Welcome to Micro Nitro Rocketry, maker of small cartridge-based hybrid rocket motors. These motors have evolved from a design created by Rene Caldera back in the mid-1990s and they are direct descendants of the motors he sold in kit form over two decades ago.
Micro-hybrid and mini-hybrid rocket motors use whipped cream dispenser chargers and almost any combustible material (like rolled shopping bag paper or PVC plumbing pipe) for propellants. These small experimental motors are easy to operate and inexpensive to fly using rockets modified from kits by Estes, Quest and others, or scratch-builds of your own design. (see the Video Extras page). Why bother to fly these small hybrids? 1. Low cost flights, only about $2 or $3 per burn 2. Micros reach 500-1000' Minis reach 1000-2000' 3. Safe propellants and easy cleanup 4. Lots of room for experimentation 5. No special ground support equipment needed 6. Arguably the most elegant hobby rocket motor of its size ever designed!
I am still occasionally “hand” machining these motors in very small batches. Please read the "Ordering Details" tab to see how this currently works. In addition, I am offering some related products:
Publications. Replacement parts. Consumables like O-rings and burst disks. Support equipment.
A Mayfly II airframe flying on a Dexter Labs long case Micro-hybrid motor, a Quick Whip 9 gram cartridge, 0.028" injector, burning 3D printed ABS fuel. Photograph by Matt Rolley, Alexandra Hills, Australia