Slideshow for Construction Gallery

The X-Racer started out life as a standard propeller driven Velocity SE with primer white paint. Date: 08/10/2009

Canard Pushers make perfect rocket planes due to the thrust location being unchanged for the rocket. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

This is the old panel that would be removed. Date: 08/10/2009

The SE had four leather seats. The rear two would be removed to make room for the liquid oxygen tank. the front two seats would be converted to hard seats to accomodate parachutes. Date: 08/10/2009

Mouser the shop cat inspects the new interior volume. Date: 08/10/2009

Engine sans cowl. The engine was removed and shipped back to Rocket Racing for installation on their training aircraft. Date: 08/10/2009

Three canard planes: EZ-Rocket, Velocity and a Cozy. The Cozy as well as the E-Racer were brief airframe considerations for the X-Racer. Date: 08/10/2009

The Velocity, ready to be stripped down to bare bones. Date: 08/10/2009

Installing the rocket thrust structure that would also serve as the mounting for all the rocket related plumbing and hardware. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

Chief engineer Dan DeLong contemplates the first engine prototype. Date: 08/10/2009

The engine at the end of the thrust structure, shown with the XCOR bi-propellant fuel valve held in place. Date: 08/10/2009

Dan and the engine. Date: 08/10/2009

High pressure drive gas tanks temporarily held in place. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

Doug Jones and Dan DeLong discuss hardware placement. Date: 08/10/2009

The windows are sealed to protect them. Date: 08/10/2009

Filler and foam blocks are used to create a shape from which to form the mold. It looks ugly now, but go to the next image... Date: 08/10/2009

Voila! Carved to pleasing aerodynamic shape! Date: 08/10/2009

Once the foam is glassed over, the entire thing is removed from the plane. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

The plug is touched up before creating the mold. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

Tank mold. Date: 08/10/2009

One half of the tank mold. Date: 08/10/2009

Checking the finished cowling. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

The cowl is fit checked on the Racer. Looks great! Date: 08/10/2009

The rear window has been reduced and a large hole cut in the roof to accomodate the spherical LOX tank. Date: 08/10/2009

Reuben and Derek fitting the spherical LOX tank into the rear of the Racer cabin. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

Mark Street testing the LOX tank at temperature using liquid nitrogen. Date: 08/10/2009

The purpose of this test was to observe thermal cycling in the attach structure. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

The truss and LOX tank were moved to the firewall test stand. Date: 08/10/2009

in this way testing of the engine could continue parallel with the airframe modification. Date: 08/10/2009

Brandon Woodworth, Mark Street, Dan DeLong and Aleta Jackson discuss valve placement. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

Truss bolted to the firewall test stand. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

Firewall test stand and EZ-Rocket in background. Date: 08/10/2009

Mark Street works on the firewall stand. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

The EFIS navigation system on the test bench. The EFIS firmware was modified especially for the X-Racer. Date: 08/10/2009

After testing, the engine system was bolted back on to the plane. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

Work on the plane is nearing the point at which it will be ready for static testing. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

Completed control panel, with EFIS, video monitoring and traditional analog gauges. Date: 08/10/2009

Prepping for final paint - we built a paint booth in the hangar. Date: 08/10/2009

Date: 08/10/2009

The X-Racer with its completed decal scheme, at AirVenture. For more flight photos, visit the flight galleries! Date: 08/10/2009

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	The X-Racer started out life as a standard propeller driven Velocity SE with primer white paint. Date: 08/10/2009 Canard Pushers make perfect rocket planes due to the thrust location being unchanged for the rocket. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 This is the old panel that would be removed. Date: 08/10/2009 The SE had four leather seats. The rear two would be removed to make room for the liquid oxygen tank. the front two seats would be converted to hard seats to accomodate parachutes. Date: 08/10/2009 Mouser the shop cat inspects the new interior volume. Date: 08/10/2009 Engine sans cowl. The engine was removed and shipped back to Rocket Racing for installation on their training aircraft. Date: 08/10/2009 Three canard planes: EZ-Rocket, Velocity and a Cozy. The Cozy as well as the E-Racer were brief airframe considerations for the X-Racer. Date: 08/10/2009 The Velocity, ready to be stripped down to bare bones. Date: 08/10/2009 Installing the rocket thrust structure that would also serve as the mounting for all the rocket related plumbing and hardware. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Chief engineer Dan DeLong contemplates the first engine prototype. Date: 08/10/2009 The engine at the end of the thrust structure, shown with the XCOR bi-propellant fuel valve held in place. Date: 08/10/2009 Dan and the engine. Date: 08/10/2009 High pressure drive gas tanks temporarily held in place. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Doug Jones and Dan DeLong discuss hardware placement. Date: 08/10/2009 The windows are sealed to protect them. Date: 08/10/2009 Filler and foam blocks are used to create a shape from which to form the mold. It looks ugly now, but go to the next image... Date: 08/10/2009 Voila! Carved to pleasing aerodynamic shape! Date: 08/10/2009 Once the foam is glassed over, the entire thing is removed from the plane. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 The plug is touched up before creating the mold. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Tank mold. Date: 08/10/2009 One half of the tank mold. Date: 08/10/2009 Checking the finished cowling. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 The cowl is fit checked on the Racer. Looks great! Date: 08/10/2009 The rear window has been reduced and a large hole cut in the roof to accomodate the spherical LOX tank. Date: 08/10/2009 Reuben and Derek fitting the spherical LOX tank into the rear of the Racer cabin. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Mark Street testing the LOX tank at temperature using liquid nitrogen. Date: 08/10/2009 The purpose of this test was to observe thermal cycling in the attach structure. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 The truss and LOX tank were moved to the firewall test stand. Date: 08/10/2009 in this way testing of the engine could continue parallel with the airframe modification. Date: 08/10/2009 Brandon Woodworth, Mark Street, Dan DeLong and Aleta Jackson discuss valve placement. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Truss bolted to the firewall test stand. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Firewall test stand and EZ-Rocket in background. Date: 08/10/2009 Mark Street works on the firewall stand. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 The EFIS navigation system on the test bench. The EFIS firmware was modified especially for the X-Racer. Date: 08/10/2009 After testing, the engine system was bolted back on to the plane. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Work on the plane is nearing the point at which it will be ready for static testing. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Completed control panel, with EFIS, video monitoring and traditional analog gauges. Date: 08/10/2009 Prepping for final paint - we built a paint booth in the hangar. Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 Date: 08/10/2009 The X-Racer with its completed decal scheme, at AirVenture. For more flight photos, visit the flight galleries! Date: 08/10/2009 [-] Stop Pause Back One Image Show More Info delay: direction: max size: Copyright © 2013 XCOR Aerospace, Inc. Privacy Policy \| Terms of Use