Robert Maddox, the mad scientist behind Rocketman, is responsible for this bizarre creation.
Many vehicles have been called the “beast” throughout automotive history. The beast was a 1994 Buick Roadmaster that your revered author rode in rallycross. It was shod with offroad truck tires and became known for more than a year. Although it didn’t sound like a beast, it was a go-kart with four wheels and a seat that made it sound as powerful as possible.
Robert Maddox is known as the Rocketman on his YouTube channel. His YouTube channel was recently discovered and we clicked play to see his crazy video. We think his expression is very powerful. We can’t think of anyone other than with a similar expression sitting so close to jet-propelled steel on a plank with wheels. Although the video doesn’t give much detail on the build, it isn’t hard to see why. You can take a tube frame and add four wheels, a steering-wheel, a seat, a propane bottle, and three pulsejets to make a beast of a gokart.
The engine itself is simple. The pulse jet is simply air and fuel mixed in a combustion chamber. The explosion is funneled out the back to generate thrust. Maddox’s design has no valves. This is why the name and odd sound (as well as the pulse) of the detonation come from. Although the pulsejet design is not efficient, it can be fun when there are three of them attached to a lightweight chassis.
This looks like serious fun. Maddox was able to speed up to 90 mph without holding a camera and driving unassisted. The throttle is all that controls the speed. And, for what it’s really worth, the rig seems pretty stable on the lakebed. It’s warm and comfortable, which makes it ideal for desert runs in cold nights. When you pull up to take a break, don’t put your weight on the engine. We can see that this isn’t the first rodeo he has done. He has built numerous go-karts and motorcycles and even a freaking pulsejet scooter. He also offers kits and plans to help people build their own machines. Maybe there is something that would work on a Buick Roadmaster.