PASSING GRADE EZ-ROCKET COMPLETES FIRST ROUND OF TESTS.

Byline: Daily News

MOJAVE - Xcor Aerospace said it completed the first phase of its flight test program for the EZ-Rocket, which it calls the first privately built rocket-powered airplane.

Made from a Rutan Long-EZ aircraft fitted with twin 400-pound thrust rocket engines, the EZ-Rocket took off Wednesday from the Mojave Airport and flew to an altitude of 6,200 feet before gliding back to Earth.

``I ignited one engine and the crew said everything looked good, so I lit the second engine and we started moving,'' said Xcor test pilot Dick Rutan, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who flew the Voyager aircraft around the world unrefueled in 1986.

The flight test program passed its first milestone by flying with both engines for an engine run time of 96 seconds and total flight time of five minutes and 20 seconds, Xcor Aerospace said. The plane made its first flight in July.

On the Wednesday flight, Rutan said the plane took off 1,200 feet down the runway and rapidly accelerated to more than 180 mph as pilot Mike Melvill flew overhead in another Long-EZ as chase plane.

``Once we started running out of liquid oxygen I shut down both engines. Mike inspected the airplane visually and reported it was clean with no leaks. We entered a standard flameout (landing) pattern and glided back to the runway,'' Rutan said.

The EZ-Rocket is a research and development test bed for Xcor, which designed and built its engines.

``Routine operations must be the primary criterion for rocket engine development,'' said Xcor Chief Engineer Dan DeLong. ``Our approach is to build safe and reliable rocket engines first, then progress to the higher performance needed for orbital launch vehicles.''

Xcor President Jeff Greason called the flight a significant technical achievement.

``First, once you get two engines working in combination it is significantly easier to cluster more engines for larger vehicles. Second, we were able to keep the engine and fuel flow running smoothly during the flight,'' Greason said.

The official rollout and flight demonstration of the EZ-Rocket is expected to take place next month at Mojave Airport.

The EZ-Rocket is a modified Long-EZ home-built aircraft, a type designed by Dick Rutan's brother, Burt.

The aircraft is powered by twin 400-pound thrust regeneratively cooled rocket engines and fueled by isopropyl alcohol and liquid oxygen. The modifications were performed at Xcor Aerospace's Mojave shop.

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(1 -- color) The EZ-Rocket is called the first privately built rocket-powered plane, which is fitted with twin 400-pound thrust engines.

(2 -- color) Xcor test pilot Dick Rutan flew the EZ-Rocket on its test flight Wednesday. That flight completed the first round of tests for the rocket.