Anyone ever hear of this???

Smithsonian Jet-Works Working Jet Engine Model

I'd like to snare one.

Not to be pedantic but I believe that's a turbo fan.

I think Monogram or Revell did something similar in the past, nice find none the less.

Somehow I doubt that it will produce any thrust, so that "working" tag is a slight bit of artistic licence.

Or perhaps they did, and that's why they're so rare now. "Jimmy, what was that noise and why is there a hole in your wall?"

This looks along the same lines as the old Revell/Monogram “visible V-8”. Damn, that was a huge let down - little bulbs for spark plugs, battery powered so that the pistons moved, assembled it in about a week when I was 10, started it up and it groaned dramatically then explosively self-disassembled in about 25 seconds flat, providing important lessons about how, even when you’ve put oil where they told you to, the kit was *not* your friend if you didn’t pay *very* close attention to tolerances.

Second most traumatic modeling event from my childhood - what my 2 year old cousin did to my 1/32 Matchbox Lysander just half an hour after I’d applied the decals haunts me still...

Fred,
I’m pretty sure the lineage of this model is the Airfix—Airfix/Hornby “Airfix Engineer Jet Engine“ which has been around for 15-20 years in various forms. The initial release was similar to the one you found (without the Smithsonian logos). Subsequent releases have gone from pedestal mounts below to an airfoil shape above, which is what the current version has. I saw one of these with the Hornby label at a Barnes & Noble in the “scientific toy” section last Christmas.

Airfix also released a “working” four cylinder automotive engine about the same time. These are not really “antique“ as I think they can still be found. Current cost is about $45. I built the automotive engine as a commission for a customer about 10 years ago, the tolerances are tight to get it to operate, and it’s really a pain to build.

Neither of these Airfix “Scientific kits“ represented actual aircraft or automotive manufacturers version, and are “generalizations”, unlike the venerable Revell Allison turboprop of ancient history (which was re-released about a year ago under the “Atlantis” label, and can still be had at Hobby Lobby for about $45) Here’s a link to the newer Airfix product release, but it looks like it’s OOP:

https://www.airfix.com/us-en/jet-engine.html

And here’s a link to the much more accurate Atlantis/Revell Turboprop kit at HL:

https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Model-Kits/Aircraft/Prop-Jet-Engine-Model-Kit/p/80973957

VR, Russ

well, at least the rotor barring feature works.