Greg, Thank you for your interesting reply on the initial usage of
nitrous
oxide ....... and nitromethane . The books you mention sound very
interesting,
and while I don' t think I have any books that are specifically on these
subjects,
I know there are quite a few articles on both these oxygen sources in many of
my magazines and annuals from years gone by . An issue of HOT ROD from
1951 or ' 52 had one of the first articles on this that I read ....... I
recall the
title was " Nitro - The Poor Man' s Supercharger ". There are also some
articles that touch on the use of hydrazine ....... what nasty stuff it was,
and
how it should only be used in vehicles that have fins and travel vertically
.........
not in vehicles with wheels that usually run on a horizontal path . I
believe
some of the early Merc Comet original funny cars played around with this
volatile fuel, back when Fran Hernandez was associated with them . It didn'
t
take NHRA long to put the kybosh on this rocket fuel, and my very good pal
Jack Eaton, Ed' s younger brother, who lives across the Sound from me on Long
Island, and still comes to our New England rod meets in the chopped deuce
three window he built almost FIFTY years ago, was on the NHRA certificaton
team
in the 50s and 60s, and he handled the fuel check end of things . Jack has
some wonderful stories of the guys he caught cheating ...... several of whom
were the
biggest names in their classes ...... and a fire he got burned in at the
Nationals, and a guy who spoke to him at a local drag reunion this June, and
is STILL MAD AT HIM for disqualifying his record setting run, for illegal
fuel in his tank ..... in the
EARLY 60s !!! ....... talk about holding a grudge !
To switch topics ....... how is your twin boom lakester ( or liner ? )
coming
along ....... can you give us an update on this project, which should be a
real
head turner, and a sort of reincarnation of Howard Johansen' s twin belly
tanker
of yesteryear ...... a very unique machine for then or now !!!
I hope you will be among the list members on the salt, and at the bend
.......
Thanks again for the aero history nitrous / nitro info ........ much
appreciated !
Bruce ( the BDF in the Northern Hemisphere )
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