The Rocket Racing League (New York, N.Y.) conducted the inaugural flight of its trademarked Rocket Racer aircraft on July 29, captivating hundreds of thousands of visitors at the EAA's AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis. The pilot, two-time NASA Shuttle commander Rick Searfoss, ignited the Rocket Racer's engine and took to the skies above Oshkosh for 10-minute flight demonstrations that required only intermittent firing of the powerful engine (15 to 35 seconds of burn time) to perform aerobatic moves that included a 90 deg turn and several rolls. Additional flights took place on Aug. 1 and 2. The exhibitions were designed to give potential fans a sneak peek at what the organization's proposed racing series will look like. The rocket-powered craft is based on a home-built, canard-design composite airframe kit produced by Velocity Inc. (Sebastian, Fla.) that is outfitted with an XGOR Aerospace LOX engine capable of 1,500 1b of thrust.
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