Motors Where to find jet engine?

Does anyone just happen to know somewhere I might buy a small (~100-150hp) turboshaft engine?
It has to be fairly cheap, and airworthiness certificate is not an issue. There just doesn't seem to be a market for these things !
Ebay brings up nothing...

profqwerty

 

Look for Auxuilary power Units. Most of them are small turbines.

 

I found the engine for a mig fighter on ebay once.

I seriously wouldnt know where to begin, I had a chance to get a gas turbine but couldnt find a use for it at the time.

 

make one. I saw somewhere some guy turning a truck turbo into a turbine engine. I'm sure you can get 150+ hp out of it.

FYI he was trying to fit it in a small motorcycle.

 

yep, you can build one out of a turbocharger. Whilst not easy it is possible.

 

I was gonna try making a hovercraft; it needs to be either turboshaft or turboprop (*shaft is preferable).

Ebay only has big or small .
I will probably try the turbocharger method (just to make one!), but I don't imagine it would provide a decent usable power output except for jet thrust.

APUs seem the most obvious choice, as I can use the constant speed part properly (just finding one thgat's cheap!)

just thinking, I could use maybe a jet from a waterski or similar - direct the jet into it, and use the drive shaft as an output???

 

go to an airport and when the pilot isn't looking steal it j/k.

You could look around for any aircraft scrap yards or public auctions maybe ?

Does it have to be gas turbine based or could you simply use a ducted fan ?

 

the problem is the hovercraft racing rules do not allow you to simply use a jet as the propulsion source - something about being considerate for the people behind you...
The normal way is to use engine powering ducted fan, but I'm thinking turboshaft powered ducted fan (power/weight ratio is awesome: JFS100 is 90SHP:40kg)

 

right so you use a ducted fan for the skirt and a normal engine w/ an airplane properllor for forward motion just get an engine used for aerobatic aircraft as they normally need to be light but mighty

 

First, it won't be able to take the heat. Turbines have to be able to withstand over 1,000 C and the prop from a jet ski will be made of less expensive materials more suited to cold temperatures. After all, it's bathed in cooling water continuously.
Second, the impeller from a jet ski has a shape which is very efficient for dense fluids like water, and will be almost completely useless for hot air.

If you're planning on building a turbine, a turbocharger is almost the only thing you could use. The best way would be to find a preassembled turbine. That said, hovercraft are usually made with large propellers on piston engines, and I can't see a benefit to the jet; it'll be noisier, slower, and less efficient.

 

unless of course the engine is from say a F-18 and you have an afterburner

 

Have looked around - home built jet tend to be max 7HP. I'm looking for ~100, so is a no starter.

The advantage of jet is power/weight, plus the fun of building one into a hovercraft!
It will be at maximum power continuously for a good 20mins; i imagine this tends to wear out large piston engines, where-as an APU is designed for just this.