BOZEMAN, Montana USA — C.J. Turner earned his nickname years ago. It still sticks, though not necessarily for the same reasons.

Back then, on the slopes of his native New England, Turner impressed fellow skiers because of the way he tried to master freestyle moguls: What he lacked in technique, he made up for in athleticism and determination. That prompted them to start calling him "Turbo."

C.J. “Turbo” Turner says his rocket bike is the result of his two great passions - rockets and going fast. Photo: Erik Petersen.

These days, the nickname suggests something a little bit different.

Turner, 46, the owner of Detail Express in Bozeman, admits he's just a big kid with two abiding passions. He's always been fascinated by rockets, and he loves to go fast. As he will demonstrate this weekend on the streets of downtown Butte during Evel Knievel Days, the former begets the latter.

Late this afternoon, Turner will pedal his bike as fast as he can down East Park Street. Then, reaching down on his handlebars, he'll flip a switch, igniting in quick sequence the five rocket motors located inches behind his seat. The back of his bike will explode into flame and smoke, and during the next 20 or so seconds, he will roar past crowds on a run he's certain would make the festival's namesake proud. He'll repeat the performances on Friday and Saturday.

"I'll build up a head of steam and launch," he said. "It provides a lot of acceleration. I can't predict how fast I'll go, but it's not about speed. It's more about a spectacular stunt. It's very loud, and there's a large flame and some smoke. It's a hoot for me, and it's fun to watch."

Turner built and flew model rockets when he was a youngster, but it's only recently that he was inspired to attach them to other things as a means of propulsion. After he retired from the world pro mogul tour in the late 1990s, he began to compete on a monoski. It is, he says, a high-performance way to slide down a hill and scare the heck out of yourself.

But, as he discovered during a 1999 race in the French Alps for snowboards, downhill skis and monoskis, he was at a disadvantage over flat terrain. How to make up the difference? He returned the following year with a rocket-powered monoski - he nicknamed the engine "Ducky One" - and, used it to roar across a glacier at the top of the course. He blew away the competition, winning the UFO category in a race that features a 6,000-foot vertical drop to the base of the mountain.

Not only did his stunt delight spectators, it earned him recognition by "Ripley's Believe It or Not" as the first man to ski with rockets. He's also the first to ride a rocket-powered bicycle.

Everything Turner does on his monoski or his bicycle is carefully calculated. He holds a Level II certification for the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) that enables him to purchase the solid ammonium per chlorate fuel that powers his rockets. He uses a standard bike frame, but he designed and built the five 38-millimeter rocket engines with help from a machine shop in Colorado. He wired all of the bike's connections and circuitry himself, and he tests everything regularly.

Each of the five rockets generate 265 foot pounds of thrust. Because the average burn time on each motor is 1.8 seconds, he staggers the firing sequence to generate as much power for as long a time as possible. He says he has reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour on snow. He's not certain how fast he's been able to go on a bike.

"I'm sure the NAR never imagined anything like this, but there are a lot of cases of extreme rocketry now," he said. "It started with the monoski, but I was a little bored one summer, so I decided to apply it to the bicycle. I love it."

Turner says he's had just one wreck on his bike. Working with a different fuel that did not respond well in cold weather, Turner was launched when three of the engines unexpectedly ignited as the bike neared the finish line. He had to hit the ground to keep the bike from hitting anything or anyone, and he wound up with some second-degree burns. Since then, he makes every run wearing a fireproof suit.

"It's a carefully calculated situation where safety is paramount," he said.

Turner has had opportunities to share his story with youngsters at area schools, and he says he hopes it inspires them to think in different terms about what they can and cannot do with the lives.

His three runs in Butte are just one of the thrill events scheduled for Evel Knievel Days. He starts at 4:45 p.m. each day. It will be the first time he's performed in front of an audience.

"Yes, this is a debut, but I can't think of a better place to do it," he said. "This is a very successful venue, and they are expecting 40,000 people. That adds some fun to the mix."

If his runs go well this weekend, Turner says he plans to build a new motor (potentially 54 millimeters) that will have a longer burn and more power. That means his performance next summer will be a little more dangerous.

