Jul 1 2009Vroom Vroom Kabloom: 2,700 HP Jet Truck
Chris Lentz, instead of going the classy route and getting a pair of truck nuts, decided to throw a Czech built Motorlet M-701 turbojet in the bed of his truck.
The fifty-five-year-old electrical foreman from Jackson, Michigan, had longed for a jet-powered truck for decades. Two years ago, Lentz discovered a way to realize his dream when he met a pilot from New York who imported used turbojet engines. After watching an example run on a test stand, Lentz paid $10,000 for one.
Unfortunately, it's pretty unimpressive.
Without jet assist, Lentz's 231-hp V-8 accelerated its 6600-pound burden (truck, jet engine, two occupants) to 60 mph in a sluggish 14.5 seconds.
The best of three runs in hybrid mode - exploiting both piston and jet propulsion - trimmed six seconds from the sprint to 60 mph. The quarter-mile speed jumped 30 mph and we achieved 140 mph after 45 seconds of acceleration.
Wow. You could probably tape bottle rockets to your bumper and go faster. Just sayin', HAPPY CANADA DAY! Somebody burn themself with a firework for me.
Video after the jump.
Home-Built 2700 HP Jet-Truck Is The Coolest Truck Ever! [jalopnik]
Thanks to naas and FDSY, who would have just strapped the thing to their back with roller skates on because they're jackasses.
Reader Comments
1. stev0 - July 1, 2009 6:18 PM
first!!!
2. strenith - July 1, 2009 6:22 PM
why is that necessary...
could it be?
first
3. strenith - July 1, 2009 6:23 PM
nope..
no first.
but unlike the asshat above me..
i have something besides "first" to say..
*sigh* what a waste of space..
4. Ubu7 - July 1, 2009 6:26 PM
Jeebus, could you imagine that thing firing up in traffic right in front of you?
Good anti-tailgater device, fuh shizz.
5. FDSY - July 1, 2009 6:27 PM
WOORP
i did this but instead of a tuck it was a red wagon and instead of a turbo engine it was the head of George Washington.
6. T-Diddy - July 1, 2009 6:27 PM
Um, why is this loser surprised? You can do the math very easily and find out what acceleration you will get.
7. Henning Christensen - July 1, 2009 6:36 PM
Oh well... At least on the top ten list xD
Great thing to have though! Faster is better, I say!
8. naas - July 1, 2009 6:40 PM
ab-so..LUTELY
@5 mine was a rocketship & the thing went straight into space ffffffssssssssssssssHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhh......
9. dangerous - July 1, 2009 7:26 PM
im sure the jet could give him great speed, but watch any airplane and youll see that initial acceleration of a jet is slow, if he drove the truck on internal mcombustion power up to 100 mph then kicked in the jet he could get better results
of course hed have to keep his steering wheel perfectly straight or hed flip over faster than a ford explorer with bridgestone tires
10. Daisy - July 1, 2009 7:57 PM
FAKE!!!!
This is a complete photoshop job. You can tell its a fake because the shadow's are all wrong.
This is exactly like that scene in the movie Never Back Down where Max built a rocket in his barn, and in defiance of the governmant and at a great personal loss tried to launch himself into space.
11. Drew - July 1, 2009 8:19 PM
The problem is he has the air intake blocked up by the cab and those thing go faster based on how much air is going in the front. i did alot of research on these things at one point and basically he needs some kind of scoop to force air into it and an after burner and he could probably triple the boost.
12. antmattmn - July 1, 2009 8:20 PM
@6
Whats the easy math that it would take to do that?
And you can't look in your 6th grade math book to find the answer - no cheating.
13. Name (required): - July 1, 2009 8:41 PM
What a waste.
My GMC Typhoon does 0-60 in 4.6 seconds.
And its 16 years old.
Try again LOSER.
14. Chris - July 1, 2009 8:58 PM
Now Americans can get from one McDonalds to the next in double quick time.
15. Watch-303 - July 1, 2009 9:51 PM
COOL!
16. Tuppy Glossop - July 1, 2009 9:58 PM
And he probably gets 3 or 4 gallons per mile. Now that's a hybrid!
17. pez dispenser - July 1, 2009 10:10 PM
@ 14
You made a funny!! do you want a cookie?
