Rocket Racing League?!?

[First time Juke]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

Could a rocket power aided Bear pass twice those little rockets / lap ?

[MRussell]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

Could a rocket power aided Bear pass twice those little rockets / lap ?

Probably just a nitrous-aided Bear could lap them.

[Unregistered]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

Somebody has been in the resin fumes a LITTLE too long. Phuket time to go turbo prop in the unlimited class!!! Anyone got a TU-95 Bear engine to stuff in Strega?

[Stevo]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

"Diamandis said the rockets would fly at speeds of 200 to 300 mph"

Yeah, I don't think the Bear would even NEED nitrous if that's the speeds they are going to be running

[Propellerhead]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

"Diamandis said the rockets would fly at speeds of 200 to 300 mph"

Yeah, I don't think the Bear would even NEED nitrous if that's the speeds they are going to be running

Nitrous? Hell, the Bear could run with the fuel out of the Exxon truck and stomp 'em!!!

Rob

[Unregistered]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

I think the top contenders in the sport class could enter and put the rocket league in its place.

Jeshuran

[MRussell]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

I stand corrected in my speculation... no nitrous needed for RB. That's what I get for not reading the whole press release.

[Blue Foam]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

Instead of "Gentlemen, you have a race", all contestants will be required by the rules to say, "Hold ma beer and watch this..."

(Please forgive me, this is not a complimentary post to these organizers...)

You know, this falls into the catagory of being so far gone that I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

1. Rockets are neither cheap nor safe per hour of operation. We think unlimited engines are marginally reliable, rocket engines measure life between service in seconds! The Russian NK-33 is considered by many as the high end record holder at 14,000 seconds. That's less than 4 hours.

2. Rockets make every other prime movers fuel consumption seem miserly. Not only are they inefficient, we now add the weight and volume of the oxidizer. I can see these "pit stops" causing as many accidents as everything else combined. Can anyone see the inherent conflict between a safe approach and a pit stop entry under the constraint of a winning time? I wouldn't be on that fueling crew either. Much like the fact that more Me 163's were lost in fueling accidents than to combat. The only thing that makes other motorsport fuel stops marginally safe is the fact that only fuel is spilling. Now we get to add an energetic oxidizer...

3. Doesn't sound like much action too close to the fans. If I have to watch it on a palm, why not just stay at home and see it on the web. Of course, then we wouldn't pay very much for it.

4. "High G turns..." IN AN EZE?!?!?!?!!!!! ROTFLMAO!!!

5. Speed sells. The entire Unlimited Silver, Gold, and the top Sport Class guys would all run circles around these things including the envisioned next generation.

Bottom line, it's so starry eyed that it scares me. To anyone who has ever come to me with an idea for a racing venue or series, I have always recommended they go buy and race a go-kart for a season to simply understand what racing really is and what it takes. To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever taken this advice and all of these ideas have faded.

What are the most common last words of a hilbilly? "Hey guys, watch this!"

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

What are the most common last words of a hilbilly? "Hey guys, watch this!"

Heard this directly from a "Southern Aviator" at Sun'nFun a few years ago..

"Most common last words of a southern aviator?

Hey y'all..... watch this!!"

LOL...

[John]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

What are the most common last words of a hilbilly? "Hey guys, watch this!"

Lol!!!!! ...yup, more true than you'll ever know!

[Leo]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

And the popular "Hold my beer and watch this"...
They say 200-300 mph. Is'nt that close to it's normal speeds with a little four banger sipping fuel? For all you're giving up, range, comfort, safety, what is the benefit of a rocket powered EZE except noise, and possibly climb?
Some experiments and developments are cool, but soooo impractical.

[speeddemon]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

Small picture in the 10/10 Seattle Post Intelligencer (page A2) of one of the rocket powered Long EZ's undergoing a flight test in New Mexico. Doesn't say much, but it was something....

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

Small picture in the 10/10 Seattle Post Intelligencer (page A2) of one of the rocket powered Long EZ's undergoing a flight test in New Mexico. Doesn't say much, but it was something....

I received some photos and art from the association along with a press release last week... I've been buried in Nellis stuff so have not gotten to publishing it..

I will try to get it up in the next day or two.

Wayne

[Unregistered]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

I've had copies of videos of the EZ-Rocket in flight for a couple of years now. Pics and videos can be seen at http://www.xcor.com

[Apteryx]

Re: Rocket Racing League?!?

Dumb-ass-idea, addendum-
How about equiping them with Flux-capacitors, so the the first one that arrives, the earliest before the race, wins...