pYROTECHNICS lOG



rockets



     tHE FOLLOWING ARE DIMENSIONS AND OPTIMIZED FUEL COMPOSITIONS FOR ROCKETS TESTED UP TO THIS DATE (4/6/85).



oNE OUNCE:



cASE LENGTH................3 1/4 INCHES

iNSIDE DIAMETER............ 5/16 INCHES

oVERALL LENGTH OF SPINDLE..2 3/4 INCHES

cHOKE DIAMETER............. 5/32 INCHES



fUEL: pOTASSIUM NITRATE, CHARCOAL DUST, SULFUR (8:4:2).



tHREE OUNCE:



cASE LENGTH................4 1/2 INCHES

iNSIDE DIAMETER............ 7/16 INCHES

oVERALL LENGTH OF SPINDLE.. 4    INCHES

cHOKE DIAMETER.............  1/4 INCHES



fUEL: pOTASSIUM NITRATE, CHARCOAL DUST, SULFUR (8:3:2).



fOUR OUNCE:



cASE LENGTH................5     INCHES

iNSIDE DIAMETER............ 1/2  INCHES

oVERALL LENGTH OF SPINDLE..4 1/4 INCHES

cHOKE DIAMETER.............  1/4 INCHES



fUEL: pOTASSIUM NITRATE, CHARCOAL DUST, SULFUR (8:6:2).



     cASES FOR ONE OUNCE ROCKETS WERE MADE BY WRAPPING AN ELEVEN INCH LENGTH OF xEROX PAPER (HEAVY TYPING PAPER) AROUND A 5/16 INCH DOWEL ROD. tHESE WERE PASTED WITH A CONTINUOUS COATING OF eLMER'S GLUE. tHESE CASES ARE LIGHT WEIGHT AND ROCK HARD WHEN DRY.

     fOR MY FIRST TESTS OF ONE OUNCE ROCKETS i USED A 3:2:1 BY VOLUME MIXTURE OF POTASSIUM NITRATE, CHARCOAL, SULFUR. tHESE EXPLODED LIKE FIRE CRACKERS WHEN IGNITED. i THEN TRIED 8:4:2 BY WEIGHT. tHIS WORKED VERY WELL AND GAVE A SURPRISING PERFORMANCE FOR SUCH A SMALL ROCKET.

     fUEL MIXTURES FOR ALL ROCKETS TESTED THUS FAR WERE LIGHTLY MOISTENED WITH WATER. i HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE VITAL IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT ALL THE BOOKS SAY TO LOAD THEM DRY. i TESTED A FOUR OUNCE ROCKET LOADED DRY WITH AN 8:6:2 MIXTURE AND IT EXPLODED VIOLENTLY BLOWING ITS HEAVY CASING TO BITS. tHIS SAME COMBINATION TURNED OUT TO BE THE OPTIMUM FORMULA WHEN LOADED DAMP AND THOROUGHLY DRIED BEFORE FIRING. a ONE OUNCE ROCKET LOADED DRY WITH 8:4:2 ALSO EXPLODED.

     i HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN THE FUEL IS RIGHT ROCKETS OF ALL SIZES MAKE A SIMILAR SOUND. iT IS THE SOUND OF A GAS BEING RELEASED UNDER HIGH 