Pulsejet Engine-Powered Kart From Hell Goes Full Throttle Spitting Fire Through the Desert

Some might call him a crazy old man, others an ingenious daredevil. Although he’s in his 60s now, he’s still a rascal, despite his nice grandpa looks. His name is Robert Maddox but he calls himself the Rocketman, because he’s been obsessed with rockets his entire life. He built his first rocket-powered, wooden airplane when he was 10, and over time, he became obsessed with pulsejet engines.

The Rocketman has gained a massive reputation on the internet, he appeared on Mythbusters, on Jesse James’ Monster Garage, and his YouTube channel has close to 150,000 subscribers. Maddox describes himself as the world’s top pulsejet engine designer and builder of pulsejet engines and pulsejet-powered machines. He's built a lot of pulsejet bikes in his lifetime, which he sold for tens of thousands of dollars, as well as four-wheelers such as the Pulsejet Lakester.

But lately, the Rocketman has focused his attention on other types of flamethrowers, such as skateboards or go-karts. The build you see in the video is called “The Beast” and is a go-kart with an attitude. It is powered by a triple valveless pulsejet engine that feeds on propane and diesel. During his crazy desert drive, Maddox hit 60 mph (96.5 kph) with the jet kart from hell. He also took the vehicle out on the road somewhere in California.

The Rocketman says his Beast can hit a top speed of 90 mph (145 kph) and its jet engine produces 110 pounds of thrust. While few sane men would dare to drive this suicidal vehicle with tiny wheels and what looks like a fragile construction, the Rocketman does it at full throttle, with a big smile on his face.