Rocket Racing League Rocket Racer The Rocket Racing League contracted with XCOR Aerospace to design and build the first generation of Rocket Racers. The Rocket Racer is a logical evolution in the design of XCOR's EZ-Rocket. Next generation vehicles are based on an airframe provided by Velocity of Sebastian, Florida. The Rocket Racing League recently acquired Velocity Aircraft to support the development of the sport. The airframe is modified to carry the XCOR XR-4K14 1,500 pound thrust rocket engine, which burns liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene. The rear seats are removed to accommodate a LOX tank near the center of gravity, and fuel is stored in the strake tanks. XCOR has integrated its new rocket propellant piston pump in the X-Racer that eliminates the need for the pressurized fuel belly tank seen on the EZ-Rocket. The XCOR Rocket Racer Racer features a single engine and a bright kerosene burning plume. Each X-Racer is a single-pilot vehicle with an empty weight of roughly 1,500 lbs and a propellant weight of 1,500 lbs, yielding a gross takeoff weight of 3,000 pounds. The first-generation of Mark-1 Rocket Racers will reach maximum speeds of up to 230 mph. This is limited by airframe safety, not engine power. The XCOR Rocket Racer has the ability to be rapidly refueled, with initial refueling times on the order of 5 to 10 minutes per pit stop. XCOR has developed and demonstrated a new rapid LOX loading procedure for this purpose. The equipment required in each pit will mostly consist of ground handling equipment for the propellants and standard maintenance equipment for the vehicles. XCOR's engines use non-toxic propellants, making them safe to maintain and operate. Each engine incorporates electrical ignition, which may be used to start and stop the engine in flight as often as desired. Race Characteristics The vehicle is capable of approximately 3 1/2 minutes of intermittent engine boost and 15 minutes of unpowered (glide) flight, allowing for 8 to 9 laps around the course between pit stops. Vehicles will launch in a staggered fashion to ensure that vehicles are always airborne. Rocket Racer drivers will be allowed to 'bunch' vehicles under controlled environments throughout the race to enable a race environment and lessons learned. To offer the race fan a true feeling of speed and power, a variety of cameras will follow the race from balloons, chase planes, and the cockpits of vehicles. Viewers will see a 'virtual track' superimposed onto the video feed, similar to a heads up display in a fighter jet. Development Program The first Rocket Racer and its engine have been completed at XCOR's facilities at the Mojave Spaceport in Mojave, CA. The flight test program has been completed with 40 successful rocket powered flights, including three flights under the experimental/exhibition class at EAA Airventure 2008. The takeoff video from flight 5 is shown to the left. In addition, a static test video may be viewed at Wired.com - link
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