Jet turbine reliability

On Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at 7:34:47 AM UTC-7, krasw wrote:
Surely jet engine cannot be more unreliable than Solo two-stroke that you need to dive to start. If it would, you would be lucky to start it even once.

Solos don't need a dive to start. You can start them that way if your starter battery is dead but normally you never need to do this.

Anyways, Jim, I think once you get used to starting a turbine you'll find its very reliable. But, it can fail to start.. things like a failed thermocouple is all it takes for the start sequence to halt. Also too much air in the line can do it if the lines weren't purged properly... clogged line filters can create a low rpm fail start. Otherwise, properly maintainted they work great with a well charged starter/ignition battery.

On Tuesday, 2 June 2015 21:40:56 UTC+3, wrote:
On Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at 7:34:47 AM UTC-7, krasw wrote:
Surely jet engine cannot be more unreliable than Solo two-stroke that you need to dive to start. If it would, you would be lucky to start it even once.

Solos don't need a dive to start. You can start them that way if your starter battery is dead but normally you never need to do this.


I was obviously talking about turbos, which you have to dive to start. There is only handful of turbos with electric starter (for some unimaginable reason).

There on single moving (rotating) part in a turbine. Compare that to shaking two-stroke held together with a bucket of tiewraps.

Let's hope that that single rotating part has been made and assembled with
the proper controls.
Something rotating at 100,000 rpm about 3 feet from your head had better be
good.
Contained failure would mean bullets being fired at your fin/tailplane.
Uncontained failure and you had better have a good parachute, assuming you
survive the explosion!!

There on single moving (rotating) part in a turbine. Compare that to
shaking two-stroke held together with a bucket of tiewraps.

Hazard is to the rear engine and its mounted behind you. I remember seeing that some of these also had a containment housing. So, I think they have addressed the issue. But it makes one heck of a pop if they do shed a blade! This will be about the only time a turbine will vibrate as it winds down..