18. scurl - July 1, 2009 10:16 PM
this reminds me of the darwin awards.
also,
Viper: I flew with your old man. VF-51, the Oriskany. You're a lot like he was. Only better... and worse. He was a natural heroic son of a bitch that one.
Maverick: So he DID do it right.
Viper: Yeah, he did it right... Is that why you fly the way you do? Trying to prove something? Yeah your old man did it right. What I'm about to tell you is classified. It could end my career. We were in the worst dogfight I ever dreamed of. There were bogeys like fireflies all over the sky. His F-4 was hit, and he was wounded, but he could've made it back. He stayed in it, saved three planes before he bought it.
Maverick: How come I never heard that before?
Viper: Well that's not something the State Department tells dependents when the battle occurred over the wrong line on some map.
Maverick: So you were there?
Viper: I was there. What's on your mind?
Maverick: My options, Sir.
Viper: Simple. First you've acquired enough points to show up tomorrow and graduate with your Top Gun class, or you can quit. There'd be no disgrace. That spin was hell, it would've shook me up.
Maverick: So you think I should quit?
Viper: I didn't say that. The simple fact is you feel responsible for Goose and you have a confidence problem. Now I'm not gonna sit here and blow sunshine up your ass, Lieutenant. A good pilot is compelled to evaluate what's happened, so he can apply what he's learned. Up there, we gotta push it. That's our job. It's your option Lieutenant. All yours.
Maverick: Sorry to bother you on a Sunday, Sir, but thank you very much for your time.
Viper: No Problem. Good luck.
19. Paul? - July 1, 2009 10:16 PM
zoom zoom
20. ptitz - July 1, 2009 10:17 PM
@12, well, the thrust is defined by massflow *(Vjet-Vair)
and propulsive efficiency is 2/(1+Vjet/Vair)
for a jet like that Vjet would be like 600 m/sec., air speed would be like 30 m/sec(60mph), that makes propulsion efficiency less than 10%. thats one. two is that he actually placed the intake behind the cabin reducing the mass flow and thrust even more. which aint that bright. what he couldve done is gotten a turboshaft engine and put all those 2400 hp to his wheels. that of course would require a bit of thinking through, extra work and quite some skill. what that guy did there is just a waste of 10 000 $. and pure stupid.
21. Iron-Balls McGinty - July 1, 2009 11:05 PM
Good Job! although Jalopnik had this posted 6 hours earlier along with the YouTube video..perhaps you need to go back there and cut and paste the jet powered Polaris buggy and the 600 hp mini monster truck....just a suggestion.
22. WhatJet? - July 1, 2009 11:14 PM
@ Drew
AMEN Brother! I was going to say the same thing (but not as well written).
He is so lacking in the air department because of the location/cab, it has to be reducing his thrust.
23. Jerry - July 1, 2009 11:38 PM
I bet it goes to 11.
http://bootelicious.mybrute.com
24. $.02 and a pocket full of FAH-Q - July 2, 2009 7:13 AM
Good Morning!!!!!!!!!!! It's my last day in the office for a week and a half!!!!!!! Woo-Hoo!!! Now where did I put that drink...
25. Gordon "Fücking" Shumway - July 2, 2009 7:28 AM
@24
Damn! Who will I sexually harass while you're gone?
26. $.02 and a pocket full of FAH-Q - July 2, 2009 7:52 AM
I'd say naas, but apparently he's going to CA too....
.
STOMPY perhaps?
27. who wants to be a millionaire - July 2, 2009 7:54 AM
That must be dangerous
28. Gordon "Fücking" Shumway - July 2, 2009 8:03 AM
http://www.geocities.com/crimemonkey/embwbam/media/bomber4.jpg
29. Timbo - July 2, 2009 8:24 AM
10,000$ and that's all he could do?!? Seriously...
I know a guy who spent $1,500 on a mustang that does waaaay better than that...
30. Jaded Icon - July 2, 2009 8:38 AM
I understand his intention, but he should have researched it a little better.
@ 14 Screw you.
@ 17 Make it a butter cookie and you've got a deal
31. 137 - July 2, 2009 8:42 AM
egh, it's ok. i like the cart better though.
32. Bernard Fleming - July 2, 2009 9:08 AM
One question - Where does he keep the spare tire?
