ArdWrknTrk Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 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. Ah, I remember the first time I got a rocket to break the sound barrier....I think it was a G motor on the lightest rocket I could build that would remain aerodynamically stable. It shattered as soon as it hit Mach 1, I think I recovered a single fin. Also... And this (like shop class) is why we have dumbed down education in this country. Shop class may be making a comeback, of sorts. My son has an 'engineering' class that looks for all the world like what shop ought to be in the 21st century. SolidWorks, 3-D printers, CNC mills, all the cool stuff. He and another kid were building a leaf blower-powered hovercraft as a special project before Bat Soup Fever put a stop to it. Edit: in reply to Matthew (Dorsai) That's when passing through Max Q. Yes, just like Space-X except there's no way to throttle back and make it a softer transition with solid propellant. Surprised my little carbon fiber rocket survived the almost 90G's off the pad, let alone transonic. Ahhh, days as a kid, and having your rocket fly out from under its fins! (that you were so proud of) Yes, we've had the shop class discussion before and I'm glad to see STEM doing tangible studies. It won't teach kids how to use their hands (and won't risk them in a painful lesson either) But that is the world today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85lebaront2 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Edit: in reply to Matthew (Dorsai) That's when passing through Max Q. Yes, just like Space-X except there's no way to throttle back and make it a softer transition with solid propellant. Surprised my little carbon fiber rocket survived the almost 90G's off the pad, let alone transonic. Ahhh, days as a kid, and having your rocket fly out from under its fins! (that you were so proud of) Yes, we've had the shop class discussion before and I'm glad to see STEM doing tangible studies. It won't teach kids how to use their hands (and won't risk them in a painful lesson either) But that is the world today. Jim, Gary, and others, picture this if you will, in the penthouse at Norview High School, a group of kids from the class of 63 built a cyclotron, the oscillator for the two Dees was an old WNOR AM radio tube, someone else had donated a big motor/generator to power the electromagnet. There was a bank of GE Pyranol capacitors to smooth out the pulses. Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO, now Dominion Virginia Power) ran a dedicated 460VAC 3 phase line to run the motor/generator. NASA Langley built us a high vacuum system. Myself and three of my Class of 64 friends were approached in the fall of 1962 about getting involved. That spring the district science fair was held at Norview, we took home Group Senior Physics, NASA Aerospace Science and a couple of other awards. Can you imagine a bunch of 16-18 year olds being trusted with that today? Yes, I was and still am a certified nerd! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Jim, Gary, and others, picture this if you will, in the penthouse at Norview High School, a group of kids from the class of 63 built a cyclotron, the oscillator for the two Dees was an old WNOR AM radio tube, someone else had donated a big motor/generator to power the electromagnet. There was a bank of GE Pyranol capacitors to smooth out the pulses. Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO, now Dominion Virginia Power) ran a dedicated 460VAC 3 phase line to run the motor/generator. NASA Langley built us a high vacuum system. Myself and three of my Class of 64 friends were approached in the fall of 1962 about getting involved. That spring the district science fair was held at Norview, we took home Group Senior Physics, NASA Aerospace Science and a couple of other awards. Can you imagine a bunch of 16-18 year olds being trusted with that today? Yes, I was and still am a certified nerd! The world is a different place, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 Jim, Gary, and others, picture this if you will, in the penthouse at Norview High School, a group of kids from the class of 63 built a cyclotron, the oscillator for the two Dees was an old WNOR AM radio tube, someone else had donated a big motor/generator to power the electromagnet. There was a bank of GE Pyranol capacitors to smooth out the pulses. Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO, now Dominion Virginia Power) ran a dedicated 460VAC 3 phase line to run the motor/generator. NASA Langley built us a high vacuum system. Myself and three of my Class of 64 friends were approached in the fall of 1962 about getting involved. That spring the district science fair was held at Norview, we took home Group Senior Physics, NASA Aerospace Science and a couple of other awards. Can you imagine a bunch of 16-18 year olds being trusted with that today? Yes, I was and still am a certified nerd! No, there's no way you could SAFELY turn 16 - 18 year-olds loose with THAT today. That beats my story, for sure. But my buddy and I, at the same age, built a Tesla coil - in his parent's basement. Unknown to them 'cause they didn't have a clue about science. We got a carpet core, which was a really hard cardboard tube about 8" OD and almost 6' long. And we wound the coil on that. The transformer was one from a large neon light. And the capacitors were large window panes with aluminum foil on them. When we fired it up it took out TV in a 6 block radius - the best we could figure as many of our classmates complained the next day at school 'cause we took out their favorite show. It would light fluorescent tubes 4 or 5' away, and we used it in a party at the fraternity we were in later in college. Girls would walk up towards it holding a fluorescent tube and it would start glowing and their hair stood on end. But, it took out TV all over the neighborhood there as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 The world is a different place, Bill. Just the fact that NASA found the resources and had the will to help a high school science project, because they were fostering another generation of nerds, is incomprehensible in this day and age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 No, there's no way you could SAFELY turn 16 - 18 year-olds loose with THAT today. That beats my story, for sure. But my buddy and I, at the same age, built a Tesla coil - in his parent's basement. Unknown to them 'cause they didn't have a clue about science. We got a carpet core, which was a really hard cardboard tube about 8" OD and almost 6' long. And we wound the coil on that. The transformer was one from a large neon light. And the capacitors were large window panes with aluminum foil on them. When we fired it up it took out TV in a 6 block radius - the best we could figure as many of our classmates complained the next day at school 'cause we took out their favorite show. It would light fluorescent tubes 4 or 5' away, and we used it in a party at the fraternity we were in later in college. Girls would walk up towards it holding a fluorescent tube and it would start glowing and their hair stood on end. But, it took out TV all over the neighborhood there as well. We used to take florescent tubes out under the high tension transmission lines when I was in Framingham in seventh grade. Stick one end in the ground and they would glow, but (I'm sure) nothing like that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salans7 Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 We used to take florescent tubes out under the high tension transmission lines when I was in Framingham in seventh grade. Stick one end in the ground and they would glow, but (I'm sure) nothing like that! Random thought, but anybody else think it's pretty sad that this is all Google could come up with for today's "doodle"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 Random thought, but anybody else think it's pretty sad that this is all Google could come up with for today's "doodle"? The flag should be hanging, stars to the left... Or somehow shown at half staff. I don't want to get political. Gary's asked to avoid that. But respect and decorum aren't political. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salans7 Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 The flag should be hanging, stars to the left... Or somehow shown at half staff. I don't want to get political. Gary's asked to avoid that. But respect and decorum aren't political. Very few flags are probably at half-staff today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 Very few flags are probably at half-staff today. Only until noon on Memorial Day. But people shouldn't even have to think about how to respect the war dead. True Patriotism is not some fringe zealot. It's about quiet honor and just doing the right thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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