Jet engines have always intrigued me. From the early days of Frank Whittle and Pabst von Ohain, through the Me 262 and modern airliners like the Airbus A380, these powerplants have been technological wonders in my eyes.
About a year ago I saw that Airfix planned to release a working jet engine. I was giddy to see the kit had lights, sounds, and a throttle!
The parts are molded in colors that represent the kits’ parts and are sealed in their own bags. No gluing — everything either presses or screws together — or painting is required. However, I painted some parts to make them look less like plastic.
The only tools required are a pair of scissors and a hair dryer. A screwdriver is provided for the screws in the kit.
The instructions are photos, not drawings, of the parts and steps; black and white, no color.
All electrical parts are preassembled, so you don’t need to be an electrician. The only confusing step is where the instructions show and describe how to twist the wires together and finish with heat-shrink (provided). Instructions show a black and red wire being put together. Do not do this or your engine won’t work! It’s simple: All black wires go together, all red wires go together. There are three of each. The instructions simply show how to join the wires and heat-shrink them.
Also be wary of the screws. There are a few different types provided, so pay close attention to the instructions.
All of the fan, compressor, and turbine blades are molded in silver plastic. According to the instructions, you do not have to paint these. But to eliminate the swirl marks common in silver plastic, I painted these parts with different combinations of paints I had lying around. I also chose to sand and smooth the leading edges of the fan blades, which are blunt edges so you don’t have to worry about cutting your finger off when the blades are turning.
The only other concern, which entails sandwiching the whole compressor assembly in the clear shroud, is making sure the assembly spins freely. It took me some time to figure it out, but the easiest way to explain it is as follows:
Make sure the two bushings that the whole assembly rotates on are free of any of the compressor or turbine blades. It may take some fiddling around. The spool assembly spins via a blower motor blowing on the fan blades. The motor doesn’t provide enough power if the assembly doesn’t spin freely. Four C batteries (not provided) power the display.
This kit is one of two under the Airfix Engineer collection. Airfix also makes an in-line four-cylinder automobile engine, a fun kit and a change of pace as well.
For the truest, it’s not a fully detailed model. There are no stator blades, accessory drive, oil cooler, planetary gearing, etc. The combustion chambers are mimicked by two red LEDs. However it is decent representation of a working model. It won’t blow the papers off your desk, but it will annoy co-workers in the cubicles next to you. It also would be a great school project for kids. Finally, it’s quite large: 12" long and 11" high.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the February 2016 issue.