GM Gas Turbine History Quiz

[GMMediumDutyMQ]

So we've all recently seen the turbine-powered EcoJet concept, as well as the gas-turbine powered Firebirds of days gone.

But, how much else do you know about GM's history in gas turbine research?

I'll post the answers on Friday. Good luck!

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1. What was the first vehicle to have a GM gas turbine engine installed?
a) What year was this?
b) What was this vehicle based upon?

2. Firebird I was originally slated to have a gas turbine engine made by what company?

3. What was the code-name given to Firebird I?

4. A near-identical clone of Firebird II was manufactured for a second advanced-propulsion vehicle.
a) What vehicle was this?
b) What form of engine did it have?

4. True or false: Firebird III utilized two engines.

5. Chrysler's head of turbine development was George Hubener. Who was GM's?

6. GM Research Laboratories transfered turbine development for commercial vehicles to which GM division in 1969?

7. How many experimental Firebirds were built? How many survive?

8. How many Turbo-Cruisers were built? (Due to semantics, I'll accept two different answers...)

9. How many Turbo-Titans were built?

10. Was the twin-engined GM Bison concept of 1964 ever built to a running prototype?

11. How many experimental trucks were powered by the GT-309 engine? (Again, semantics force two possible answers...)

12. Starting with the GT-309, what GM-exclusive innovation did GM's truck turbine engines sport? (bonus points for what it mechanically did or what advantage it gave)

13. Which engine was tested in both the GMC Transbus (RTS-3T) and an MCI-7?

14. What 1969 concept car used a modified form of the GT-309?

13. In 1971, GMRL turned again to developing gas turbine engines for what vehicle segment?

14. The engine developed for question 13 were developed with what well-known turbine development company?

15. What was this engine's name?

16. Name a vehicle #15 was installed in.

16. Name two GM concept cars from the last 10 years that utilized gas turbine motors in their powertrain systems.

[plane]

I can't even touch that.

Hopefully, this isn't too OT.
But have you seen or heard about the newest micro-turbines?
Nano-scale gas turbines that spin at crazy speeds, and can be used as power sources?

Could there be a turbine or two in GM's future vehicles?

http://smarteconomy.typepad.com/smar...as_turbin.html

[doh]

Firebird XP-21

a jet airplane on wheels

370 hp Whirlfire Turbo Power

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_Firebird

[GMMediumDutyMQ]

I'll give you the Whirlfire name, albeit it was much like the "Vortec" moniker - it was applied to at least 4 or 5 different turbine engines GM made.

[GMMediumDutyMQ]

Well, here goes...

1. The first GM gas turbine vehicle was the 1956 Turbo-Cruiser I, powered by the GT-300 "Whirlfire" engine. Built from a TDH-4512, the coach was later converted to stock GM Diesel-powered form, and used by a transit authority in Michigan.

2. Firebird I was originally to be powered by a Boeing gas turbine, until directors of the Research Laboratories threw a fit. The GT-302 was then designed for use in the small fuselage of the car.

3. Firebird I's code name was XP-21.

4. The clone of Firebird II was called the XP-500, and externally, only differed in that it didn't have the rear fins or pods, and sported a horizontal grille up front. The car was powered by a free-piston engine as opposed to a gas-turbine unit.

5. True. While Firebird III (XP-73) was powered by a GT-305 engine, it featured an air-cooled, 10-hp two-cylinder gas engine to power all of the car's electricals and accessories.

6. GM's head of turbine development was, for the longest time, William Turunen.

7. In 1969, GMRL transfered commercial vehicle turbine development to the Detroit Diesel division. Allison, having done work on the GT-309's power transfer earlier in the 1960s, was jealous - until the division was soon merged with Detroit Diesel by 1970.

7. There were three Firebirds built and still in existance. However, there almost was a Firebird IV in 1964-65; it was re-built to become the 1969 Buick Century Cruiser concept.

8. There were 5 Turbo-Cruiser buses built. However, Turbo-Cruiser II and Turbo-Cruiser III were built off the same bus, TDH-5303A # 001.

9. There were 3 Turbo-Titan trucks built. Turbo-Titan III was the only one to sport conceptualized styling.

10. The Bison was only a full-sized mockup vehicle; it never ran with the GT-309 engine as was promised.

11. Trucks that were equipped with the GT-309 included:

-TurboCruiser II
-TurboCruiser III
-Rapid Transit Experimental (RTX)
-GMC Astro 95 Turbine (1969)

As GM claimed it was so equipped, the Bison could also be lumped into this group.

12. The GT-309 was equipped with PowerTransfer, a viscous-clutch coupling between the gasifier shaft and power output shaft of the turbine engine. Developed by Allison in the early 1960s, this gave the engine nearly 4 or 5 times the engine braking power of a conventional diesel engine.

An engineer who drove the Turbo-Titan III through the Rocky Mountains claimed that, having put the transmission in low gearing, the truck had enough engine braking to control the loaded vehicle on steep downgrades - without using the service brakes.

13. Both the GMC Transbus (RTS-3T) and an MCI-7 used the GT-404 engine, as well as Turbo-Cruiser IV.

14. The 1969 Astro III three-wheeled concept car used a modified form of the GT-309.

13. In 1971, GMRL turned to developing gas turbine engines for light passenger vehicles - something that was neglected after the advent of Firebird III.

14. GMRL used the know-how of Williams Research Corporation for the new....

15. ....GT-225 engine for small-car use.

16. While there may have been others that were so equipped, the GT-225 was installed in a '72 Impala.

16. Three GM concepts over the last twenty years that have used gas turbine motors include:

-1987 Chevrolet Express
-EV1 Series Hybrid Concept
-GM/ Leno EcoJet

[rhvfd10]

Neat! Thank you.

[MCGARRETT]

Out of curiosity, since I totally missed this when it was originally posted..

Do you have any pics of the concepts and engines?