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To: Joe 6-pack
I’ve heard some rumours about people with similar pipes making model rocket bazookas.

I heard somewhere that these kids pulverized the solid rocket engines from the weaker ones (A's, B's) filled a spent CO2 cartridge with the powder, put a small piece of primer cord in it then sealed it epoxy.

They placed the cartridge in the nosecone of an Estese Alpha 3 rocket, with end of the primer going into a hole into the "parachute load" in the top of the Alpha's engine.

adjustments (to fin placement) must've been made to balance with the increased weight.

The Alpha's stabilizers were modified to fit into a length of pvc or the tube from roofing paper. A .5 V dry cell, solar igniters, breech plate and grip with a trigger were added in some manner.

Not sure what they would've have done with that thing but going on a "Goodyear Blimp Hunt" prolly wasn't it...

46 posted on 05/02/2008 11:04:38 AM PDT by NativeSon (off the Rez without a pass...)
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To: NativeSon
I've heard of people doing similar things. When employing a PVC pipe, the hardest thing is keeping the rocket centered. I've found, er, heard that one way of dealing with it is to put a base plate on the tube with a slightly off-center guide rod that runs the length of the tube, and can be used with the standard launch lug on most rockets. Another technique is to spin-stabilize the rocket with fins that are at least half the length of the rocket and the diameter of the inside of your tube.

Lots of crazy people out there with too much free time to come up with some of this stuff...

52 posted on 05/02/2008 11:50:54 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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