I was wondering if anyone has noticed bottle rockets exploding more
frequently in cold weather. I have launched more than 100 different
rockets (80 in a single two-hour period) with a home built CO2-based
pneumatic tiggered launching system. Most of the rockets I have
launched have been built by kids ranging in age from 9 to 13. Most were
launched between 100psi and 120psi and until now none have ever
exploded. This past week, after a successful afternoon of launches, the
last two rockets exploded on the launch pad -- each with a great big
boom -- at 125psi and 120psi respectively. It was by far the coldest
day I have ever launched with the temperature dropping below 40 by the
time we left the field. The two succesive explosions and the cold
weather seemed like too much of a coincidence. I was just wondering if
anyone else has had similar experiences.
On a related note, the noise of the explosions were not as bad as I had been led to believe, and I am fairly sensitive to loud noises. My launch and fill hoses are 25' so we were a reasonable distance from the rockets.
Sam
On a related note, the noise of the explosions were not as bad as I had been led to believe, and I am fairly sensitive to loud noises. My launch and fill hoses are 25' so we were a reasonable distance from the rockets.
Sam