Jet Funny Car - Real or Model?

[Kruzn]

Is it real or model?

I have the answer but will let you all guess for a while.

[Zen]

Model

[Erik Smith]

Looks like an RC car with some photoshop edits.

[Kruzn]

No photoshop. But it is a 1/4 scale (about 36" long) Radio Control model I built about 25 years ago. Sorry for the poor pics, they are ditigal copies of old color prints.

Scratchbuilt chromemoly tube chassis, O.S. Engines .91 2-stoke nitro engine mated to a ducted fan, plus three solid fuel reloadable rocket boosters. The fan plus three rocket boosters equaled total thrust of 100lbs. We also had a single Aerotech solid fuel engine that was 100lbs by itself (shown mounted below the fan tailpipe in the body-up photo), but we were afraid to use it! Body was a modified fiberglass Pacesetter Corvette. All functions (steering, brakes, throttle and rocket ignition) were handled from the RC transmitter. 

Top speed was estimated at 150mph. It was only run a few times with a couple of those runs resulting in rollover crashes. We determined that even though the car was thrust-driven not wheel-driven, it still needed a rear wing to help keep the rear tires planted at speed.

The car was rebuilt and sold to a private automotive museum in Michigan.