Object Details
Manufacturer
Marquardt Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, California
Physical Description
Type: Pulsejet, ducted, multiple tube
Summary
The Marquardt Company was established in 1944 by Roy E. Marquardt, a Cal Tech trained aeronautical engineer, for the purpose of studying subsonic ram-jet engines. However, development work was also done on pulsejets, a very simple type of jet engine in which combustion occurs in pulses. This type of propulsion was used in the famous World War II German V-1 buzz bombs. Pulsejet engines can be made with few or no moving parts, and are capable of running at static conditions.
Marquardt applied pulsejets in a helicopter test-bed. The M-14 or "Whirlajet" (N4107K), was a one person, open cockpit, experimental, first of its kind, helicopter with 884 cm (29 ft) diameter blades, and a simplified steel tubing structure. Directional control was ensured by means of a rudder. At each tip of the two-bladed rotor were located pulsejet engines similar to this artifact. It flew its test flights in 1948 but was never commercially built.
Credit Line
Transferred from the U.S. Navy
Date
Circa 1945
Inventory Number
A19710951000
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
PROPULSION-Turbines (Jet)
Materials
HAZ MAT: Cadmium
Aluminum Alloy
Cosmoline
Rubber
Ferrous Alloy
Adhesive Tape
Solder
Dimensions
3-D: 299.7 × 14.6cm (9 ft. 10 in. × 5 3/4 in.)
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nasm_A19710951000