pulsejet engine

A pulsejet engine (also known as simply a "pulsejet") is a kind of jet engine. Its first significant use was as the propulsion system of Germany's V-1 missile, also known as the "buzz-bomb", due to the characteristically loud sound of the pulsejet.

The simplest version of the pulsejet consists essentially of a metal tube (acting as the combustion chamber), a fuel injector, and a reed valve.

Due to the simplicity of the design, interested hobbyists can build their own pulsejet engine.

The pulsejet gets its characteristic sound not from the volume, but from the way in which they operate. Essentially ramjets, pulsejets distinguish themselves by not burning fuel continuously. Instead, they burn fuel explosively in order to maximize engine output. This produces a unique, well, buzzing sound. The main drawback to pulsejets is that this method of fuel burn also produces serious vibration damage to the engine.