Tru Jet "Streak" & "Whiz"

It was air under pressure, probably with some sort of environment-destroying aerosol stuff. You used a tube to fasten it over the nozzle on the thick latex "engine" and inflate the thing. It worked like a champ -- but eventually the "engine" would wear out and burst. The nose of the plane was designed to "pop" free if that happened, to keep the pressure from bursting the plane. I believe it came with three engines. These days I'm sure that propellant would be illegal.

never seen one of these but i like the design of car maybe build one same look but with a mount on back for. 049 engine ya i think it would be good!  

Gomro wrote:It was air under pressure, probably with some sort of environment-destroying aerosol stuff. You used a tube to fasten it over the nozzle on the thick latex "engine"  and inflate the thing. It worked like a champ -- but eventually the "engine" would wear out and burst.  The nose of the plane was designed to "pop" free if that happened, to keep the pressure from bursting the plane.  I believe it came with three engines.  These days I'm sure that propellant would be illegal.

Hey Gomro, welcome to the forum!

Bob

Some of you may remember the "Jetex" models... check out this site!

http://www.jetex.org/index.php

Roddie

I suppose it was CO 2. Estes had rockets with a similar concept. The ad says: liquid under pressure, cool gas, etc.

roddie wrote:Some of you may remember the "Jetex" models... check out this site!

http://www.jetex.org/index.php

Roddie

I experimented with Jetex engines many years ago. What is rarely mentioned are these facts:
1. Your Jetex will look fine UNTIL you light it up. Then it looks like a burned up piece of crap. One run.
2. The wick used to light it is fussy and may not eject when it should, leading to a plugged up engine.
3. The engine run is SHORT, really short. It may well be over before the plane is launched in some cases.
4. It gets HOT. you can burn yourself. Your plane could burn too.
5. It's expensive (or at least is was when you were still able to buy fuel)
6. They're relatively gutless, at least the common 50 series is. If your plane is heavy, it ain't gonna fly.
7. They don't sound much like a real jet. More like a punctured can of hairspray.

Mine usually ended up on simple hand launched gliders. Out of frustration with the finicky fuses, I just used to heat the whole sucker up with a blazing propane torch and Voila, launchtime!

I had one crash and explode once. Kinda funny and a really wimpy explosion, but an explosion nonetheless.

 That oughta bust Kim's childhood fantasy wishlist bubble.

RknRusty wrote: That oughta bust Kim's childhood fantasy wishlist bubble.

BWAHAA !!!  I'll have you know, I was busting MY OWN Bubbles WAY before I showed up here !!!

While I never accumulated any experience with the Tru Jet, I WAS for a short period, enamored with Jetex Motors after Wayne gave me his Hellcat 50.

His gift included some fuel pellets, the rust-colored loose ones in the photo, but for a short while, fuel and accessories were available from Dare Products I think, and I ordered some.

I ALSO built a sheet-balsa plane from full-size plans in an old American Aircraft Modeller.

During test runs, I discovered the characteristics so accurately described by Jim, except that, mine was not nearly as steady as one might expect from a punctured hairspray can.  Mine was more like (with dashes indicating silence):  FSST----FT---FT---FT---FISSKURSSSH---FSSST...  

Still anemic as it seemed, there were lots of kits for the things back in the day, some fairly elaborate, so I reloaded the Hellcat stuck it to the Jumbo Jet, lit it, and launched the mighty beast.

The plane glided a ways, with the Hellcat having no appreciable affect, until it stalled and rolled in, breaking off all of it's impressive fake engines, with the vertical stream of smoke from the Jetex aptly marking it's impact site.

The Jumbo got a Viking Funeral, and the Hellcat became a hangar queen !!!

I know this thread is older but I saw one of these sell on Ebay a few weeks ago. It was NIB, even had the can of propellant. I think it went for around $60. Mike

Hey, Mike, I figured you'd be down at the KOI. Your Nashville Combat entourage not in Jax this weekend? Actually I'm glad I didn't go, the weather sucks. Cold, gray, and windy.

Rusty