PICTURES PICTURES
Once it was established that Nitrous oxide and Propane was a combustible mixture, a 40 pound thrust engineering test motor was constructed to determine if the propellants would burn in a combustion chamber. This motor is still used to determine procedures and to test combustion chamber materials for the larger flight motors. It is not a flight motor, but a dedicated static test system. The motor is fired horizontally, while observers and cameras are in bunkers.
The 3000 pound thrust Nemesis 1 was originally constructed as a "battleship" static test item. The motor was tested upright, bolted and secured to a massive foundation. A "W" flame deflector was placed directly below the engine. This engine was constructed to verify the injector and combustion chamber, and to verify combustion stability. The photo is tilted because the camera views the test stand in a mirror.
A reevaluation and redesign of the entire vehicle following the static test, provided an opportunity to expend the no longer needed hardware and accomplish a first flight. Fins were strapped to the combustion chamber, and a very short and nearly horizontal launch rail was constructed. The equipment was then thrown on a truck, and hauled to the desert in West Texas for the short but successful first flight. The rocket is seen here leaving the launch rail, and very nearly taking the rail with it. It was launched horizontaly for safety reasons.
The Nemesis 1 is now on static display. Construction is proceeding on larger and more
powerful vehicles.
Construction is now complete on the Nemesis 1A. The vehicle is shown here on it's Barr cart (Irwin Barr) with Richard Bryan. The vehicle is 18 feet overall, with 12 inch diameter
tankage. The empty weight is 500#, with 400# of propellant and a 9 second burn duration. After the engine is static tested, the vehicle will be launched for altitude from a 50 foot rail.
Below the vehicle is shown on the static test stand. The engine is as yet untested as a better test site is needed.