33. Gordon "Fücking" Shumway - July 2, 2009 9:20 AM
Tire! Tire! Tire!
34. STOMPY - July 2, 2009 9:28 AM
@23
You may be a brutefag but I likes the spinal tap reference! Lose that lame game and join the rest of the human race.
If only he had 1.21 Jiga-watts, than he really would tear around the place.
35. STOMPY - July 2, 2009 9:40 AM
Holy crap do I feel better today... Talk about hangoversville yesterday. GFS would have been proud...
36. STOMPY - July 2, 2009 9:53 AM
@36
Cmon, we know thats you naas.... stop making up fake posts...
37. naas - July 2, 2009 10:00 AM
@25 yeah sorry I'll also be in cali also but you can sexually harass me all you want shumway. Some neighbor somewhere where I'll be is going to have unsecured wifi so we can still play
@35 welcome back from the dead
@36 zomg porn
38. $.02 and a pocket full of FAH-Q - July 2, 2009 10:03 AM
GW - Just because you're gallavanting about the country is no excuse to not post anything for half the day... damnit man!
39. Jaded Icon - July 2, 2009 10:11 AM
@ 39
Nuthin interesting today......on the webz or real world.....WHAT AM I SAYING! The real world IS the webz! (sorry, I took the red pill)
40. che-che - July 2, 2009 10:22 AM
@32-guessing you never been near a truck. about 100 percent of all trucks have their spare tire located underneath the truck.
i know you think there might be no room under there cause you saw pimp my ride and they had screens all over the undercarriage but in real life there is a spare tire just behind the rear axle.
no need thanking me for solving your mystery of where the spare tire is located on a pick up truck.
oh and GW, OLD!!!!
41. STOMPY - July 2, 2009 10:26 AM
@41
Ya GW, whats with you posting things that occured in the past? Get with it man, post about another celebs death and than go out and make it happen!!!
42. Jaded Icon - July 2, 2009 10:30 AM
@ 42
I vote anybody from American Idol to be next. PLZ, PRETTY PLZ!!
43. STOMPY - July 2, 2009 10:36 AM
@Jaded Icon
Well, i do have a busy schedule this week.... but what the hey, i'll squeeze one or two of them in for ya. FOC baby, i do some pro bono work from time to time.
44. Gordon "Fücking" Shumway - July 2, 2009 10:47 AM
@STOMPY
Hangovers are just there to remind you to start drinking in the morning. Mmm...Bloody Mary with steak & eggs. Breakfast of champeeons. Yes, I meant to do that. I won't be here tomorrow folks as I rarely post from home. Also, I'll be busy blowing shit up.
http://www.geocities.com/crimemonkey/embwbam/media/bomber4.jpg
45. Galtacticus - July 2, 2009 10:55 AM
I guess his boss was tired about the complains of late deliveries.
46. Gordon "Fücking" Shumway - July 2, 2009 10:55 AM
He says to me, he says to me, 'Baby, I'm tired of workin' for the MAN!' I says, I says, WHY DON'T YOU BLOW HIM TO BITS?
47. Gordon "Fücking" Shumway - July 2, 2009 10:56 AM
He says to me, he says to me, 'You got STYLE, baby. But if you're going to be a real villain, you gotta get a gimmick.' And so I go I says YEAH, baby. A gimmick, that's it. High explosives. Aaaaaa-hahahahaha!
48. kelehendros - July 2, 2009 11:23 AM
nice i want a backpack version
49. TE - July 2, 2009 12:49 PM
two is that he actually placed the intake behind the cabin reducing the mass flow and thrust even more
--
And it's low-enthalpy air, at that. Not that it matters much at these low speeds, but you're better off taking air at speed than slow air. Look at the intakes on a fighter jet. They are located off the body so they don't suck in the slow boundary layer air.
I think a Prius could have completed a quarter mile before that truck's jet got up to speed.
50. Chris83 - July 2, 2009 7:42 PM
He might get better results improving the area of air intake
51. Sri80 - July 3, 2009 6:02 PM
All this guy needs is an oscillation overthruster ...
And bam! he'll get across the mountain.
52. Phoenix - July 6, 2009 3:02 AM
Check This Out!!
http://tinyurl.com/qk8gdb
53. joey - July 8, 2009 9:05 AM
man i was hoping it would explode