Bleed air?
 

Has anyone tried pulling bleed air from an R/C turbine (like full scale turbines) to maintain air pressure in the air tanks used for retracts? I think would be a winner if it could be done without adding a huge cost increase.

At this time, we have not. Perhaps you should post this question as a new thread for the general populous of the RCU jet community .

thanks for the question. . .

I have looked into it but apparently at full power youre only talking around 30 psi. People used to pressurize smoke tanks with it. The amount of volume youre talking about is such a small percentage of the total mass flow that the engine wouldn't even notice.

I played with it a little with an air start AMT. (the start line, has pressure on it, while running) At full power, it would make around 24~25 PSI. (This is on a AT180) It's really not enough pressure, if there is a leak, and something is stuck. BUT... on the bigger engines... the more pressure you make internal. SO... on a 40 Lb thrust engine... you may have 50~60 psi in the case.