"There is certainly danger involved any time I do this, but I don't consider it a big deal," he said. "The goal is to have fun, do a good job and walk away for another day."

Copyright © 2007, Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

07-26-2007 05:54 PM  #1
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2067	Evel Knievel Days here in Butte are a celebration of stunts and the people who perform them. Unfortunately this one involves rocketry. I hope nothing bad happens. I will stay away. This violates safe distances, safe materials, and common sense. Worse yet it glamorizes idiocy. Worst of all this is the only rocketry many of these people will see and it will leave them with a skewed impression of rocktetry and people who practice it. For another article about this guy, go to http://www.bondpix.com/rockets_over_montana.htm.

07-26-2007 06:54 PM  #2
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3552	Quote: This violates safe distances, safe materials, and common sense. Worse yet it glamorizes idiocy. From the article you linked to: "In order to purchase and use the bigger rockets, Turbo has level 2 certification from the National Association of Rocketry." Perhaps someone at the NAR should void his member card?

07-26-2007 08:09 PM  #3
Rocket hound New Member   Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 4	I agree with you both! I suppose that it takes a CRAZY man to do a stunt like that. At least Knievel had the common sense to hire Guy(or is it Gary) Truax (a former NASA engineer) to help him when he tried to jump the Snake river (he also used steam for propulsion in his Skycycle, rather than APCP). This guy seems to be doing things solo, and without regard to any safety codes. If its any consolation, East Park does end at the shore of one of the largest polluted lakes on the planet... Maybe we'll see this fellow mentioned in the Darwin awards. Andrew Horton

07-26-2007 09:52 PM  #4
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2067	Quote: Perhaps someone at the NAR should void his member card? I believe that the only reason he maintains it is so he can purchase these reloads. I believe he uses AT RMS reloads, despite what the article says. If you zoom in on the image those look like Aerotech rear closures. However, the thrust and time noted in the article in the Chronicle didn't specify if the thrust was average or max. If average, then his motors are a small K, which is pretty big for a 38 mm! I get a list of NAR members in the state and routinely send them invitations to our launches. He is on the list, but he has never responded. I hope he gets some sense. I zoomed in on a larger view. The motors appear to be Cesaroni 38mm motors. The aft closure look like they are scalloped like the CTI reloads.

07-26-2007 10:57 PM  #5
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3552	Quote: If average, then his motors are a small K, which is pretty big for a 38 mm! From the photo in the original article, the motors looked like 54mm's to me. The link you provided looks like 38mm's, which may have during his earlier days.

07-26-2007 11:03 PM  #6
crontab Certified Level Three   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 204	The look in his eye ... like looking in the eyes of a suicide bomber. Wouldn't surprise me to see the guy on his bike, 5 motors blaring out back and 50 pounds of C4 strapped to his chest, heading down Wall Street.

07-26-2007 11:12 PM  #7
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3552	In all seriousness, Don Garlits revolutionized the world of Top Fuel dragsters when, after having one half of a foot blown off during a clutch explosion, decided to move the motor out of his face and the clutch, transmission and rear axle from between his legs in the process. And this person, who probably understands fame better than he understands that rocket motors are designed to fail axially rather than radially, wants to put them right behind his brain and heart. Amazing. If I were going to design a rocket-powered bicycle, those motors would be "behind" the rear wheel, a good 3-4 feet away from my body. Just like the rear wheel is attached to a framework that is triangulated in two directions, a rear-mounted motor mount could be built that attached to the rear axle and under the seat.

07-27-2007 09:57 AM  #8
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2067	Quote: From the photo in the original article, the motors looked like 54mm's to me. The link you provided looks like 38mm's, which may have during his earlier days. The original article you posted said he used 38s and that he intends to try 54s in the future. They could be either. I haven't seen the paper this morning and I did not watch the nightly news to see how he did. I checked the paper. He only lit three of the motors. An article appears in our local paper, the Montana Standard (www.mtstandard.com). He will be at the local Ace Hardware today looking for parts. In the article he emphasizes how "crazy" he is to be strapping Class B Explosives to his bike. I have to agree that he is crazy. I urge all to write notes of protest to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

07-27-2007 01:16 PM  #9
R2K Certified Level Three   Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 245	I wonder if he starts out with slow motors then moves up to warp 9 for the last.

