I understand the catalytic reaction between the methanol and platinum to make a glow engine work.
Since the same plugs are used in a turbine, does the platinum do anything beneficial or does it just add to the cost of the plug.
Would stainless steel or nichrome wire work just as well in a turbine at a lower cost.

What are the odds of getting one of the glow plug makers to make a turbine plug with the coils already on the outside and without the platinum if its not really needed.

One guess would be that turbine guys go through about three thousand plugs a year, vs glow guys go through about 300,000. (both guestimates).

It would seem to me that we are such a small percent of the hobby as a whole, that making a special plug for us might not be the best R&D money spent.

Pulling the coils is easy, if you need some help getting it right the first time, I did a video a year ago, not sure if it's still posted here, but you can do a search.

The platinum is of no benefit in a turbine engine. You are igniting a very combustible gas, and there is no glow heat after the initial lightoff. The old Goldenwest FD 367 engines could be and were sometimes started with an butane match used for starting charcoal barbeques. Spin 'er up, and stick a match up the spout!!

The glowplug manufacturers would incurr additional costs in procuring, stocking, and manufacturing the turbine specific element, not to mention marketing and distibuting them.
Now that kero-start engines are becoming more commonplace, how much would you spend for a turbine specific plug?

I have a contact at one of the major plug manufacturers, and will talk to him about it.

Turbine engines represent a pretty small portion of the entire marketplace. It is not uncommon for a plug to last a year or more in a turbine.
I have multiple engines, and all of them are kero-start. The next one will be too, but I will check it out.

Harley Condra
BVM REP
JetCat REP

I have not yet had an opportunity to attempt pulling out the element but have heard all of the horror stories over and over, from a local flier, about breaking 3 $8 plugs to get one good one.

I am still building my first jet and will not order the turbine till it is needed so that I have some warranty left when it comes time to fly it.

In the meantime I am trying to learn all I can.

To reduce the risk of breaking the element, before pulling it heat the plug por ten seconds o so with a glow plug igniter. That way the element becomes very soft and considerable less brittle.

Regards
Eduardo

Jeff, get an ARTES, lifetime warranty, doesn't matter how long it sits on the shelf before it's installed

thats exactly what i do, i plug it up to my glow driver and just barely turn on the juice, makes them pull out without breaking. Russ

Get a Jet Central turbine then you will not have to worry about the warranty running out before the jet is ready to fly.

Turbines are $3000+, airframes are $2000+ -, plugs are $3, & You're worried about the price of plugs. Jeez, Gimme a break.

I'm not worried abot the price of the plugs, I am questioning the PITA factor of having to modify a plug.

Break given.