One of my friends here has been having some issues getting a clean, reliable start on a motor, so I suggested using a thermite igniter to get things moving quickly. Seeking some evidence to use for convincing the higher-ups, we did some high speed videos of a couple thermite igniters to see what goes on. We fired a standard copper thermite compound, as well as one based on manganese dioxide and aluminum. Each shot was 5 grams of material. The CuO igniter was filmed at 2000 frames per second, and the MnO₂ at 10,000 frames per second. I also sped up the MnO₂ video and stuck the shots next to each other, to allow easier comparison between the two types.
Read on »

Chris LaPanse (cjl) was kind enough to pass along this sequence of photos taken by his dad, Ray, from the Talon P flight. I’ve never seen this motor in person in anything other than a minimum diameter rocket, so it’s great to have such awesome photo coverage of one of its more “dramatic” flights. Thanks Ray & Chris!

I’m finally getting around to posting my Red Glare photos. I found a cheap flight, and Todd volunteered to pick me up at the airport, so things all worked out really well, and I had a great time. Special thanks to Darren Wright and family for the awesome hospitality, the MDRA BOD for putting on a great launch, Todd for driving me everywhere, and Ryan/Caity/Cancel/Jeff/Scott for putting up with me! Can’t wait to go back for October. I might even bring a rocket…

Photos after the jump.
Read on »

Overcast at times, nice temperatures in June, Skidmarks in California, Frank Kosdon legal again. What was going on?! Hats off to the board and all the volunteers for a fantastic launch. Find some of my photos from ROCstock 29 after the jump, including lots of Ms, Skids, Greens, Reds, and an L3 flight.
Read on »

It seems that Strontium Carbonate-based red motors get a bit of a bad rap in the community. The king of these formulations is Pat Gordzelik’s Polish Rojo family of propellants. I originally shied away from making reds, as I believed PR/SPR to be “wimpy” propellants that made a weak red flame, and that real men used Strontium Nitrate to make red motors. But Strontium Nitrate has its problems — it’s highly hygroscopic and needs to be dried and screened before use, and the grains must be kept sealed tightly before flight. I have a few old Kosdon East “Red Rhino” motors that are nitrate based, and though they give a BRILLIANT red flame and a delightful low-thrust, long-burn profile, they are immensely difficult to light due to their age and the amount of moisture collected by the hydrophilic Nitrate groups.

So, I decided to try out Polish Rojo:

Nice flame, Pat! (Photo by SoCal Mad Matt, click for larger version)

Further details on the motor after the jump: Read on »