07-27-2007 01:47 PM  #10
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2067	Quote: I wonder if he starts out with slow motors then moves up to warp 9 for the last. From the articles I've seen it seems that he uses five of the same motor reload, staging from one to the other. Can you imagine what might happen if he fell off the bike after the first or second? Looking again at the picture in the article at the head of this post I believe he is using five 38mm motors, I would guess about 640 Ns or less each. The bike in the photo is skewed towards the camera which makes the aft end of the bike and motors appear larger. That makes each motor a solid I. I think his quote about "pound feet" of thrust is a mis-statement, due to self promotion, inaccurate reporting, or an innocent mistake. Perhaps he meant to say Newton Seconds (which would be about right for that size motor). My hope is that none of the motors light this afternoon and the crowd pelts him with empty beer cans. From a better inspection of the aft closures in the photo, it appears the motors are CTI 38mm.

07-27-2007 07:23 PM  #11
Lawndartman Certified Level One   Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 16	Last winter this clown blew into Colorado wanting to set a downhill speed record on skis. His boots were fitted for I205's, 4 on each boot. He wanted to reach 130+ mph. Ed at Giant Leap refused to sell to him. Not then or ever. No matter what he says or thinks, if he kills himself everyone in Rocketry will look bad. Cessaroni motors are not man rated. They would sue everyone in sight. The dealer, Giant Leap, and Cessaroni. It is the job of everyone in rocketry to to do their best safeguard our hobby. I don't think A. Cessaroni would think that risking his buisness to make a few bucks is too cool. We should not be doing things where someone could get hurt. Stupid, just plane stupid. Tim Thomas Giant Leap Dealer for Utah and Colorado.

07-28-2007 12:03 AM  #12
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3552	Ed it a brilliant businessman and it was a good decision he made. I strongly support Giant Leap in this and appreciate people who want to protect this hobby.

07-29-2007 12:58 PM  #13
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2067	Thank you Giant Leap! This is how self-regulation of our hobby should be practiced.

07-30-2007 02:43 PM  #14
James L. Certified Level One   Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 28	(Spectators lined along road/street/highway) + (excessive speed from an unusual stunt without proper crowd setback) = (potential for human tragedy) Just ask those who were in Selma, TN on June 16, 2007 when a dragster went out of control and careened into the crowd during a high speed burnout during a charity event. Six spectators were killed. http://sports.espn.go.com/...y?seriesId=99&id=2906969 This guy may get away doing this without a mishap but the potential for disaster is definitely there. James L.

07-30-2007 03:09 PM  #15
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3552	Quote: Just ask those who were in Selma, TN on June 16, 2007 when a dragster went out of control and careened into the crowd during a high speed burnout during a charity event. Six spectators were killed. That was my EXACT thoughts when I read the article. I went to the Montanta Standard newspaper's website to comment publicly to this effect, registered for an account to post my reply and the validation email never showed up. I guess it wasn't meant to be.

07-30-2007 05:37 PM  #16
CF-105 Certified Level Two   Joined: May 2007 Posts: 51	Two big thumbs up for Giant Leap! Sad thing is, this whacko is likely to cause far more injury to a bystander than himself As for the chances of all motors not lighting... if those are CTI motors, don't hold your breath. I've never seen one fail to light on the first try.

07-30-2007 07:16 PM  #17
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2067	Quote: That was my EXACT thoughts when I read the article. I went to the Montanta Standard newspaper's website to comment publicly to this effect, registered for an account to post my reply and the validation email never showed up. I guess it wasn't meant to be. There is a reason the local nicknames for the paper are "Montana Slander" and "The Substandard". Actually I like the paper most of the time, but they do have problems with spelling, commas, and the fact that national news is usually hidden somewhere in the Sport Section. Quote: Two big thumbs up for Giant Leap! Sad thing is, this whacko is likely to cause far more injury to a bystander than himself As for the chances of all motors not lighting... if those are CTI motors, don't hold your breath. I've never seen one fail to light on the first try. I wasn't questioning how easy to light CTI motors are. He is using a self-designed circuit to light five motors. The first day only two lit and three remained unlit. He was going to make some adjustments with parts from Ace Hardware. My hope was that his design skills might not be up to the task.

