The very workmanlike KP-500 fuel pump includes priming valve and neat alloy mount.KingTech’s manuals really are first class, covering almost
every question imaginable in clear and concise English.AUTHOR & PHOTOGRAPHER:COLIN STRAUS
advantages, including the option of auto
restart or glider restart modes, as well as
having the useful feature that the radio can
be turned off as soon as the turbine has been
shut down, as the new software will continue
the cooling cycle until the temperature of the
turbine drops below 100° Centigrade, at
which point it will automatically switch off.
Installing the engine onto the test stand took
no time at all, and with the various connec-
tions made the fuel line was primed (very
straightforward to do with the new software
and touchscreen of the GSU), and the K-120
was ready for its first start.
I have found that all the recent tests I have
carried out on KingTech turbines have resul-
ted in almost immediate starts at the first
attempt, and the K-120G2 proved to be no
exception, igniting very quickly and then pro-
gressing through the ramp process without
fuss and with almost no flaming evident
during the process – a few small licks of
flame are to be expected with almost any tur-
bine start, but these were almost completely
absent during that of the K-120G2. The few
air bubbles emerging from the filter as it filled
fully with fuel caused no problems and the
engine was soon running at idle ready for
testing to commence. The start time was sli-
ghtly longer than I have become used to with
other Kingtech turbines, at just over 1 minute;
although this did reduce slightly when subse-
quent starts were made whilst the engine was
still warm.
With the engine happily running at idle I was
able to start the testing, and this again proved
both quick and easy, with no problems detec-
ted, it being very straightforward to get the
engine to the required rpm points throughout
the range, which were then held very steadi-
ly without any hunting. The K-120G2 proved
to run very smoothly with almost no vibration
detectable at any point in the rpm range.King Tech_Layout 1 07/03/18 12.09 Pagina 4