VIDEO: Michigan man builds awesome jet-powered F-150
2005 Ford F-150 Jet Truck - Click above to watch the video after the break
Here we have what may quite possibly be the World's Coolest Hybrid. It may not be particularly adept at saving fuel – owner Chris Lentz of Jackson, Michigan, says it burns one to five gallons of kerosene per minute (though presumably it could also run on biodiesel like Jay Leno's EcoJet) but we aren't aware of any other hybrid vehicles that can put out 2700 horsepower at 516 miles per hour.
While half of the 2005 Ford F-150 STX's drivetrain consists of the stock FoMoCo 4.6-liter V8 and four-speed automatic transmission, the truck's coup de grâce is certainly the 1950s-era Czechoslovakian Motorlet M-701 turbojet mounted discreetly in the bed. The 728-pound jet engine is reportedly capable of punching out 1,962 pounds of thrust at 15,500 RPM.
Coupled together, the two engines can push the truck down the quarter mile at 103 miles per hour and up to a measured top speed of 140 mph, though it could likely go faster with a slightly modified mounting arrangement. Speed, though, is only a small part of the story. Click past the break for a video of Lentz's truck in action.
[Source: Automobile]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
dukeisduke 12:36PM (7/01/2009)
A 1950's era Czech jet engine? I wouldn't want to be anywhere near this thing (especially alongside it) when a compressor disk lets go, and the blades start flying. Yikes!
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James 12:48PM (7/01/2009)
With all that hp and thrust, who needs wings to fly....
Victor 1:04PM (7/01/2009)
Screams darwin awards
rob_bennetts 2:33PM (7/12/2009)
I didnt think there were any compressor discs in a centrifugal compression style of engine.
Protzenegger 12:43PM (7/01/2009)
Fix the link, please.
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SimbaDogg 5:09AM (7/02/2009)
here autobloggers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU6NTaZ2Ig
CMDR 12:45PM (7/01/2009)
Top speed of 140? WTF
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Andre 12:52PM (7/01/2009)
Major Fail
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twg 12:57PM (7/01/2009)
"...mounted discreetly in the bed."
You must be using some definition of the word "discreetly" that I'm not familiar with.
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montoym 1:10PM (7/01/2009)
Are you familiar with the term "sarcasm"?
LoneWolf 12:59PM (7/01/2009)
Cool truck, but the video is bad..
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Crashmaxx 1:02PM (7/01/2009)
1/4 mile in 16 sec? All that work to just make the truck a little less slow. He should have put it in something that doesn't weigh over 4000lb.
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timwang2006 1:08PM (7/01/2009)
Jets take time to spool and reach thrust. The 0-60 time might very well take longer than the 100-160 time. Check out the top speed though. Thats where it gets impressive.
montoym 1:17PM (7/01/2009)
quote from timwang2006:
- "Check out the top speed though. Thats where it gets impressive." -
quote from the story:
- "and up to a measured top speed of 140 mph" -
OK, so where's the impressive part? If the 1/4 mile trap speed were reversed, I'd then be considered impressed.
ted 1:59PM (7/01/2009)
The 103mph trap speed is quite high for a 16.3 sec quarter mile. The last 500 feet were probably impressive, and 100-140 is likely even better. It just takes forever to get all that mass moving off the line.
RJ 4:10PM (7/01/2009)
Both the Ram SRT-10 and Ford's own Lightning could lay waste to this thing, acceleration and top speed.
Something's not right with the setup. A jet with nearly 2000 lbs of thrust should easily surpass 140 mph. Hell, a normal 5.4 Triton with a blower should hit 140.
montoym 6:41PM (7/01/2009)
In this trucks defense, the story does say that 140mph is the fastest "measured" top speed.
I'm sure we all know it can go faster, it just appears that the owner is a bit reluctant to find out how much faster since it seems to be an otherwise stock truck.
ambientFLIER 9:35PM (7/01/2009)
The 140mph top speed is in GEAR. Meaning that it's probably redlining 4th gear at 6k rpm. If it's in neutral, then we're probably talking 200+.
wynklehop 1:09PM (7/01/2009)
Another one with obviously more emphasis on gimmickry than creative & innovative engineering
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montoym 1:14PM (7/01/2009)
quote from timwang2006:
- :Check out the top speed though. Thats where it gets impressive." -
quote from the story:
- "and up to a measured top speed of 140 mph" -
OK, so where's the impressive part? If the 1/4 mile trap speed were reversed, I'd then be considered impressed.
Reply