Jet turbine reliability

Having flown a land-mower piston engine for quiet a while (ASW-24E) and
now having decided to go for the JS1 jet, I consider this a major step
forward in terms of safety.

Make no mistake, none of these engines is an aircraft engine in the
sense used by airplane pilots. You should always expect that it will
fail to start, or worse, quit at the most inappropriate time every
single time you use it. Not doing so is simply foolhardy.

The difference with the JS1 jet (and I imagine the similar shark
installation) is that if the engine does not start, you are not stuck
with a huge profile in the airstream and a glider that is descending
like a rock. You simply flip a switch and about a minute later you are
either climbing or continuing towards a perfectly normal off-field landing.

This is much closer to the idea people have when they buy into a
self-launcher or turbo, only to discover later that the reality is very
different. It is a great sign of progress that now jet and electric
technology are making this much more of a reality.


On 03/06/2015 04:47, wrote:
They are MODEL engines and are not "man rated" by the FAA. There are several YT vids showing how they are built and assembled. Watch these and then determine if you ever want to put your "skin on the line" using one. By comparison, the Williams FJ-44 is a small TURBOFAN originally built to power US cruise missiles. It had to demonstrate extreme reliability before it was FAA certified and man rated for use on very light business jets. Not to mention it was originally designed to stringent military specs. Bottom line again, these are model TURBOJET engines. Never put your safety/life in a position where their reliability matters.