List
The British did rocket power with the Gillette Mach3 Challenger two wheeler
in 1999 - an official FIM attempt on the salt.
The oxidant was High Test Peroxide (HTP) - highly concentrated hydrogen
peroxide - and the fuel in the hybrid 'motor' was hydroxyl terminated
polybutadeine (HTPB). HTP, once 'reacted' over a silver screen, could have
been used as a monopropellant but the rubber cores added to the available
thrust. Motors were designed, tested and hand built by Richard Brown.
They were capable of being throttled to a degree for fine control.
The Budweiser rocket car used HTP and then had the hybrid core (that was
dimensionally too short) added and the real clincher for speed for the Hal
Needham funded three wheeler was the 'Sidewinder' solid propellant power
unit behind the drivers head!
Malcolm Pittwood, Derby, England
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