Model Forum / General / Rockets / November 2003

years ago (early-mid 70's) I built a scale model of Gary Gablich's Blue
Flame.  One early sunday morning in New Smyrna Beach Fl, my neighbor and
I went to the beach with a couple of tent stakes, 100' of cord and his
mom's best sofa pillow (just in case)...

We hooked it all up and installed a D13 motor in it.  It was BT70 based
with ball bearing aircraft wheels.  We had the stakes 100' apart with
the twine tied between them.  A pillow at the far stake and the blue
flame at the beginning.  We lit her off...

...with only 100' of line, the motor was still burning when she went
*through* the pillow, shot into the air at an odd angle with a slow roll
then hit the beach.  After coming to a complete stop, the parachute
popped out the back... much to the amusement of an older gentleman
walking the beach that morning.  He commented "that was the most
exciting thing I've ever seen!"

Scared to death we'd get caught by someone we grabbed everything and
shoved it in the back seat of the car and spead for home.  We noticed a
burning smell and I checked the pillow and it was smoking.  With it
sitting in my lap, the car started to fill up with smoke so we rolled
the windows down.  That helped, but not much so...   ...I held the
pillow out of the window...

Now, a 40MPH wind against a smoldering pillow will make for quite the
large fireball...   ...so I droped the exploding pillows (lordy, don't
let the ATF know that pillows explode!) and it caught on the rear
bumper...  by the time we got home we had to explain how our rocket car
didn't really work as planned, how we destroyed her best pillow and why
there was a scortched mark on the back of dads car...

not a good day.  but a *great* memory... :)
jim

I would suggest using motors as recommended by the manufacturer.  Is
the 24mm E or F motor recommended for such use?

Alan

Bill,
I never built one of those but I did modify a remote controlled 1/10
scale HPI RS4 car to be powered by su 29mm motors.I found I had to add
about 5 lbs. of weight to keep it planted to the ground using a F25W
and a G40 just made it loose control.If you want to see the video of
the F25 run email me at jkoppk@earthlink.net and I will send it to
you.