08-08-2007 08:22 PM  #18
Chuck_Rudy Banned   Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 226	I'm trying to imagine the bail out on a rocket induced 100 mph tank slapper on his two wheeler. Sizzle, thud, sizzle, thud, thud, sizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzle. Chuck

08-08-2007 09:08 PM  #19
Just Jerry Freeform rockets advocate   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 1257	Bob Truax made the steam rocket for the Knievil Skycycle. Rocketry's own Doug Malewicki did most of the aero and ballistic calculations for the flight. Had the parachute not deployed on the ramp it certainly would have worked. Had the motor been other than a steam rocket, the parachute would have been fried off. Just Jerry Linky

08-15-2007 08:52 AM  #20
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2067	When the article in the Montana Standard first came out, I wrote a letter to the editor expressing my concerns about this stunt. It is printed in today's Montana Standard and available online at http://mtstandard.com/arti...inion/hjjcjbiejhgifc.txt The online version says that it is by the Standard Staff, but that is incorrect. I can't their edits without going back to the original and comparing it to the published version. In other words, I cannot blame the Standard for any of it.

08-15-2007 12:23 PM  #21
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3552	I like how they posted your address so Turner can mail you a pipe bomb.

08-15-2007 12:56 PM  #22
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2067	Quote: I like how they posted your address so Turner can mail you a pipe bomb. Based on his success rate here it would have a 40% chance of going off.

08-15-2007 04:44 PM  #23
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3552	Quote: Based on his success rate here it would have a 40% chance of going off. Is that based on a 60% chance it wouldn't detonate or a 60% chance of him still getting the address wrong?

08-15-2007 04:57 PM  #24
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2067	Quote: Is that based on a 60% chance it wouldn't detonate or a 60% chance of him still getting the address wrong? The first day he tried his stunt he only ignited two out of five motors. I heard that the second day was a bit of a letdown also. Based on that I extrapolated. I hadn't considered the addressing part. I just put up a new mailbox and had my house number painted on the curb so that might help his odds. I'll have to let my wife know not to open any suspicious packages from Bozeman.

08-18-2007 12:58 PM  #25
Bexclent Certified Level Two   Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 94	As was stated earlier in this thread, I agree that the NAR should take his license away. To quote the NAR safety code: "2. Motors: I...will not tamper with these motors or USE THEM FOR ANY PURPOSES EXCEPT THOSE RECOMMENDED by the manufacturer." If the guy wants to do stupid stuff, and if people want to stand around and watch it with the chance of getting hurt, that's fine. Darwin will take care of it. But this guy is using our hobby (and making public record of it) to do something which can put the entire industry at risk. A big chunk of the first chapter in the Handbook is all about how great the safety and self regulation of our sport is. NAR needs to step up and revoke his license. I applaud Giant Leap for taking a stand. One bad apple.....

08-20-2007 03:59 PM  #26
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2067	Someone who witnessed the stunt posted this on the Montana Standard website in response to my letter to the editor: Quote: I'd have to agree with Steve a little. The stunt was poorly planed and worsely executed. The fact that the rocket holding mount was destroyed by what appeared to be the emplosive failure of one of the rockets and left hanging by what looked like electrical or duct tape showed the disregard for the safety of the bystanders. Even worse was the saturday show where Turners attempt was perfromed immediately after the flaming walls of death stunt left Mercury strewn with smoldering wood shards and the pavewment was still wet from the fire trucks extinguishing the debris. I don't think there's a single kid in Butte that hasn't taped some sort of fireworks to his bike in homage to Evel, and the professionalism of Turner's stunt was BARELY just above that. At least when I was a kid I has the guts to also put a baseball card in the spokes to get that motorcycle sound, too.