World’s first rocket-powered punt fuelled by cakes makes maiden voyage

Cambridge witnessed a world-first on Tuesday as a rocket-powered punt made its maiden voyage down the River Cam.



The Cambridge Science Centre challenged new boundaries in rocketry by sending the punt from Darwin College along the river fuelled by Chelsea buns from Fitzbillies.



With the old-school bakery and cafe fuelling generations of Cambridge punters, cake power was unleashed in a rocket engine adapted for use on a traditional Cambridge punt.



The middle of the engine was stuffed with the Chelsea buns, which were frozen by nitric oxide with the sugar, fat and oxygen in the buns burning to make fuel. Ten buns made enough fuel for 40 seconds of power.

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