STEAM ROCKET Books

This 112 page book was written by the late Jim Humphreys and F.B. Wagner III in 1972.  It was published by Jim.   Some time ago, his wife Nicki gave me all the rights to publish this and Jim's other Rocket books.  Nicki doesn't even want a royalty on the sales.  She is worried that having her name legally or financially connected to the publications in any way could possibly result in personal liability to her in the event some steam rocket mishap occurs that injures people or damages property.  (Right on!  No longer is it the idiot's fault who didn't take strict precautions - it has to be the fault of the writer who disseminates basic information.  One more reason I passionately hate 99.9% of all blood-sucking lawyers.   Nicki WILL get anonymous financial gifts from time to time that may just happen to equal 15% of Jim's rocket book sales!  Also note the original book was all 5" by 7" pages.  These books are 8.5" by 11" pages enlarged on a  copy machine.  They are not printed.  Jim's originals are long lost and this is the best quality I can supply.)

The Steam Rockets-2 book contains 45 illustrations and 22 photos (black and white only).  Eighteen pages are devoted to the Evel Knievel's X-1 Skycycle and its Truax steam rocket motor.

When I first started EMailing back and forth with Juan Manual Lozano in Mexico, I found out he never heard of this book.   I made a copy for him and sent it to him as a gift back in March of 1998.    We have sold over 50 copies - entirely through Lozano making it known!  This Internet is amazing!  All from the following little comment by Juan on his web site: www.tecaeromex.com/

"I want to thank Douglas Malewicki that gift me the book "Steam Rockets 2" by B.J. Humphreys, a paraplegic man that loved the rockets and compiled most of the information about many kinds of rockets, this to my knowledge this is the only book published about this kind of rockets.
I receive many inquires for this book, please go to the links menu and go direct to the Doug´s page and ask him for a copy."

Yes, Jim had muscular dystrophy and in later life was confined to a wheel chair.  Among other things, Jim set the world's land speed record for rocket powered wheel chairs in a special rig with stabilizing outriggers and a parachute!!

   112 pages of information on Steam Rockets

 (includes 18 pages of photos and drawings of the
Evel Kneivel SkyCycle X-1 created by Doug Malewicki)

Jim's STEAM ROCKETS-2 sells for $34.95 plus shipping and handling. 

GO TO THE CanoSOARus.com ORDER PAGE

The Bob Truax Steam Rocket technical booklet

Truax's 20 page AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) paper is more technically focused.  The booklet gives practical knowledge on nozzle sizing, etc. in simple to use parametric charts so you won't have to resort to using complicated equations.  Bob has given me permission to reprint and sell his publication.

Truax is the inventor of the steam rocket and he has received several patents on the steam rocket.  Bob is still going strong at age 84!  He is currently busy working on the third phase of a government contract to build a simple, low cost 10 million pound thrust liquid rocket motor.  The first stage of the Saturn V, which sent our men to the moon, used a cluster of five 1.5 million pound thrust motors (7.5 million pounds of thrust total)!  Truax's new motor does not gimbal, nor does it have expensive turbopumps to feed the fuel into the combustion chamber.  It uses pressure exactly like the little rocket belt.  Full reusability, fast turnaround, and Truax's choice of low cost liquid oxygen/kerosene propellants is just what this country needs for low cost access to space.

20 pages with four important steam charts for estimating performance and sizing nozzles. 

Includes a nozzle and fin drawing and tips for making both. has several pictures - including Bob Truax's 1960's concept for a man carrying altitude steam powered rocket - way before SpaceShipOne!

Bob's "Hot Water Rockets, development and applications" booklet
sells for $12.95 plus shipping and handling.

GO TO THE CanoSOARus.com ORDER PAGE
or go back to
X-1Skycycle
CONTENTS
or