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The XCOR EZ-Rocket is a test platform for the XCOR rocket propulsion system. The plane is a modified Long-EZ, with the propeller replaced by a pair of pressure-fed regeneratively cooled liquid-fuelled rocket engines and an underslung rocket-fuel tank. The engines are restartable in flight, and are contained within Kevlar armour shielding for safety reasons.
The vehicle takes off on rockets, gains altitude for a minute or so, then switches off the rockets and glides to a 'dead stick' landing.
Vehicle specification
- Two 400 lbf (1.8 kN) thrust rocket engines (non throttleable, restartable in flight)
- 20 sec 500m takeoff roll
- Vne = 195kt
- climb rate = 52m/s (10,000 ft/min)
- maximum altitude = 10,000 ft
- Fuel : isopropyl alcohol and liquid oxygen
- Chamber pressure : ~ 350 psi
- specific impulse : 250 to 270 seconds
Records
The vehicle holds the distance record for a ground-launched rocket powered aircraft. It travelled from Mojave to California City in just under 10 minutes in 2005.
Miscellaneous
The vehicle actually flies better during 'dead stick'/glide landings than a Long-EZ due to lack of drag from a stationary pusher prop- the vehicle's aerodynamics are 'cleaner', in spite of belly tank. It is also lighter due to the lack of an internal combustion engine (the rocket propulsion system is significantly lighter), so enjoys significantly lower wing loading than a stock Long-EZ.
Derivatives
The Rocket Racing League aircraft in development is a design decendant of the EZ-Rocket aircraft. The RRL aircraft will use a Long-EZ descended airframe (the Velocity Aircraft airframe) as the basic airframe, with new rocket engines burning kerosene instead of isopropyl alcohol fuel. XCOR has used both design and operational experience from the EZ-Rocket in the RRL rocket aircraft design.
External links
See also
"XCOR EZ-Rocket"