Here's the latest look at Rocket Raptor Version 3.0
(without the rocket) with Extended Swingarm and a few
additional mods - getting set up for the speed record attempt.
RR 3.0 features a custom ventless nose and front fenders
from Fullbore to help with aerodynamics
Here's
the first firing of the rocket motor with Nitrous & Oxygen
Where
there is smoke, there is fire.
Here's
a look at RR2.0. Click for closer look.
ALBA
ROCKET RAPTOR
Rocket
Video
with added interview footage
June 2004
Terry Wilmeth's Rocket
Raptor was created out of the basic desire to go faster. Terry has long
been a champion drag racer and his Team Alba Racing Raptor more often
than not finishes top in it's class - even without the boost of nitrous.
Then Terry found himself
in possession of an old JATO rocket motor. And like any self respecting
man with a rocket motor, he tried to figure out how to attach it to his
Raptor without killing himself.
After discovering
that solid fuel was really too expensive, he did some research and found
that a relatively inexpensive home-made rocket fuel was Nitrous, Oxygen
and a PVC solid fuel grain.
He's calculated that
he's getting about 300 pounds of boost and likens the acceleration when
he fires the rocket to the feeling that he gets when he gives a regular
hit of nitrous - about 10- 15 HP. However he did say that the feeling
is more like a shove - with the thrust from behind and not the torque
coming from the wheels.
His next version of
the rocket motor will really be something to watch. With four nozzles
for nitrous, for four times the boost. He's had to incorporate a much
larger tank to accommodate the huge demand of nitrous. At present, it
sits on the back of the seat - hidden by bat wings.
On his first attempted
firing, the motor casing gave way - engulfing the bike in a spectacular
flame. Fortunately no one was hurt, the quad is okay, and the 2nd motor
is being rebuilt, new nozzles are being turned and every detail is geting
another look over.
Stay tuned to albaaction.com,
we'll let you know here when the new rocket - R2.0 - is ready
and running. Not so that you can watch, but so that you can
make sure you are far, far away.
UPDATE Feb '05
Terry
Wilmeth has been getting a lot of attention since his Rocket
Raptor was featured in Dirt Wheels April 05 issue
and wanted to make a few comments. First of all, about
those wings...
Terry
said that the interview was conducted about the same time
as the world record quad bike parade event and he had the
wings on their just for fun - giving it more of a Bat Mobile
look. They were originally used to cover up the extra large
nitrous bottle shown on the back of the tank.
The photo's of the Rocket Raptor in it's current
form (above) show an extended swingarm, new aerodynamic plastics
and no bat wings! They were rebuilding the rocket at the time
the photo was taken. They have also switched propellent from
solid PVC to Something akin to solid road tar with bit of
magnesium mixed in for extra bright flame.
