio-diesel. I think this is the original article I read about his car’s creator, Johnathan Goodwin, from years ago.

https://www.autoblog.com/amp/2007/10/20/biodiesel-turbine-su...

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

#50

Post by moate »

K0balt wrote: post #25
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.

You can own a car, you can own a flamethrower, you can't fire your flamethrower out of your car while driving on public roads.
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