New Jet Central turbine
by Jim Hiller
jetmodeler@earthlink.net
It was an exciting day for me when I received my new Jet Central Rhino 200 Smart Electronics (SE) turbine, which has new electronics, a fuel control pack, and a full 45 pounds of thrust. It’s a true 200 Newton motor. I can’t wait to start flying this turbine.
Most turbine manufacturers have improved their products’ power and electronics, and the Rhino has it all. The Jet Central Rhino is a 111mm 4.37-inch diameter turbine that weighs 3.9 pounds. Included in the package is an updated SE Power Pack that is neatly packed in aluminum housing. It appears heavy, but it’s nice and rugged.
The Power Pack houses the fuel pump and solenoid valves. It’s a convenient package when installed in a model. I prefer to mount the Power Pack forward in the aircraft to add nose weight. Jet Central supports this by providing 30-inch leads from the Power Pack to the turbine.
The new Hand Data Terminal (HDT) and Programmer is included with Jet Central’s SE model turbines. It is a nice color display unit that is easy to read. The menus are selectable with icons, making it easier to navigate. Each screen contains information, making it simple to review the turbine’s running performance, adjust settings when necessary, and monitor.
An additional feature that I look forward to exploring is the ability to save recent runs to a micro SD card to review on a computer. There is a slot in the Power Pack for the memory card. This data should prove interesting.
The associated manual shutoff valve, hoses, and cables are included with the turbine, and there is enough length for a typical installation. Also included is a 3,800 mAh 9.9-volt 3S LiFe Duralite battery for power. The SE package can also be set up to run on a 3S LiPo battery pack.
Jet Central’s tradition of providing the operating manual on a memory stick continues, and, along with the turbine manual, Jet Central provides manuals for all available products. It’s nice to have all of them available for review.
An application program to allow the turbine setup and performance to be viewed on a computer is also included. I will have more to follow about this as I start using the turbine and can explore this information.
The manual walks you through the available screens with the HDT. All are easily navigated and written for experienced turbine users. The large main screen has the typical information you would need to monitor the start procedure, including turbine data such as rpm, turbine set rpm, throttle position, temperature, pump power value, battery voltage, and amperage.
Also included is the status of the burner power, glow fuel, and whether the starter is on, or the fuel valve or kerosene valve is open—allowing you to follow the start process in detail to ensure that all is performing normally. This has been informative during my initial startup on the new Rhino 200 SE. Very nice, Jet Central.
A provided Running Parameters submenu allows a user to adjust the setting for the maximum rpm when the power is dialed down for a special installation, adjust the idle rpm, and set up acceleration and deceleration curves. This last feature is nice when you feel the need for maximum turbine response. You can dial acceleration rates up or down depending on weather conditions and altitude because they affect the turbine’s performance.
Be careful not to become aggressive with these parameters. Flameouts, excessive flames, and other problems can result in dead-stick landings when you get carried away. I tend to run conservatively on these settings because fast responses require higher temperatures—hence, more wear and
tear on your turbine engine.
I am excited to explore the information provided on additional menus and available features to get the most out of my Jet Central turbine. Bluetooth connectivity will soon be available for Android and Apple operating systems to allow remote monitoring of the turbine. This is neat during startup.
Telemetry with the popular radio systems is another option that is being developed, and will allow live monitoring of the turbine through S.Bus communication with the appropriate adapter.
The ability to use telemetry to transmit the fuel usage and the remaining fuel information is valuable, and is currently available with some turbines and radio combinations. Jet Central will make this available for major radio brands. The company will announce on its website when the information can be accessed. I am looking forward to these abilities because they will improve the experience of flying complicated turbine models.
Jet Central has an excellent lifetime warranty program that requires a factory inspection of the turbine after every 25 hours of use. This program costs $250 and has been wonderful for my two Jet Central turbines. It also provides an opportunity to update the turbine to the newest version when applicable.
My Jet Central Rhino turbine has been updated from the first generation with each successive improvement—including the new SE electronics and performance parts—all at upgrade costs.
It is as powerful as the newest turbine coming out of the Jet Central USA factory with all of the newest features. I look forward to running these turbines and learning to take advantage of the new attributes.
SOURCES:
Jet Pilots’ Organization (JPO)
www.jetpilots.org
Dreamworks Model Products
(386) 852-4793
www.dreamworksrc.com
