Whistle metal tail tests

[Givat]

Hi all,

Thought to share with you my test to make metal tail to a salycilate whistle rocket.

I don't have Ti sponge or shreds available for a reasonable price so I tried to use what I have - MgAl powder, Iron powder, steel shreds, Al shreds.

 

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h479/questl/th_whistlemetaltailtest.jpg

 

As you can see the iron powder was the only successes in this test. I will keep on trying with different mash.

Any one had any experience with tailed whistle rocket with out titanium?

 

[EDIT]

Tried again the whistle+iron powder with my home made whistle rocket tooling - I guess it's not so good as a tail maker.

The core is only 20 m"m and worked with salycilate whistle in the past, with the added iron it just exploded.

picture:

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h479/questl/whistle/P1010707.jpg

movie:

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h479/questl/whistle/th_whistleironpowderexplode.jpg

Edited August 14, 2011 by Givat

[Mumbles]

I am sure the kinks can be worked out of the iron motors.

 

One rather sad but true trend I've noticed is that if you want a tail/spray, the metal generally can't be allowed to melt in the fountain/rocket/insert. Hotter fuels like whistle and metallic fueled stars require metals like iron or titanium. Cooler burning things can use things like aluminum and MgAl. There are of course exceptions, but things seem to generally follow that general trend. One thing to try would be to use a larger mesh metal, preferably in a granular or spherical form. For instance, you can see some sparks from the mixed mesh MgAl. It you could isolate the coarser particles, you may be able to achieve a more noticeable spray.