ORIGINAL: Jim Branaum
DavidR (and friends),
The direct answer to "THE" question is that I do just like the jet jocks and stuff the largest power plant under the hood that will fit. However I take care not to get too large an engine because I hate it when the wing air loading is so high the plane cannot be flown in a reasonable manner even more than I dislike it when the plane cannot climb out with some authority. Trees seem to be everywhere! However I generally build the airframe myself and KNOW what its failure mode will be. I don't think I have ever put a larger engine on a model than someone else has done so that helps me avoid being a pioneer. My approach is NOT against any law or rule I can find and I have a significant knowledge of structural engineering and loads which is one more reason I choose NOT to fly the carbon/glass fiber jets. Roger Guinn made some excellent points many seem to have missed.
I have not been avoiding "THE" question, rather I have been avoiding YOU and the rest of the people who just want a flame war as was proved in another thread after I suggested that since you knew more on the subject it made sense for YOU to write some good enforceable rules and your response was to attack my lack of knowledge! Proof of your basic errors (bad assumptions) about the AMA EC have already been posted in several places by others. Ben and KevinG. seem to be helping you in your self declared war, so I hope the entire jet community is eternally thankful.
Good luck. . . .
Jim,
You are showing your ignorance again concerning jets....
With most brands of turbines (KJ-66 based) there isn't hardly ANY weight penalty for going to a larger thrust turbine so the wing loading doesn't get out of control as can happen with prop planes....For example: A JetCat P-80 weighs 2.9 lbs, a P-120 weighs 3.1 lbs, and a P-160 wieghs 3.34 lbs. All of these engines have exactly the same outside diameter. (4.4 inches) As you can see, there is only .44 lbs (7.04 ounces) of weight difference between the 19 lb thrust engine and the 34 lb thrust engine. Seven ounces isn't going to affect our jets wing loadings to any significant degree.
Jim, no flame war here---Just correcting you when you are wrong concerning jets....Which seems to be most of the time.. [:@] Since you are admitting a lack of knowledge, why don't you ask questions like J_R and others have done??? Instead, you've made several assumptions based on preconceived notions and have posted them here and elsewhere as fact....Like what you posted above comparing prop engines to turbines in regards to weight vs displacement/thrust. I think that you would be much better received by the jet guys if you would forget what you think you know about jets and just take a step back and listen to us!!!
Kevin