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My Rotax Lucas turbine Engine

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http://www.pfranc.com/projects/turbine/rotax/rotax.htm

(c) 2006 larry berg


(Answers the question: "Larry! Why are you doing that?")
June 2008, checkout my new Youtube video: Starting my engine with Lithum Polymer battery
I bought a few surplus factory made gas turbine engines to play with.

10/8/2012 12:19 PM

My Rotax Lucas turbine Engine

2 of 4

http://www.pfranc.com/projects/turbine/rotax/rotax.htm

It's a Rotax/Lucas CT2023/I Gas Turbine Starter/APU. It weighs 60 pounds. It has a free turbine and gearbox with an output
of 85HP at 3150 RPM.
update: 11/2010: Checkout this amazing new engine: PT50 Turboshaft Engine at kutriebresearch.com.
PT50 specs are a lot like mine:
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"radial flow compressor stage" (mine is centrifugal or centripetal?)


"reverse flow annular combustor and an axial flow turbine stage" (same)
"Six high pressure atomization nozzles " (I have 5 )
"gearbox with a 19.6:1 reduction ratio" ( same here ).
"engine driven fuel pump, oil pump," (me too)
"two scavenge pumps" (I have just one),
"starter/generator" (mine is just a starter.)
"30.6 pounds," (mine is twice that, pluse)
"in production now", (mine is only surplus, from the 1970's)

I want a PT50 for my ultralight helicopter!

See Youtube.com/LarryCanFly, or just Google: larrys jet.

Update 2007: --- new hub!


The old hub and shaft
(shown down below on
this page) worked great!
About 100 flights over a
couple of years so I took
it and everything I learned
to a real professional
machine shop and let 'em
loose on a re-make
project. Here's the new
hub with integral heat sink
fins and a titanium shaft:
Some of these ads
are soooo cool.
Stuff I didn't know
existed.

10/8/2012 12:19 PM

My Rotax Lucas turbine Engine

3 of 4

http://www.pfranc.com/projects/turbine/rotax/rotax.htm

Titanium IVO Prop pitch adjusting screw


Here I admit I've gone too far trying to save weight. The IVO prop pitch adjusting screw weighed 0.3711 pounds so I cut it
down, drilled it out and got the weight down to 0.1593 pounds. Less than half. So that's cool, but I didn't quit there, I wanted
to try titanium so bought a shaft for $50 on eBay and paid a guy $100 to make it for me. It weighs just 0.0931 pounds. Way
less! But wait, how much did the savings cost me? Duh. I spent $150 to save about 1/20 pound - gee, that is about $3000 per
pound. Kinda insane I guess. Hey, they say the first step to recovery admitting the problem - OK already, I admit it, I am
insane crazy over turboprop ultralights, gas turbines, and helicopters:-)) Though this has got to be the coolest IVO prop pitch
adjusting screw you've ever seen. Order now, $150. Paypal to b(at)pfranc.com specify "Titanium IVO prop pitch adjusting
screw!" Allow 3 weeks for manufacture and delivery.
The photo below was taken in the fall of 2004 at the close of a great season of turbo-prop-ultralight flying.
I noticed my home made
bearing hub was getting
pretty hot and suspected
the exhaust was the
cause so installed
deflectors, which didn't
help. So I surmized it was
getting hot via
conduction with the hot
oil of the crankcase and
so added large holes for
air circulation which
helped some and so I
then added heat sinks
which has helped a lot.
The small round blue
thing hanging on the right
side is the electric starter
motor. It's 28 volts,
1.75HP, weighs 3.5
pounds.

I installed a very cool in-flight adjustable IVO Prop.Matter of fact, I liked the prop so much I've become a IVO Prop dealer!
So if you want to buy an IVO, let me make you a deal. Tell me what you want by e-mail or call at 541-479-8087, and I'll get
you the right prop at the right price.
But before I could put on a prop I needed a shaft bearing and hub, so I made one. The first flight was done with this hub made
from parts from another gearbox and a bearing from another ultralight.
I had to buy a steel shaft, turn it down, and cut splines into it. I have never
cut a spline and so had to learn how to. This it the first and only spline I've
ever made and it works really good except it's a bit lose so I shim it a bit.

10/8/2012 12:19 PM

My Rotax Lucas turbine Engine

4 of 4

http://www.pfranc.com/projects/turbine/rotax/rotax.htm

And here is the first hub with bearing fitted into it.

And here is the splined shaft in the hub mounted on the engine. The area of
the shaft sticking out where my fingers are is where the prop hub will go.
The prop hub is held onto the shaft with one pin that goes through the hole
near my thumb.

Below here I've compiled a list of others who are playing with factory made turbine engines. If you are interested in making
your own engine, see what I didhere: Larry's home made gas turbine
Jerry E. Green Has not one but two gasturbine powered lawn mowers, and much more. Go visit, share his music, photos,and
great sence of humor (needed for this sport). A very enjoyable site. Thanks Jerry!
Steves Turbine Powered Airboat Project using a 160hp GTP70-52 just like one I have except his is a lot closer to running
than mine.
Chris Bennett's Lucas APU/Starter gas turbine engine is a newer version of my Rotax engine.
Roger Marmion's Lucas APU/Starter.
Ian Bennett (notrelated to Chris) a Lucas APU/Starter too! And a bunch of other engines.
TTL = Trubine Technologies Ltd. These guys are making the TRJ-200, a new very cool engine. They actually make the engine
from scratch in their shop! From the molds to finished product. Wow!
Jim Vos is selling JFS-100 APU's converted for use as a turboprop!
John C. Williamsonhas a very cool APU/Starter called the Solent and has many photos of it andall it's parts too.

IPO: 3Jan99
Please send your comments, ideas, whatever ==>: click here....thanks!

10/8/2012 12:19 PM

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