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The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Do It Yourself PulseJets from Robert Maddox

By Paul Crowe

Twin pulsejet powered bicycle by Robert Maddox
Twin pulsejet powered bicycle by Robert Maddox

Three years ago The Kneeslider showed you a pretty basic pulsejet powered bicycle Robert Maddox had for sale. As projects go, it was pretty neat and after our short article Bob started getting attention from everywhere, you might say things have been (ahem) buzzing for Bob ever since. Well, he’s still at it, building more and bigger variations of these jets and strapping them on to all sorts of wheeled vehicles and he’s even got a plan for using several really big pulsejets all by themselves, who needs wheels? So when I got a note from Bob the other day, I thought I’d take a look to see what was up and the news is plans and kits so you can build one yourself.

Single pulsejet bicycle by Robert Maddox
Single pulsejet bicycle by Robert Maddox

Bob first got interested in pulsejets when he saw a diagram in an encyclopedia of a pulsejet powered V-1 buzz bomb. Later, as a skydiver, he thought of strapping one on for use during freefall and set about figuring out how to build one. It became evident the skydiving plan wasn’t such a great idea, but he did build a working engine with 50 pounds of thrust and has been steadily progressing over the intervening years with bigger and better engines.

After dozens of engines and thousands of tests, Bob now makes the most powerful and dependable pulsejets in the world. Bob’s pulsejets are featured on some of the most elaborate show cars, motorcycles, and bikes ever built, and he has become one of the most prolific pulse jet designers in the world. What’s next? Stay tuned because on the drawing board are plans for dragbikes, dragsters, twin jet hydrofoils, and a pulsejet powered 40 ft. tall 4 engine 5,000 lb. thrust rocket from which Bob will eject and skydive from 25,000 feet!!

Bob finally put together his own website where you can learn about his work, but the best part is he’s selling plans and parts kits so you can build your own pulsejet engine, every piece from the metal parts for the body of the engine to the reed valves, pumps, spark box, hoses, absolutely everything or just order the plans and do it all yourself, it depends on how much work you want to do. Heh! Now, that’s my kind of kit! These bikes, obviously, have zero practical value, but if you’re looking for utilitarian, you’re not looking at these to begin with.

Single pulsejet bicycle
Single pulsejet bicycle

The jet engines look well engineered and really would be a cool home building project, something sure to impress your neighbor, Fred, when he wanders over wondering what all of the late night sessions in the garage have been about. As jet engines go, pulsejets are pretty basic and you’ll most likely be the only guy in the neighborhood building one. Noise, fire and thrust, what more could you want? Build your skills and a pulsejet engine at the same time. Neat stuff, I like it.

Also, be sure to check out the video of the test run below, red hot pipes!

Link: MaddoxJets

Video below:

Posted on May 22, 2011 Filed Under: Engines, Workshop & Tools


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Comments

  1. todd says

    May 22, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    I wonder when we are going to read of some sort of horrific accident involving this guy. Maybe it’ll have to do with skydiving with a 5,000 lb thrust rocket…

    -todd

  2. Paulinator says

    May 22, 2011 at 9:21 pm

    Todd you`re mean. Volkswagon built thousands of buzz-bombs during WW 2.0 and they turned out to be relatively safe for the allies (as far as doomsday weapons go).

  3. Paulinator says

    May 22, 2011 at 9:29 pm

    I just watched the vid……

    sorry Todd, you were right.

  4. fluke says

    May 23, 2011 at 1:44 am

    he sells plans and parts? for what? I built a small one 30 years ago when their was quite a fad for people building them after a couple of DIY engineering magazines published plans. There doesn’t exist any other propulsion system cheaper, easier to make or with less moving parts, they have just the one. I think mine too a weekend to make and cost 20 quid. And just over a weekend to get bored with it.

    Very noisy (you don’t get how loud they are from the video), low power, insanely uneconomical, dangerous, unreliable, mostly unthrottleable, heavy and hot. About as useful as those home made jet engines based on automotive turbo chargers. Build them for the hell of it and to have fun doing so, practical use consists of the just the ability to annoy your neighbours and set fire to stuff. Many countries have strictly controlled or even banned their use.

    They are cool and easy homebuild projects, just don’t expect to find a use for one other than as a weapon of terror like the V1.

  5. Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" says

    May 23, 2011 at 6:02 am

    Bob Maddox has a passion for pulsejets. For those of you who don’t share that passion or if you don’t think building one would be a cool project, just turn your attention elsewhere, simple as that. Bob seems to be enjoying himself and some folks, like me, think his projects are pretty cool whether they want to personally build one for themselves or not.

