Showing posts with label Missile. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Missile. Show all posts

Monday, November 7, 2011

Rockin' with Fizzie-Rocs













Fizzie powered toys rocked!

I consider one of these to be my second flying rocket after the Korny-7 but my first real thrust powered rocket.
A recent web search yielded several similar rockets of this type and most look close enough to my recollection so as to make no never mind. They operated as water rockets powered by water and a fizzie type tablet. Pour in the water with the provided funnel/measuring cup, drop in the pellet[s] and quickly insert the nozzle plug. Then turn the rocket upright and insert the plug assembly in the pad base which is attached to the ground with a large nail, back-away and pull the release string. No recovery system, thus the rubber nose tip.

Vinegar and baking soda would probably fly just as well but the fact that the fizzie is in pellet form allows time for insertion of the nozzle plug where a quick dissolving powder would not.
I don't recall what became of this rocket but I know I put it on the 2nd story apartment roof at least once.

About the same time, or not long after, there were a couple other fizzie powered toys, a squirt pistol and a submarine. The sub definetely used more than one pellet and would drive forward, dive, then resurface. I wanted that sub. I did have the gun one summer. Both were also red plastic.

These were toys that, like pump-up water-rocs were an idea that were ahead of the materials technology of the day. Polystyrene doesn't hold up well enough. Polycarbonate [Lexan], PET and similar plastics have allowed the reintroduction of such products

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Sidewinder on Steroids





Here's yet another gem I found at China Lake Alumni.
1970 gallery.  It's called the HAP Sidewinder. HAP
stands for High Altitude Project.  The limited research
I found indicates that it was created by combining a
Sparrow rocket motor with the front end of an AIM-9L.  
Some test flights were performed, but the project was
soon cancelled.

I've never been a big Sidewinder fan and the
proliferation of variants has always made the study of
them a bit bewildering.  Having admitted that, I must
say;  I LIKE THIS!

I can look up the 2 diameters and easily scale a drawing
from there.I have an Estes Python nosecone which will
serve for the Sidewinder seeker section,  or I can turn
one, as well as turning the transition section.  
Sigh... just add it to an already long list of unstarted
and semi-started projects