How to Design, Build, and Test Small Liquid-Fuel Rocket Engines

by Leroy J. Krzycki

A classic text for experimental and "amateur" rocket scientists, engineers, and technicians. Written especially for people who want to build their own rocket motors, from scratch, this is a superior "how to do it in your garage or workshop" kind of book. We know of no other similar texts. As the author says: "With proper design, careful workmanship, and good test equipment operating in a safe manner, the amateur can build small liquid-fuel rocket engines which have hours of operating life. The purpose of this publication is to provide the serious amateur builder with design information, fabrication procedures, text equipment requirements, and safe operating procedures." The book takes you, one step at a time, through the entire process, from start to finish. It begins with an excellent introduction to rocket engine design principles, explaining DeLaval nozzles, gas velocities, propellant types and characteristics (including pressurized gaseous oxygen), performance factors, and related calculations. The text focuses on a simple yet effective rocket motor that uses gaseous oxygen (in the kind of tanks used by welders everywhere, and readily available everywhere) and a hydrocarbon fuel (such as gasoline or alcohol). Incidentally, this is exactly the kind of propellant system that was used by the first rocket scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of Cal Tech! Finally, you'll learn how the build a simple but effective (and safe) rocket test stand, and how to run the motor safely. There are details about engine check-out and calibration, leak testing, flow calibration, and test stand checkout. Ignition and operation are explained (he suggests a simple spark gap, using two wires). There's a step-by-step check list taking you through 18 steps to operate your rocket engine. And the bibliography gives you additional references for further research. Hard to find and now out-of-print, the report is quality bound, for a key place in your library or research files.

73 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read. However, I think I will leave the rocket engine experimentation to the rocket scientists.

[Badal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun small read. It is like a summary of overview.