project, does not grind or mill the potassium nitrate into a powder resulting in a viscosity low enough to make the hot melt pourable when using sorbitol as the 'sugar' fuel for casting grains. The melting process must be performed using a heat spreader, so as to avoid creating autoignition hot-spots. James Yawn advocates for the dissolving and heating method. Dissolving and heating the propellant actually dissolves both elements of the propellant and combines them. First, the KNO3 and sugar are placed in a pot or saucepan. Then, just enough water is added to be able to completely dissolve the KNO3 and the sugar. The mixture is then heated and brought to a boil until the water evaporates. The mixture will go through several stages: first boiling, then bubbling and spitting, then it will turn to a smooth creamy consistency. There are several advantages to dissolving the sugar and KNO3 in water before heating. One advantage is that the KNO3 and the sugar do not have to be finely powdered, because they both end up completely dissolved. This method of preparation also causes the resultant propellant to resist caramelization in the pot, giving more time to pack it into the motors. Performance Sugar based rocket propellants have an average Isp(specific impulse) of between 115 and 130 seconds. Compare that to the average Isp of an APCP (Ammonium perchlorate composite propellant), which is 180 to 260 seconds. Sorbitol and KNO3 based propellants with a typical 35:65 ratio are capable of an Isp of between 110 and 125 seconds. However, sorbitol and KNO3 rockets with additives have been recorded as having specific impulses of up to 128 seconds. Xylitol and KNO3 based rocket propellants are capable of a specific impulse of ~100 seconds. These have an unconfined burn rate of about 1.3 mm/s. Dextrose and KNO3 based fuels are capable of an Isp of 137 seconds. Overall, the performance characteristics of sugar rockets approach those of professional grade propellants. Applications Rocket candy is also occasionally known as "caramel candy", a term that was popularized by Bertrand R. Brinley, in his pioneering book on amateur rocketry, Rocket Manual for Amateurs, published in 1960. This propellant was used in some of the amateur rockets described by Homer Hickam in his best-selling memoir Rocket Boys. Rocket candy was also employed in a small amateur rocket described by Lt. Col. Charles M. Parkin in a lengthy