WI: pulsejet invented in 1800s?

The pulsejet is a very simple jet engine with few moving parts. It's most famous use was on V-1 flying bombs of WWII. Later, a valveless pulsejet was designed which was even simpler. This thing is so simple in fact it's nothing more than a metal tube with no moving parts at all. Today amature enthsiastis make them in their garage out of junkyard parts.

It's one of those things which would be invented and made earlier. One use would be for manned flight. The Wright Flier for example could not be made earlier with the technology of the time because they had to wait until the gasoline engine was invented to power it. But the Flier would just as well be powered by pulsejets and we could have flying machines as early as wing design caught up.

For detailed reading on pulsejets:
http://www.pulse-jets.com/

Also search for valveless pulsejet videos on youtube to see them in action.
 
Yes, simple steel pipe is all you need. Plus a way to spray fuel and ignite it. All of this is easily achievable. It could be done a lot earlier actually, but there's not a whole lot of applications for the pulsejet.
 
Plus you could get the initial starting speed from a steam train, they could easily get a speed of 80 MPH on a specially constucted straight section of line.

You would need a large field or perhaps a sandy beach at low tied and probably something like skis to land if you wanted to reuse the thing.
 
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