Kiwi Builds Cruise Missile in Garage

[Theophylact]

But the do-it-yourselfer has his project shut down after pressure from US authorities:

A New Zealand man who built a cruise missile in his garage claims the New Zealand government forced him to shut down his project after coming under pressure from the United States.

Bruce Simpson says he built the missile using parts bought off the internet to show how easily it could be done.

He says he attracted considerable interest from potential buyers - including an offer from Iran to pay him for details of his research.

"The New Zealand government at first said I had done nothing illegal. But then a US official was quoted as saying it was 'extremely unhelpful', " Mr Simpson told BBC News Online.

"The authorities here finally decided to bankrupt me over a tax debt and I have now had to give the missile to a friend for safe keeping."

Although his own missile building days have come to an end, he believes he has proved his point - "that by using off-the-shelf technology in a suburban garage a terrorist can create a weapon against which there is no effective defence."

New Zealand officials have said they cannot comment for reasons of "secrecy".

[ClubMed]

I think you once posted a link to his website.

[RayH]

The cat's out of the bag!

[Epidemic]

that picture of him on his rocket car is false AFAIK.

Look at the flames, their velocity is not what I would expect of a thrust yielding device. flames are rising less than 3 feet back. At the moment of this shot this is little more than a weed burner.

Of course that could be at the end of a burn cycle but still seems wierd.

[TOAD6147]

That's obviously an LP flame especially when you consider the LP tank on the ground right behind him sitting upside-down. But neither observation means anything about the relevance of what really is.

[Epidemic]

Just a strange photo for said story.

Also I think it indicates a lame attempt by the person in the photo to imply that it is a rocket propelled car using a 50'000 btu weed burner.

I would love to see more of this guys work to see if he is or was for real.