The Jag helicopter has someone with a lot of money for development behind the project....Review of the web site found it has not flown yet.
All of the information is preliminary, pending flight validation.
The allison engine details mentioned are inaccurate...they stated the C-18 engine can produce 420 horsepower...
It's take off rating at sea level during standard day conditions is 317 horsepower....running above that value will cause damage to the turbine...
Also, the allison is a free turbine engine, not a fixed shaft...
The placement of the engine inlet looks like a problem. Not much room for a proper bellmouth or inlet assembly, which may cause performance problems (low power, high engine temp), and vibration problems in the compressor due to improper airflow.
Other engine installation details that are not covered on the site:
a. Type of oil cooling system used. This engine has problems with oil coking in the turbine.
b. The fuel system is requires a minimum fuel flow to the engine driven pump to avoid air being introduced into the system. With the fuel tanks below the engine, a fuel boost system will be needed that will supply between 10 PSI and 25 PSI pressure to the engine driven fuel pump. Without a boosted fuel supply, a small amount of air in the fuel will put the fire out in this engine.
If someone is thinking of investing in this aircraft, they should wait until some good flight history is recorded, and review the installation of the engine before putting good hard money down on the kit.
Last edited by rotormatic; 14th Apr 2002 at 04:17.