Rocket racer is 'go' for show

Posted: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 12:30 PM by Alan Boyle

Mike D'Angelo / Rocket Racing League ®

Click for video: Watch the Armadillo-powered
rocket plane take off for a test flight in Oklahoma.

After mere months of development time, the Rocket Racing League's Armadillo-powered racing plane has gotten the Federal Aviation Administration's go-ahead to show its stuff in 20 places around the country.

Don't expect to see a rocket showdown in a sky near you just yet, however: The league won't start its "exhibition season" until next year, and honest-to-goodness races are slated to begin in 2010.

The latest chapter in the Rocket Racing League's three-year-long saga came to light today, when the league reported that it has received an experimental exhibition certificate from the FAA for its latest-generation rocket racer. The league has flown two other rocket planes before, both powered by engines from California-based XCOR Aerospace. But this year the league decided to go a different route, switching over to Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace as its engine provider.

Armadillo's alcohol-fueled, 2,500-pound-thrust engine was installed in a Velocity XL-5 airframe and went through its first flight tests less than two months ago. The league's co-founder and chief executive officer, Granger Whitelaw, said the FAA certificate was issued last Wednesday, and he praised the agency as well as the airplane development team for moving so efficiently through the process.

"This is a historic milestone," Whitelaw told me. "The time for this program was about eight months, which is outstanding. It's incredibly significant that we have a rocket-powered plane, a rocket-powered anything that has an experimental certificate for more than 20 venues."

The certificate gives clearance for the plane to be flown from airports ranging from New York to California. Among the venues are:

Sheboygan Field as well as Oshkosh's EAA AirVenture show in Wisconsin..
Las Vegas, Nellis Air Force Base and the Reno Air Races in Nevada.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Mojave Air and Space Port and Moffett Field in California.
Jacksonville and St. Petersburg in Florida.
Las Cruces International Airport in New Mexico.
New York Air Show at Jones Beach, Long Island.
Maguire Air Force Base in New Jersey.
Sikorsky Field in Connecticut.
Lake Front Airport in Detroit, Mich.
Caddo Mills Airport, Majors Airport in Greenville, Grayson County Airport and San Antonio in Texas.
Oklahoma Spaceport at Burns Flat.

Whitelaw said eight of those venues would be selected for next year's exhibition season. "We're trying to cover as much of the breadth of motor sports enthusiasts, and of air show enthusiasts and technology enthusiasts, as we can," he said.

He said the league's plan called for the rocket plane production line to gear up by February - with two to four planes ready to fly at the Oshkosh show next July, and as many as six planes in the air by the end of next year. "I'll probably do an event in June or July," he said. "That will probably be live-to-tape TV."

Whitelaw also hinted that the league might be coming out next year with rocket-powered "vertical drag racers," which would shoot straight up in a contest of raw speed. Armadillo Aerospace's founder, video-game millionaire John Carmack, has long talked about setting up vertical drag racing as a new sport.

One thing that came through in Whitelaw's comments is that he's working on an even closer relationship with Armadillo: For example, Whitelaw had at one point been talking about demonstrating the Armadillo rocket racer during next week's International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight in Las Cruces, N.M. Now those plans are off, and Whitelaw said one reason was that Armadillo is focusing on its third bid to win a six-figure or seven-figure prize in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. That contest takes place in Las Cruces right after the symposium.

"We need to focus on winning the Lunar Lander Challenge," Whitelaw said.

"We"? Yes, Whitelaw said "we." Does that hint at a more formal financial relationship in the future? Earlier this year, the Rocket Racing League acquired Velocity Aircraft, which is building the airframes for the rocket racers. So I had to ask Whitelaw whether a similar deal was in the works with Armadillo.

"No comment," Whitelaw answered.

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Comments

I still don't understand the logic of rocket racing, not to mention the obvious safety hazards. We've had jet aircraft for over 50 years. Yet, jets have only been on display at airshows (and occasionally crash). Why haven't we had NASCAR-like jet racers in the past? Jets may be slower than rockets but they are still spectacular. Safety, of course, is an issue because rocket racers will surely crash into each other or crash land, just as earth-bound NASCARs do today. But I do admire the technology and await the advent of rocket plane transportation.

John J. Corbin, Fort Worth, Texas (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 1:20 PM)

I saw the Rocket Racer up close at the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual Airventure air show in Oshkosh, WI this summer. What I found to be odd was it was sponsored by DKNY (Donna Karan New York). I never would have put fashion together with aviation.

Personally, I did not find the demonstration all that exciting, but I do support pushing the limits in technology. In these depressing times it would be nice to get back to a time when we are innovative and come together for a common goal. If there are still organizations out there that have the capital to support such ventures, we should be grateful.

I am too young to have been part of the first moon landing, but was able to appreciate the first shuttle launch. These are the events that make Americans proud and prove we can be leaders in technology around the world.

Carol, WI (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 1:26 PM)

Nellis AFB is in Nevada, not California.

