The FORD Lounge

[ArdWrknTrk]

Man, that is quite a range of sizes. And, quite a grin!

So, when breaking mach with a rocket what kind of noise does it make?

Cory - Want me to move this discussion to the FORD Lounge?

I was thinking the same thing, Gary.

Apologies as this has NOTHING to do with Blue Mule and is even tangential to photography.

Yes, you can hear the crack.

If you were directly under it (next to the pad) you wouldn't.

But the shock wave travels out as a cone.

And as RSO I felt this little 'experimental' propellant was enough of a risk to warrant 200' distance.

You may have seen some *schlieren photography if you are old enough for that sort of thing.

**** ah hahaha. Damn autocorrect again!

[ArdWrknTrk]

I was thinking the same thing, Gary.

Apologies as this has NOTHING to do with Blue Mule and is even tangential to photography.

Yes, you can hear the crack.

If you were directly under it (next to the pad) you wouldn't.

But the shock wave travels out as a cone.

And as RSO I felt this little 'experimental' propellant was enough of a risk to warrant 200' distance.

You may have seen some *schlieren photography if you are old enough for that sort of thing.

**** ah hahaha. Damn autocorrect again!

I DID get it back -numerous times- though I tagged it "Losing Proposition" because I thought I had NO chance of recovery.

Hard to imagine as you really don't see it as it leaves, but you do see smoke from the ejection delay while it's coasting.

It's sitting in a tote, along with the "fastest flight" trophy from that meet.

[Gary Lewis]

I was thinking the same thing, Gary.

Apologies as this has NOTHING to do with Blue Mule and is even tangential to photography.

Yes, you can hear the crack.

If you were directly under it (next to the pad) you wouldn't.

But the shock wave travels out as a cone.

And as RSO I felt this little 'experimental' propellant was enough of a risk to warrant 200' distance.

You may have seen some *schlieren photography if you are old enough for that sort of thing.

**** ah hahaha. Damn autocorrect again!

Moved.

Interesting on the "crack". Wouldn't have thought about where you can and can't hear it, but that makes sense.

As for schlieren photography, I had to look that one up. Interesting! I've seen the results, but had no clue how it was done.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I DID get it back -numerous times- though I tagged it "Losing Proposition" because I thought I had NO chance of recovery.

Hard to imagine as you really don't see it as it leaves, but you do see smoke from the ejection delay while it's coasting.

It's sitting in a tote, along with the "fastest flight" trophy from that meet.

Ah!

Here we are.

I changed the title back for you...

It's the same phenomenon that you can see heat waves in the shadow of a flame.

Because the density of air changes (and therefore refraction) where molecules collide because it's too fast for them to slip out of the way.

[Gary Lewis]

I DID get it back -numerous times- though I tagged it "Losing Proposition" because I thought I had NO chance of recovery.

Hard to imagine as you really don't see it as it leaves, but you do see smoke from the ejection delay while it's coasting.

It's sitting in a tote, along with the "fastest flight" trophy from that meet.

That's cool! I've never been around rockets, so can only imagine.

[ArdWrknTrk]

That's cool! I've never been around rockets, so can only imagine.

Sure you have!

You just talked about your popcan rockets from 4th July.

There are rockets that work on explosive propulsion.

[Gary Lewis]

Sure you have!

You just talked about your popcan rockets from 4th July.

There are rockets that work on explosive propulsion.

True. Sometimes they go out of sight. (And sometimes they split down the side and go almost nowhere.) But they are fun and the kids and grandkids love them.

[ArdWrknTrk]

True. Sometimes they go out of sight. (And sometimes they split down the side and go almost nowhere.) But they are fun and the kids and grandkids love them.

They'll be there before you know it, Gary. 😃

I guess I've got my inner geek on full display today!

To me it's really cool how easy it is to visualize sound.

Like I said, above, my mind 'sees' and understands this stuff innately.

[Gary Lewis]

They'll be there before you know it, Gary. 😃

I guess I've got my inner geek on full display today!

To me it's really cool how easy it is to visualize sound.

Like I said, above, my mind 'sees' and understands this stuff innately.

In the vein of the drag strip commercials of yore, Saturday! BE THERE!

Yep, they hope to get here this Saturday and stay two weeks or so. Given that, they won't be here for the 4th of July. So maybe no "rockets" this year.

Over the years I've experimented with several approaches. Rattle cans work ok, as do any other pressurized can. But they are heavy and while they'll stand up to about anything short of a cherry bomb, they won't go as high. And, there's a myriad of different sizes, making the launcher more difficult to design/find.

But the pop can/tennis ball combo works nicely as both are standardized. And they fit together nicely, with just enough tension to contain the blast but not so much as to impede movement.

However, you are on the edge, as opposed to eve, of destruction. Just a bit more explosive or a flaw in the material and it'll open up like a clam shell. And, some of the extra oomph I've tried includes WD40 or propane in the tennis ball.

[ArdWrknTrk]

In the vein of the drag strip commercials of yore, Saturday! BE THERE!

Yep, they hope to get here this Saturday and stay two weeks or so. Given that, they won't be here for the 4th of July. So maybe no "rockets" this year.

Over the years I've experimented with several approaches. Rattle cans work ok, as do any other pressurized can. But they are heavy and while they'll stand up to about anything short of a cherry bomb, they won't go as high. And, there's a myriad of different sizes, making the launcher more difficult to design/find.

But the pop can/tennis ball combo works nicely as both are standardized. And they fit together nicely, with just enough tension to contain the blast but not so much as to impede movement.

However, you are on the edge, as opposed to eve, of destruction. Just a bit more explosive or a flaw in the material and it'll open up like a clam shell. And, some of the extra oomph I've tried includes WD40 or propane in the tennis ball.

PVC potato cannons!

Try ether. It works great. 🤔

Gary have a look at soda bottle water rockets.

All you need is a good bicycle pump and there's no danger of shrapnel or getting burned.

Find a way to have fun, just for fun, with the children.

Of course there's a physics lesson backloaded in there, so they might learn something.