BP-Sugar Fuel

[AirCowPeacock]

I just tried some 50:50 BP:SF as USAPyro uses. I went with:

Potassium nitrate 31.6%

Powdered Sugar 13.4%

Sulfur 5.0%

Hot Meal 50%

Red Iron Oxide +1%

 

I milled this together for 30 mins. It produced a red-grey mixture. I tried the stuff loose and open; it was almost as fast as the meal that went in it! I have tried it in a bitty 1/4" bottle rocket and it far outperforms simple BP. I was really shocked at how effective it is. I'll be trying it in a 3/4" coreburner within the week.

[val77]

3/4 coreburner probably CATO with the rapidity of the fuel

[dagabu]

Looks like fum ACP, I would like to see the video of that rocket.

 

-dag

[AirCowPeacock]

3/4 coreburner probably CATO with the rapidity of the fuel

 

I am concerned about that. I will probably make one at 50:50 and another at 70:30 so if the first CATOs then I will have a second to shoot.

 

 

Looks like fum ACP, I would like to see the video of that rocket.

 

-dag

 

Will do. I'll probably be doing it during the day time with ~3g flash salute. I might however try one of those daylight smoke salutes with chalk at 3" as described on http://creagan.net/fireworks/daylightshells.html

[THEONE]

What exactly is Hot Meal ??

[Col]

Usually milled 75/15/10 bp

This fuel equates to KNO3: 69.1, Charcoal: 7.5, Sulphur: 10, (Sugar 13.4 , red iron oxide: +1)

Edited November 25, 2012 by Col

[dan999ification]

meal powder, milled bp in powder form, hot as in good quality.

 

How well does this fuel ram, im guessing that the low charcoal content make it easier than ramming 60/30/10, i might have to try it.

Cant wait to see a 3/4 inch rocket with it, i tried the smoke shell before using orange dye and 3g f, 3 inch shells are quite light you may be able to go bigger on a 3/4 inch rocket, my 10mm coreburner lifted a 3 weighing 60g.

 

Dan.

[AirCowPeacock]

Just 3g F was sufficient? I might do a 4", but my 3" would be cylindrical and as such larger then a 3" spherical.

 

It rams easily and has much less compressability. It only loses about 30% of its loose volume after being rammed--so no problem getting those last few increments in.

Edited November 25, 2012 by AirCowPeacock

[dagabu]

I can press one next week but can't fly it till NYE.

[Algenco]

I can press one next week but can't fly it till NYE.

 

Drink more Red Bull

[dan999ification]

it was a 15mm id by 1.75 inches so maybe less than 3g, the shell provides secondary confinement and gives the illusion of more being used, you could certainly use more i just didnt want to vaporise the dye using the best dark flake.

 

Dan.

[AirCowPeacock]

I see, I assumed you were talking about a 3" shell; so I figured 3g F would not be sufficent for a shell of that size.

[AirCowPeacock]

I will not be able to shoot my rocket today as planned, however I did make my fuel, I settled on:

 

66.4% Potassium Nitrate

18.8% Succrose

4.3% Pine Charcoal

10.5% Sulfur

+1% Iron (III) Oxide

 

It looks much like meal coming out of the mill despite it's lower charcoal content; however, slightly duller and with a faint red ting. It milled down to a fairly low volume, it did not stick to the sides much (I dessicated the sugar.) but it did stick to itself loosly, forming and breaking easily. The material is extreamly fine and soft, it was milled for 3 hours. It burns with a large flame and very little dross, significantly slower then meal.

[AirCowPeacock]

Note: My 3" shell smoke shell weighs 200 grams. I must have denser chalk than you.

[dan999ification]

i used about 30 grams of organic dye, for fishing baits ( boilies ) the shell was nowhere near full not even half, it had to be under 70g for my motors.

The dye is lighter and finer than airfloat charcoal, literally a single particle will colour your whole hand worse than tinman al.

I assumed you were going to use dye, thinking about it chalk has the same (ish) density as my carbonates in powder form i could easily get over a hundred grams of that in a three.

 

 

Dan.

 

 

[AirCowPeacock]

Yeah, no way I'm going to be able to use that as a header. I guess Ill try to get some of that dye you're talking about, and just fire my smoke salute from a morter like a normal person. Problem is, I used 3 second for time on that shell, as rocket delay. I've been told I ought to use 2 seconds for a 3" smoke salute so its closer and the cloud is more visually pleasing and the sound much greater.

 

On a side note, I was testing some of the remaining flash from it for impact sensitivity. I used -325 bright al in shimizu thunder #3. Previously I had not had success with impact, but I thought I might as well try again. I had about 50 mg on there, and I couldn't hear anything for a few mins. It was really scary. I have a newfound respect for this stuff, I knew it was powerful, but the noise alone can be dangerous if ignited by impact, in terms of deftness.

Edited December 5, 2012 by AirCowPeacock

[dan999ification]

i didnt think it was that sensitive being oily ( mine is ) i found if ignited unconfined it blows some of the comp away before it can combust, the cloud of flash does not ignite and the silver dust spreads around the test paper, however 1 gram reports very well if used properly i prefer it to gd/al for inserts for the deeper bassy tone.

No wonder you were suprised i only used 3g, for bright flake it would have been more like 10g.

 

Dan.

[AirCowPeacock]

I have and use dark Al for flash, but only occasionally. When bright flake serves my purpose I use it.

[AirCowPeacock]

Can I pick up that dye at a sporting goods store?

[dan999ification]

it was from mainline, a carp bait manafacturer, expensive for smoke shells ( very ) one pot will last a lifetime making baits.

There must be a similar product or even a cheap clothing dye will do the same job and have similar density but be warned you will be coloured in.

 

 

Dan.

Edited December 5, 2012 by dan999ification

[AirCowPeacock]

I have decided to take another route. The whole purpose was to find the approximate height acheived by the rocket. But the weight of the salute is to great. Instead I will use a gram of MgAl flash with 7% Firefly Al and Firefly star composition for delay. I will fire at night. Im going to find the angle relavive to the earths gravity at apex and the amount of time it takes for the sound from the salute to reach our ears to determine (with a little trig) the height of the rocket. The trick will be getting it to break at the apex.

[graumann]

I've found using even a homemade inclinometer during the daytime the best way to calculate the apogee, easy enough to make one from bits lying around.

[AirCowPeacock]

I will be using one, but also finding the hypotanuse will give me a accurete result. With a inclinometer one alone one would have to assume the rocket went straight off of the launch site, but it didn't, and it won't.

[Oinikis]

i translated BP/SF 50/50 into chemicals and got this:

KNO3 69

sugar 13.5

sulfur 10

charcoal 7.5

i do not have iron oxide. it's kinda powerful, but did not tried it as rocket fuel, i have made tons of rcandy, and it is quite awesome, however, i do make this mix, becouse it is a very good delay comp, tested spoletes and got 0.5 cm each second (milled horibly in mortar and pestle, was too lazy to use ballmill) and also, since i do not have fuse, i take tissue about 2x7 cm, fold it, unfold, add bit of that mix, and spin that, and i get very nice fuse, whitch i use everywhere, even as delay in small shells, but that fuse is unsafe, since homemade, but in bigger ones i use spoletes using that mix.

 

Oinikis (newbie, yay!)

Edited December 13, 2012 by Oinikis

[AirCowPeacock]

I shot the rocket today, instant CATO. I was very shocked, considering the fuel. I will move down to 90:10 SF:BP and try again.