"The fifty-five-year-old electrical foreman from Jackson,
Michigan, had longed for a jet-powered truck for decades. Two years
ago, Lentz discovered a way to realize his dream when he met a pilot
from New York who imported used turbojet engines. After watching an
example run on a test stand, Lentz paid $10,000 for one. Obtaining a
rolling platform for his new toy was a bit easier. Lentz bought a used 2005 Ford F-150 STX on eBay for $12,000.
To
install the jet in the truck, Lentz fabricated a sturdy mounting stand,
a twenty-gallon kerosene tank, and a control console from aluminum and
stainless steel. His decorative touches include a red, white, and blue
nose cone and a 2700 HP badge (not divulged is the 516-mph velocity
needed to achieve that power level).
So what's that mean for performance? Automobile claims:
"Without jet assist, Lentz's 231-hp V-8 accelerated its
6600-pound burden (truck, jet engine, two occupants) to 60 mph in a
sluggish 14.5 seconds. We recorded a quarter-mile speed of 73 mph and a
top speed of 85 mph.
The best of three runs in hybrid mode - exploiting both piston and
jet propulsion - trimmed six seconds from the sprint to 60 mph. The
quarter-mile speed jumped 30 mph and we achieved 140 mph after 45
seconds of acceleration."
Whoa! That seems pretty slow to us. Maybe it's because of that whole 6600 lb thing. Meh, still pretty damn cool!
To
install the jet in the truck, Lentz fabricated a sturdy mounting stand,
a twenty-gallon kerosene tank, and a control console from aluminum and
stainless steel. His decorative touches include a red, white, and blue
nose cone and a 2700 HP badge (not divulged is the 516-mph velocity
needed to achieve that power level).
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