Awesome Jets

After decades of dreaming about flying cars like in The Jetsons, the future could soon be here. FusionFlight’s Axion is a personal VTOL aircraft powered by eight micro jet engines. It fits in a parking spot, and converts from a 200+ MPH “flying racecar” into a medevac or heavy-lift drone. It’s based on this smaller jet-powered drone they’re currently testing.

We’ve seen a camper made from an old jet engine, but it had to be towed. This jet engine can drive like a car. Built atop a golf cart chassis Holmes 747 Jetmobile features a spinning turbine fan, and is piloted from a captain’s chair accessed by a real 747 spiral staircase. Its interior is set up like an airplane cabin, complete with windows and First Class seats.

A while back, WhistlinDiesel attached a jet engine to a kid’s carousel, then hung on for dear life. Aussie maker I did a thing attempted the same idea with another playground staple. While his propane-powered pulse jet engine isn’t as fancy as the aircraft jet that Whistlin used, his backyard swing looks far more terrifying – and completely unfit for human use.

To get the most out of the Canadian winter, Hacksmith Industries thought it would be fun to strap some jet engines onto a snow sled. Since the idea has been done before, they set their sights slightly higher – to set a new jet sled speed record. It took some serious modification to upgrade the original GT snow racer for high-speed handling and safe stopping.

In 1969, Lockheed developed one of the strangest aircraft ever, the CL-1201. The experiment studied how large an airplane could be. The jet and nuclear-powered plane would deploy up to 24 fighter jets and cruise missiles. Another variant would carry nearly 900 troops. Mustard offers a deep yet speculative look at the top-secret plane. (Thanks, Chad!)

After seeing Cody from WhistlinDiesel ride his jet-powered merry-go-round, model maker Boylei Hobby Time wanted to commemorate the stunt in miniature form. He 3D printed a tiny jet engine, then built a Lexan base for its motor drive, and fabricated a turntable from foam board. The finishing touch was a mini version of Cody holding on for dear life.

WhistlinDiesel has moved on from modding cars to tampering with playground equipment. After strapping a 7000 hp jet engine to his monster truck, Cody Detwiler and his pals tried the same with a playground merry-go-round. It takes a moment to get up to speed, but once it gets going, it’s nearly unstoppable.

We’ve seen some of Bob “Rocketman” Maddox’s insane rides before. This vehicle is an improved version of his jet-propelled skateboard that he can stand on while riding. This pulsejet-powered board has handlebars to hang onto, though the helmet-less Robert uses one hand to hold onto his selfie stick. The lack of steering and brakes makes it even more sketchy.

Say what you will about YouTuber WhistlinDiesel’s automotive jackassery; the dude knows how to make entertaining videos. His environmentally unfriendly Monstermax diesel truck recently received an upgrade, making it the hottest toy in town. The monster pickup now rocks a 2500 hp Viper 11 fighter jet engine to help drive it in the snow.

LEGO sells some cool airplane models, but none of them are nearly as impressive as this jumbo jet built by BigPlanes. The 20,000-piece replica of an American Airlines Douglas DC-10 Luxury Liner measures five feet long. It has motorized engines and landing gear, adjustable flaps, and a minifigure-scale cabin. Want to see how he built it? Watch the time-lapse video.

After making a bladeless fan that runs on ionic wind, Integza wanted to see if he could harness that electric breeze to create a small jet engine. He used a small transformer to step up the voltage and wired it up to send electrons between a nickel and copper-plated ring. It’s not very powerful, but it’s still incredibly cool.

Artist and maker Hassan Abu-Izmero was given the nacelle from a decommissioned jet engine as a gift. After thinking about what to do with the unusual piece of junk, he decided to clean out its interior, add shelves and lights, and turn it into a liquor cabinet for storing his whiskey. It’s a cool build, though we’d need a 777 engine to hold all our booze.

Commercial jet airplanes have been getting longer and longer over the years to accommodate more passengers. But at what point would an airplane’s length get in the way of its airworthiness? Maker Peter Sripol conducted a small-scale experiment to answer that question, taking an R/C model of a jet plane and extending its fuselage to ridiculous proportions.

Dyson’s Supersonic hair dryer pushes more air and dries hair faster than most. Integza figured out a way to use its tiny and powerful motor to create a handheld jet engine. First, he had to use an industrial 3D printer to produce a metal case for his project. Then he injected fuel into its combustion chamber and ignited it.

Aircraft and travel enthusiasts, get your day flying high with a sip from this unique jet engine cup from Airportag. The double-wall plastic and stainless steel construction keeps drinks hot or cool when you screw the turbine lid on. Thanks to its suction base, it won’t tip over on your airplane tray, either. Holds 11 oz.

Joel Creates was sick of waiting for his hands to dry in public restrooms, so he and his brother built one that works much faster. The jet-powered dryer evaporates water in a split-second and will also melt the flesh from your bones. He also made the world’s most powerful hair dryer. Yep. Don’t try any part of this at home.