  6. JustThunkin says

    May 23, 2011 at 9:44 am

    I have to ask…will anyone believe that Harley emblem? And why would anyone put an H-D emblem on something so totally lacking in the H-D format??

    • Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" says

      May 23, 2011 at 9:55 am

      Look at the bike, think of an old Harley board track racer. Then think about using a totally different type of power plant, like a pulsejet engine. There you have it.

      Above all, don’t take these bikes too seriously. They’re built strictly for fun and entertainment.

      • JustThunkin says

        May 23, 2011 at 10:36 am

        I’m certainly laughing!

    • SteveD says

      May 23, 2011 at 4:12 pm

      Would it be more accurate if he put BMW?

  7. HoughMade says

    May 23, 2011 at 10:31 am

    Loud, enormously inefficient, somewhat dangerous, nowhere near practical….what’s not to like? My wife has described me with similar terms…..and sometimes the noise is similar.

    One man’s passion. Now there’s an individual!

  8. jamin says

    May 23, 2011 at 11:49 am

    “I have to ask…will anyone believe that Harley emblem?”

    Really, are you kidding?

    “Very noisy, low power, insanely uneconomical, dangerous, unreliable, mostly unthrottleable, heavy and hot.”

    Yep, sounds about right!

    • david says

      May 23, 2011 at 11:02 pm

      this was the perfect comment.

    • JustThunkin says

      May 24, 2011 at 7:08 am

      I’m usually not that slow on the uptake. Thanks for the reality check!

  9. Nicolas says

    May 23, 2011 at 12:55 pm

    Awesome !

    Some guys need a slipper clutch and a traction control and an ABS … we all with our regular bikes look like sissies compared to that guy … 🙂

    Awesome …

  10. Hawk says

    May 23, 2011 at 9:45 pm

    What an absolute fabulous “Attitude Adjustment Tool” for tailgaters.

  11. Shawn says

    May 24, 2011 at 5:40 am

    Anyone who doesn’t like this is old. Strap it on ya boik, rush up to your mates place(literally), annoy everyone in the suburb and break out the marsh mellows at the end. Best of all, give one to your 12 year old son and he’ll be the cool kid at school. Fun, Fun, Fun!!!

  12. B50 Jim says

    May 24, 2011 at 9:58 am

    I wouldn’t get near my mom with one of these things — she has enough bad memories from the Battle of Britain — but anywhere else; let ‘er rip! It’s just the kind of insane project any 14-year-old boy would tackle for the sheer audacity of it. Have fun and annoy your neighbors! Ride the fastest Schwinn in town! Toast your shoes! Attract the police! Get grounded for life!

    This thing beats my old go-kart hands down.

  13. woolyhead says

    May 24, 2011 at 11:41 am

    How about a road test ? Might be a hoot with Jay Leno at the tiller !

  14. spectator says

    May 24, 2011 at 1:42 pm

    Awesome, all we need now are small metallic leg protectors; 70’s enduro, exhaust style.

    srsly, dumb.

  15. Mark Lewellen says

    May 27, 2011 at 1:20 pm

    As a pilot and former owner of a Rutan Vari-Eze I seem to remember someone marketing a kit using a propane powered homebuilt jet engine that was mounted in the ends of the rotor blades. I don’t know if one ever flew, and I don’t know if the pulse jet engine could survive the centripetal force, but this engine and that homebuilt helicopter design seem made for each other…..

    This is cool!

    Mark L.

    • chris lomas says

      November 10, 2011 at 9:39 am

      This was a Pressure Jet Engine having no reed valves & useing Nitrogen gas to force the LPG gas through the tunned air intake pipes.Fully throttled but not as much power.

  16. chris lomas says

    November 10, 2011 at 9:33 am

    Keep it up Bob Maddox.I love Pulse Jets to.Starting from the V1 then Control line airplanes & now getting our Australia into RC Pulse Jet Airplanes from Germany & Italy .Control Line one come from USA.Coming out in a Magazine November/December issue here in Australia called Airboune is a story on the first to fly fuel injected Pulse Jet .I would like to see your big Pulse Jets used for Drag Racing as I think the noise would be loved there.Put in the back of a ute is a good one two.Jet Turbines to me are boring becauce everone has one and they are fully developed.Pulse Jets still can be improved I think, like getting the reed valves to last longer with the use of throttling them.My 90er from Hubert in Germany can go as low as 2lbs thrust to 13lbs static or 17lbs at full speed but 20% throttle in flight or it just flame outs. Have a look on my Youtube site if you love pulse jets lomasck Thank You All

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