This paper introduces the first step of the research performed by the Central Connecticut State University faculty/student research team on the combustion of nonconventional fuels in a small-scale Hybrid Propellant Rocket Engine (HPRE). The long-term goal of the research was to investigate the combustion of non-conventional bio-derived fuels such as beeswax, lard, with different oxidizers (oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, nitrous oxide) along with additives such as aluminum powder; and to obtain approximation formulas for the calculation of regression rates for listed propellants and propellants with additives. A small-scale HPRE, test fixture and instrumentation system have been designed, manufactured and assembled. To validate proper operation of the engine, test facility and instrumentation system, the first tests focused primarily on the combustion of paraffin and bee's wax with oxygen. Initial experiments were performed; experimental data were collected and followed by comparison with theoretical data, calculated using computer code, created by authors. The approximation formulas for the calculation of the regression rates of the paraffin with oxygen were obtained and compared with existing data of other researchers. Nomenclature T-Thrust, N e u -Velocity of combustion products at nozzle exit, m/s e A -Exit area of the nozzle, m 2 e p -Pressure at the exit of the nozzle, pa P -Pressure in the combustion chamber, psig a p -Ambient pressure, pa  -Molar oxidizer-to-fuel ratio K -Mass oxidizer-to-fuel ratio st K -Stoichiometric mass oxidizer-to-fuel ratio i b -Number of atoms of an element, , in a chemical compound i  -Valence of an element, i in a chemical compound j  -Molar mass of chemical compound, j, kg/kmol f m  -Mass flow rate of fuel, kg/s ox m  -Mass flow rate of oxidizer, kg/s 1 Professor,

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