Early Aluminum Cars

My early cars were made of thin wall aluminum tubes. They carried three stainless steel discs for wheels, each having a skateboard bearing pressed into a hole in the center. Later versions had tunable front steering. Besides the rockets on board, that was about the complexity of it. You would tune the front wheel with a screw so that it would track straight, without pulling to the left or right, ignite the rocket and stand back. It was like bowling but with rockets. Although the early cars were made of aluminum, and had very low rolling resistance, they were still relatively heavy for the available thrust. The most available rocket at the time, was an Estes D, or preferably four. Sometimes a booster was placed behind another stage, so that the initial boost would get them rolling before the next stage ignited. Even with this, the uneven surface they ran on was not ideal so they did not cover a lot of ground. Then, we got our hands on some serious rocket engines, E's, F's, and G's, and that was a game changer. Suddenly weight was no longer a concern, but keeping them on the ground would prove to be challenging. These cars were among the more serious entries to run in the Fusion Works Invitational Rocket Race.

T-Sled

The idea was that the rocket thrust would initially send it on its way and while it was coasting, the retro charge would ignite the rocket back pack Mr. T is carrying. This event was the first of many.

The second incarnation of the original "T-Sled", now known as the "Strombecker"

Epic run with heavy damage. Check out the rear wheels and fin. The nose was filled with steel shot for ballast and this ripped right off the car. This was the final run for the "Spirit of Germania" The nose had been repaired many times before, but this chassis is now retired.

T-Sled

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Early Aluminum Cars

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