Welcome to the exciting world of Rocketry and other non-military "missile" like projectiles...
Paul says: A "missile" like projectile is an object that is forcefully launched against the force of gravity, at a rapid rate, such that an accidental mis-direction of the object towards earth would result in a disaster...
| WARNING Young children, people with heart conditions and expectant mothers should not engage in the following potentially dangerous acts. All of the following projectiles were launched under the strictest controls to prevent injury to persons or property. Do not launch your own projectiles unless accompanied by a certified professional. |
This is a styrofoam freeflight airplane powered by a stored charge electric motor, note the large lantern cell under the motor. The motor is active for only a minute, then the model glides back to earth. This one crashed into a house. (This is not strictly a "rocket", however its uncontrolled powered flight give rise to my favourite "missile" like quality)
I had crafted other "missile" like projectile launchers in my youth, including:
Grossly oversized "slingshot", build with a long extension handle and a box of rubber bands. Marbles were the most accurate "rounds" and were known to achieve ranges over about 100meters.
"Cross Bow", of similar dimensions to the "slingshot", however a steel aiming tube tube at the firing end guided a aluminium tent pole with extreme accuracy and force. A fishing sinker wedged in the "nose-cone" of the tent pole gave the projectile a very stable flight path. At point blank range the projectile would penetrate fibro sheeting.
Estes astrocam rocket, with a projected altitude of 155meters ( 508 feet) with an c6-7 solid propellant motor. This one has flown 3 successful launches. The forth launch suffered from a failed deployment of the parachute, dashing our careful wind drift calculations. The rocket was non-recoverable in a locked compound, thankfully retrieved intact the following day.
Last Saturn V built @ JSC, Houston ,Texas N 30 25'46.9" W97 45'47.3" (WGS84)
Saturn V rocket motor (1 of 5)
Rocket Park, JSC Satellite image of Rocket park
Time exposure of evening sky including trail of space shuttle in orbit. (Overhead power lines are the black lines)
Shuttle training mock up at Johnson Space Center, Houston
Throwable "vortex" projectiles. The top features a "mega Howling" whistle. This always seems to clear an area in a park when your throwing this around!
I submit my own body has been used as a "missile" like projectile:
Pre-launch prep
Leap of faith
300feet later....
At the lowest point of the bungee, the bungee cord has the greatest strain... Your own body is now catapulted into the air about 50 meters...
| Projectile | Initial Thrust (force) at launch | Propellant | Apogee | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newtons | Pounds | Horsepower | ||||
| Styrofoam plane | Stored electrical charge from Lantern battery | |||||
| Sling shot | 1 box thick rubber bands | |||||
| Cross bow | 1 box thick rubber bands | |||||
| Vortex | 0.1 | Human arm powered | "Upto 90feet throw" | |||
| Estes Astrocam | 13 | 3 | Solid Model Rocket Engine | 500 feet | ||
| Saturn V | 34 500 000 | 7 750 000 | 160 000 000 | Liquid oxygen & hydrogen (2nd stage) kerosene+oxygen (1st stage) | 389,645 kilometers | |
| Mercury Redstone | ||||||
| Shuttle | 9 243 697 | liquid Hydrogen and Oxygen main tanks, solid rocket boosters | ||||
| Bungee boy | Elastic rubber cord | 50 meters | ||||
