Young Romanian inventor makes international headlines with jet engine on mountain bike

The invention of a young Romanian got the attention of the British press and earned him the comparison to the famous Romanian inventor Henri Coanda. The 19-year old Romanian Raul Oaida invented a propulsion system which can be easily installed on two – wheeled vehicles. He installed the engine on his personal bike, which can now reach a speed of 41 kilometers per hour. Oaida built the engine in three years, by using his own money, as well as sponsorships. It cost him EUR 5,000, and most of it came from foreigners who choose to help him and donated money to his project. Oaida, based in Transylvania, “was following in the footsteps of his fellow Romanian Henri Coanda, a famed inventor,” according to the Daily Mail. More about the story here. Oaida's engine, with a capacity of five liters, is fueled by a mix similar to kerosene: gas and synthetic oil. At highest speed, the bike eats up a liter of fuel per minute. The young Romanian inventor, who has just finished high school but chose not to continue with University spends his time in his workshop and hopes to hit it big with his next invention. He said he has higher ambitions than going to University, as he did not want to lose three years. It is not the first time Raul Oaida has made international headlines. In March 2012, the Huffington Post reported about Oaida's Lego replica of a space shuttle sent to space. He teamed up with Australian space buff Steven Sammartino and together sent a giant helium balloon, camera, GPS and Lego shuttle from a field in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany. The craft made it 22 miles into space. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Radu Oaida's Tweeter account)