An Historical Look at the Interest in
Model Jet Engines from 1945

I found this article in the April 1945 issue of "Mechanix Illustrated" magazine (no longer published). As I said before, jet engines were new to the general public and held a deep fascination to the inventors and tinkerers of the time. This offer from the magazine demonstrates this keen interest.
I just wonder if anyone collected the $350 in prizes.

The following illustrations were meant to be helpful hints
for designing a working engine. Some ideas were being worked
on at the time but none were considered successful. With a fresh
approach, it was hoped that someone might make one work.

Figure 3 (below) was similar to a modern jet engine, but used a small
reciprocating engine to drive the compressor instead of a turbine in the exhaust.
Figure 4 was even more of an odd idea that came so close to the modern engine.
It used a turbine spinning from the incoming air to operate a rotary valve and
set of contact points to fire a spark plug. It might have been better to have had
the valve powered by a turbine in the exhaust.

WHOA!!! What's this? A disclaimer in 1945?
You should never hug a hot jet engine.

 

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