(OT) Re: [sdiy] DIY rocketry

[media at mail1.nai.net]

At 6:34 PM -0500 09/29/01, Paul Schreiber wrote:
>>
>> >when I was 11yrs old, and nearly killed myself 3 times with Estes model
>> >rockets.
>>
>> I wonder how many DIYers have NOT managed to nearly blow themselves up. I
>> bet it's a minority. My friend put a home made rocket motor through his
>leg.
>> I was at a "safe" distance of about five feet away at the time.
>>
>
>There was a big news article yesterday where a NASA engineer blew himself
>>up in his backyard mixing fuel for a home-made chemical rocket.

You would think a professional engineer would have more sense.  Apparently,
this rocket scientist was no brain surgeon!!

I remember reading a book that defined three kinds of rocketeers:

1) professional rocketeers -- safe well-trained professionals
2) amateur rocketeers  -- dangerous nitwits
3) model rocketeers -- safe hobbyists

I never considered the Estes-type stuff dangerous.  I used to build model
rockets when I was a kid back in the 70's.  I never came close to being
hurt, and afaik, neither did any of my competitors.  I remember once a fin
tore off a rocket and it shot right into a school window -- it didn't even
hurt the glass.

>Rocketry is a classic case of "progressive danger syndrome" where each
>>time, you get crazier building a bigger,
>more powerful one. Until common sense kicks in.

I think it depends on what you are doing.  If you are building for
competition there are rules which keep everyone safe.  Egg lofting might
lead you to matching the weight of each fin on a gram scale, comparing a
dozen types of paint, or borrowing your mom's sewing machine to build a
real silk parachute, but it doesn't lead to danger.  Neither does building
the most realistic model (of a Saturn V, V2, or whatever).

Of course it lead to some creative stuff, like who can loft the heaviest
surviving animal, adding telemetry or miniature cameras, etc.  I remember
building a "scissor-wing" rocket that went up like a rocket, and came down
like a glider.

>I got scared with the
>Centaur F-97 engines (shipped by
>rail only) and decided I liked having 2 eyes and 10 fingers.

I remember one company (I forget their name) that offered a special
F-engine that could break Mach 1 when used with the right design.