You are sure to see a passenger jet screaming through the sky at over 600 mph at any moment. Where does the fuel come from to power these modern marvels?
We know what you’re thinking. An enormous jet engine go-kart that burns kerosene with tens of thousands of pounds of thrust, right?
Even though jet engines can deliver jetliners to new heights, not all are huge beasts with topped up fuel tanks.
Several home builders construct jet-powered karts in their garages. These are the karts that shattered both the norms and records in this race!
Ready to roar down the track with its insane fuel economy?
Below are some of the fundamental factors you need to know about jet go-karts!
Understanding Jet-Powered Go-Karts
The engines in go-karts traditionally run on gas or electric power. During the last few years, electric motors have become common in various kinds of racing, and go-karts are no exception since electric motors provide both instant torque and good environmental performance.
Gas engine karts are as vintage as the motorsport itself, ranging from mild to insanely fast. But jet-powered go-karts would use jet engines in place of gas or electric engines in go-karts.
These pint-sized racing machines usually have a jet engine mounted at the rear of the frame. The intake and chimney are large and hang several feet off the back of the vehicle. There will also be an enormous gas tank to power this beast.
How Do Jet-Powered Karts Function?
There are no similarities between a jet-powered go-kart and a regular go-kart engine other than their capacity to propel. It’s not the wheels that propel jet-powered go-karts; the engine mounts to the kart’s frame while the wheels spin freely.
Kart wheels do not connect to the engine. Instead, take a look at the jetliner. The wheels do nothing but allow the go-kart to roll while the jet engine powers all other propulsion.
Generally, a jet engine takes in large amounts of air, compresses it inside the engine’s main fuel chamber, and ignites air with fuel.
Fuel and compressed air combine and push through a small aperture for thrust. More fuel equals more thrust as a general rule. Several designs even use an afterburner, which injects fuel directly into the hot exhaust of the jet engine, enhancing power.
What Makes Jet-Powered Go-Karts Uncommon?
Road vehicles simply cannot run on jet engines. Designed for low-friction situations such as flying, they are inefficient when it comes to speeding up a vehicle.
As go-karts usually go around tracks, there are considerable increases and decreases in speed. This causes a jet engine to burn a lot more fuel than a typical race kart can hold.
Putting a jet on the back of a go-kart is another challenging engineering challenge, and only the most accomplished individuals would try it.
There are several ways to power a go-kart: by mounting anything to the frame and modifying it to make it work. The question of practicality is a completely different matter.
In addition, the construction of a jet engine requires huge sums of money that most weekend racers will not have in their budget or time to undertake.
Is It Safe To Drive Jet-Powered Go-Karts?
Putting it simply, go-karts with jet engines are NOT safe.
In addition to the thrust required, jet engines must also produce a great deal of heat. With this extreme heat and a jet engine’s volatile nature, go-kart drivers are in a great deal of danger when operating jet-powered vehicles.
Additionally, the hot exhaust is dangerous for those nearby. Who wants to spend the race behind a jet-powered kart oblivious to hot gas blasts?
It’s not something that one would apply practically on a weekend race basis, neither something that’s a fun engineering challenge or a fun engineering project.
Whether you’re interested in engineering, appreciate the sensation of a jet engine running, or simply enjoy fast speeds, you’ll appreciate the work of these experts. The race track won’t be seeing one of these anytime soon.
Popular Racing Go-Karts With Jet Engines
It’s finally time for you to see some of the most advanced and stunning jet-powered go-karts! These vehicles have not only proven to be engineering marvels, but some of them have broken world records as well.
Colin Furze’s JetCart
The YouTube channel of Colin Furze features his crazy and innovative inventions. To showcase the power of jet-powered go-karts, he built and filmed an incredible machine in 2015.
Additionally, Colin uploaded a highlight video of him tearing through an airport in his jet-powered kart. The build is absolutely out of this world!
- Top Speed: 60 mph
- Country: UK
- Project: Homemade
- Type: Afterburner
Tom Bagnall’s World Record Jet-Powered Go-Kart
In 2017, Tom Bagnall reigned supreme with the jet-powered kart he made in a shed to break the record for the fastest kart in the world!
Using his afterburner system and fueling up to 112.29 mph, the mechanical engineer hit the mark in no time.
- Top Speed: 112.29 mph
- Country: UK
- Project: Homemade
- Type: Afterburner
Can You Strap a Jet Engine To a Go-Kart?
There are several jet engines you can strap on go-karts, so you can choose the one you prefer. While it is uncommon to build a go-kart to break the monotony of being confined to a home, the motivation for designing this highly customized machine is quite relatable.
It is possible to remove the diesel engine – switch to a jet engine at the back of the vehicle, using 5 gallons of hydro-jet (80% jet fuel, 20% water) instead of the diesel engine.
Final Thoughts
Is go-karting with jet engines a brilliant idea or just crazy talk?
The featured builds and this article indicate they are definitely both true.
Although jet-powered go-karts won’t be “a thing” anytime soon, it is a unique engineering feat of people who like to push the boundaries.
When you build a jet-powered go-kart, you must invest both time and money to watch it rip through an open road.
Even with its seemingly senseless application, the level of innovation and technical ability required is exceptional!
