I keep hearing about hybrid motors. What is a hybrid?

Its where the fuel is some kind of plastic, and the oxidizer is most likely Nos (the name one you use for cars, like need for speed underground 2) and the whole thing is lit using some kind of ACPC composites and the gas is released using some kind of pyrovalve. The advantages is that no licenses are required because the fuel isnt considered "flammable" or "explosive"

Yes.

Typically solid fuel and liquid oxidizer.

Tech post Jerry

A hybrid is a motor with one component solid and the other liquid. By far the most common have solid fuel and liquid oxidizer. There are "reverse" hybrids, with liquid fuel and solid oxidizer, but they are rare beasts.

Hybrids are gaining interest in the hobby because a motor can not only be safe, it can be completely non-pyrotechnic until it's loaded with oxidizer on the pad. Most hybrids can be shipped and stored with no regulatory problems or hazmat restrictions because they aren't hazardous. The oxidizer we use, nitrous oxide, is not classified as a hazmat or flammable gas; it is handled with the safety rules that apply to compressed gases like CO-2.

I have written an introductory survey of hobby hybrids here:

Doug Pratt

Actually that's only one definition of a hybrid. A hybrid can also be completely solid. In other words it has a solid oxidizer or oxygen generator section and a solid fuel section. Another hybrid configuration uses a solid oxidizer section and uses a liquid fuel as you pointed out. This again is known as a reverse hybrid. CTI has been developing both of these types for commercial and defense applications for a few years and has been granted patents on the advanced packetized oxidizer technology or APOX for short. Some of this work may spin off into HPR in the near future.

Anthony J. Cesaroni President/CEO Cesaroni Technology/Cesaroni Aerospace

Having visited your shop and seen the solid wall of patents in the lobby, I'm impressed but not surprised.

It's a pleasure watching you guys work. Whatever you come up with, I'll take six of 'em!

You should be careful with "whatever you come up with", Doug.

They have these cool P, or thereabouts, motors made for the AWS. I imagine they cost rather a lot of money :-) :-) :-)

Point. Although I suspect that if I showed up at certain launches with a few of those, they'd sell rather quickly.