[ALAN ADDS: Thanks, Greg, I slavishly followed the press release and thus deserved to make an error. Nellis is so close to Vegas that it's almost like counting it twice.]

Greg (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 2:47 PM)

Good Reporting, Nice little tidbit at the end. Not that it means anything, though I don't doubt that he would like to acquire AA.

Dan, traverse city, Mi (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 3:43 PM)

The whole concept of rocket racing is really kinda silly. I assume that their target audence is the bloodthirsty sector that goes to races in hopes of getting to see a crash with bodies flying all over the place. I'm certain that they will not be disappointed! These things are flying bombs/coffins at best. All that's lacking is a super-aggressive, narcissistic pilot with no regard for the safety of the other "racers" or his own and there you have it - the flying version of the WWF (or whatever they call it these days). Sounds like a real class-act for Vegas. Pretty pathetic.

JP, Boulder, CO (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 4:24 PM)

>I assume that their target audence is the >bloodthirsty sector that goes to races in hopes of >getting to see a crash with bodies flying all over >the place.

JP, you don't understand flying, do you? The target audience for the RRL are those of us who not only will enjoy the raw power embodied in these sleek, innovative aircraft, but the incredible piloting skills that will be on display (energy management, fuel management, extreme precision flight, etc.).

Just remember, please, that you *don't* have to watch, or pay any attention to it at all if you don't want to, or if that makes you feel superior. The rest of us will be too busy marveling at the show.

--A.G. Pym

A.G. Pym (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 5:19 PM)

While I agree that rocket racing may be a little silly, I don't know that it will be much more dangerous than current air races (a la Reno Air Show). They've been racing P-51's for years at 400+ mph.

Tim, Claremont, CA (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 7:57 PM)

I don't remember hearing why RRL switched from XCOR to Armadillo? I thought they were going to have both motors competing side by side? XCOR spent a lot of time working with RRL developing its motor and rocketplane and then for some reason RRL dumps them for Armadillo?

[ALAN ADDS: Yes, that does seem strange, and there are probably some behind-the-scenes factors at work. Whitelaw has spoken about how important safety, reliability and reusability are in a racing environment ... and the subtext for that may be a dissatisfaction with the way the XCOR operates somehow. But I haven't really picked up on anything wrong with XCOR's engine. Of course, this is rocket science, so generally speaking, there are probably times when a rocket engine doesn't work exactly right. But I haven't heard anything indicating that was a huge problem. It could be that there are business considerations ... for example, how much XCOR was being paid, or the fact that XCOR really wants to get focused on its Lynx project. Meanwhile, as I mentioned at the tail end of the item, the RRL may be contemplating some sort of financial deal with its engine provider, and maybe that deal wasn't a good fit for XCOR. I have no inside information on this issue, it's just a guess based on trying to figure out the dynamics here.]

Peter, Portland, OR (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 9:19 PM)

Why no love? Sounds neat to me, if they want to spend their money on rocket planes and race them go for it. I do ask they do it over water or some unpopulated area. If they crash, hey that's a risk they take. Just don't take anyone else with ya!

Joe, Tampa, FL (Sent Tuesday, October 14, 2008 9:56 PM)

Hey A.G. Pym,

I've been a pilot all my life and I know a deathtrap when I see it. Folks like you, who haven't actually done anything like this, are easily "wowed" by this kind of thing & I wish you all the best. As for me, it's a huge "yawn".

JP Boulder CO (Sent Wednesday, October 15, 2008 6:05 AM)

Alan, found the answer to our question on www.personalspaceflight.info

Written by Jeff Foust
"Since then, though, there have been some interesting—perhaps even odd—developments, namely the RRL’s decision to go solely with the alternative engine developed by Armadillo Aerospace, and tested in late August and early September. RRL co-founder Granger Whitelaw said that XCOR’s engine, which by all accounts performed well at Oshkosh and in previous tests, did not meet the RRL’s “standards of safety, reliability, reusability, and performance”, according to one press account. That’s puzzled many observers, given XCOR’s good reputation as a developer of a number of safe and successful rocket engines."

Peter, Portland, OR (Sent Wednesday, October 15, 2008 4:10 PM)

WOW! Somebody ( or a few somebody's ) need some coffee and a happy pill.

This is an amazingly exciting sport, integrating various technologies to bring something new to the world of Sports and hopefully advancements in many things for society ( Like Auto racing has done over the last 60 years ) thru its technologies, testing and advancements. This applies to GA, Space and other transportation sectors.

It takes a bit more than a reactive view.. st back and learn.. then you might "get it" and the deeper business being built here.

Alan.... WOW... some pretty far fetched thought processes on RRL and its business plans.
JP.. I am sure they would let you fly it if you think you can handle one..... but I don't think you'll have the guts to show up.... YAN.. all talk no action.. 'eh?

Rick Semmell (Sent Wednesday, October 15, 2008 5:56 PM)

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