Aerial shell tail

[nesc39]

I've been learning about making shells and I've seen tutorials where they glue the rising tail to the top of the shell. In the finished shell pictures I don't see a way that it will be ignited. There is no fuse or passfire or anything I can see, can someone tell me how are the tails ignited. Thanks guys

[Mumbles]

They usually just get ignited from the lift gases. Tying a few sticks of blackmatch over the primed exposed surface should pretty much ensure it lights.

[BJV]

By the hot gases from the lift.

BJV

[Jordan123]

He, the quickmatch for BP is pasted on the comet

[pyrojig]

I prefer to hot glue on a rising star, that has one side dipped in Nc/bp slurry, then a final dip in granulated bp. I 've never had a failure this way, fire from the lift charge ignites the rising star just fine..

[burningRNX]

I like to hotglue several layers of kraft around it, some meal + dex slurry, and a dip in granulated BP.

Never had a seperation this way.

Edited June 11, 2013 by burningRNX

[nesc39]

So here is what i was reaing and this is what is confusing me. The 2 tails are no where near the lift. Lift is on bottom. http://www.skylighter.com/fireworks/how-to-make/tiger-willow-ball-shells-3.asp

[Mumbles]

Yes, that is correct. When the lift lights, the entire shell and interior of the mortar are engulfed in flames. The comets have no problems lighting.

 

As pyrojig mentioned, I do like to add a few wraps of paper around the sides of my comets so that the comet only burns from the end. I've had occasional issues with them getting knocked off, or falling off in mid-flight otherwise. It also helps to extend the burn time.

[nesc39]

Ohh I didn't realize the fire would surpass around the shell and be able to light them. Makes sense now, thanks mumbles

[Dean411]

Here is a picture of a shell leaving the mortar tube .

This shell is roughly 15 feet in the air and you can still see the fireball leaving the mortar tube, it happens so fast you really do not see it .

 

Dean

[nesc39]

Gotcha thanks for the pic

 

[Arthur]

The flame from the lift charge will reach probably 20 times the tube bore high for a tenth of a second before the shell rises. So the lift flame ignites the add-ons before the shell moves.

[808goboom]

Good question...the tail on top of a shell is usually ignited by the lift fire but some people allow their leader fuse to touch the star so as it goes down, it will light the star and then the lift....however, you will need really good prime in order to light the star and the star should be glued at more of an angle on top the shell rather than directly in the middle on top...the angle will allow the lift gas to make contact more with the star as the lift fire will blow on the sides of the shell as well