This article contains some intricate and quite interesting facts about the nitty-gritty of a turbine remote control helicopter which I believe would help learners a great deal. Flying a remote control helicopter has now become more than just a hobby or high tech pastime. Moving forward from flying an electric remote control helicopter, you would certainly want to step up into the world of higher power and better flying competence. This is about time you knew something more about what is inside turbine RC helicopters.
A typical turbine remote control helicopter weighs around and about 12 to 16 kilograms or 25 to 35 pounds. Unlike an electric RC helicopter which uses electric batteries as its power source, a turbine remote control helicopter or turbine RC helicopter uses a turbine or jet engine in order to turn the rotor blades. Now that sounds electrifying doesn’t it! As a matter of fact, it is far more electrifying than having a RC helicopter that runs on an electric motor. So how do these turbine or jet engines operate especially in turbine remote control helicopters? Well, you definitely need to read on to get to the answer!
Simple Definition Of Turbine Or Jet Engine
In plain and simple words, a turbine or jet engine takes air in through the front which is then condensed or compressed in the compression chamber and burnt with fuel in the combustion chamber where it is turned into thrust which produces the required driving force. The fuel used in jet engines might be butane or propane gas as primary fuel and jet fuel, kerosene etc as secondary fuel. as the secondary fuel. The jet engine remains in a spinning motion during all this process pushing extremely hot air and fuel residue through the exhaust at the tail end.
The general perception of a turbine or jet engine is that it produces thrust for propulsion or forward motion only and therefore cannot turn the rotor blades of a helicopter for that matter. Now here is the twist in the story because there is a slightly different type of jet engine for helicopters which is called the turbo-shaft jet engine. A turbo-shaft jet engine derives power from the engine thrust and converts it into motorized power which is used to spin the rotors of a helicopter.
Simple Definition Of Turbine Or Jet Engine For Helicopters
All helicopters powered by turbine or jet engines whether they are real or remote controlled models, use turbo-shaft jet engines which produce thrust not for propulsion or forward movement but to provide the required power to their rotor blades. The thrust or power produced by a turbine or jet engine is conveyed from the engine shaft to the rotor using a transmission gear box. The transmission gear box controls the extremely high speed of the turbine and trims it down into a lower speed that is required for a helicopter rotor. The engine speed can be simply defined as revolutions per minute or RPM as it is generally referred to. The gear box controls the thousands and thousands of RPM and reduces them into a few hundred RPM as required by a helicopter rotor. The tail rotor is also powered by the same principle using the transmission gear box.
Apart from the transmission gearbox, there is another component called the ECM (Engine Control Module) or ECU (Engine Control Unit) that controls the vital functions of the turbine or jet engine such as;
Jet Engine Start Up Function
Fuel Intake to the Jet Engine
Engine Throttle Command or Speed Control (Especially in the case of turbine remote control helicopter)
Turbine Turning Speed or RPM as most commonly referred to
Battery Voltage of the Fuel Pump
EGT or Exhaust Gas Temperature
Jet Engine Run Time
A more specific and somewhat detailed definition of an ECU for a turbine remote control helicopter engine is given below.
The ECU is a computer of sorts which performs several highly crucial tasks for a jet engine to work smoothly.
1. The first function that an ECU performs is a temperature check of the engine right at the time of start up.
2. It starts the electric motor (used to start the engine) bringing it to a steady speed of approximately 25,000 RPM constantly checking the mounting engine temperature.
3. It continuously checks the RPM and upon reaching the desired speed, turns on the primary fuel valves.
4. It turns the electric motor off once the engine starts running independently.
5. Upon reaching the desired level of high temperature, the ECU switches the fuel pump on and starts supplying the secondary fuel and shuts off primary fuel supply.
6. It adjusts the output voltage of the fuel pump in order to maintain a steady engine speed of something like 50,000 RPM.
If all remains smooth and steady, it is time for a lift off guys!
I believe that the information provided in this article will be of good help to aspiring RC helicopter flyers. Enjoy the thrill and excitement of flying your turbine remote control helicopter and make the most of it.
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