My hummer was weird, but beautiful. How?

[50AE]

A week ago, I made 5 hummers with 4/5" tubes. I thought they won't have to be placed on the ground in a special way to perform, so I was lighting and throwing them. 4 of them buzzed as they should, they were good. But I decided to experiment something with the last remaining one. I placed it vertically with the hole close to the ground. Ah yes, I have also to tell you that I drill my nozzle hole in the side, not in the center. This way they should spin on two axis.

What happened? This thing buzzed and in the same time it flew vertically like a slow rocket. It was very beautiful.

I would like to make my hummers to perform in the same way.

What I suspect - I didn't drill the nozzle 100% perpendicularly, but a little diagonally. This pic should make you understand what I mean.

So I think that this angle has made a little vertical thrust that has let the hummer to take off. The spinning had made it stabilized.

 

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/8443/35645603.png

[TheSidewinder]

Looks as though it behaved like a Stinger rocket.

 

(But I'll bet it isn't easily repeatable )

[TrueBluePyro]

Yes, I have done this with my hummers. It still hummed and just flew and hovered 1-2m off the ground.

[NightHawkInLight]

There is a factory firework that behaves in much the same way. They are called 'Speed Balls'. I want to say the company that made them was called King pyrotechnics? I can't remember.

 

They are shaped like a hummer, a tube with an offset hole. They also have a hole through the bulkhead furthest from the hole in the tube wall however. I attempted to replicate them years ago:

 

Only the last one worked properly, but I was able to make a few that came close to what you describe. To keep them from venting vertically as the first few do, I ended up gluing an airsoft pellet to the opposite side of the tube as the vent.

 

I used a very fast fuel, straight milled BP if I remember right. A slower fuel and perhaps a larger sized device may be something to look into. I may try experimenting with them once again.

[Ralph]

Looks as though it behaved like a Stinger rocket.

 

(But I'll bet it isn't easily repeatable )

 

its actually quite easily repeatable i was shown the idea by (he has been doing pyro longer than i have been alive) you just need the vent on the right angle and it works every time (he has a jig i do it by eye)

[50AE]

Alright, I'm gonna do another set of 5 hummers, I'll light them and I'll tell you how they did.

Also, I remember drilling a little in the clay plug.