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"Protest" Rocket

Apparently some moron in Denmark has come up with a blindingly clever way to fight the evil greedy corporations: mount a hybrid-powered rocket on a bicycle and fire weed seeds into genetically-modified crops. I saw this on the Gizmodo blog this morning. Here's the link:

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Here's my note to Gizmodo:

I run a small company that designs and manufactures launch systems for rocket hobbyists. We have been deeply involved with hybrid rocket motors for five years. I looked at the manual on this "Protest Rocket," and have come to the conclusion that it is fake. The fact that there are no pictures of the thing in flight is telling. Attempting to fire the system as described in the instructions would almost certainly burst the oxidizer tank, showering anyone close by with steel shrapnel and liquid nitrous oxide. Not a terribly effective protest, but a good way of improving the gene pool.

Our national organizations, the National Association of Rocketry

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and the Tripoli Rocket Society
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have been working to try to keep our sport from being regulated out of existence. Over 45 million model rockets have been flown in the last 48 years, and there has never been a death or serious injury connected with the sport. Garbage like this bicycle-mounted rocket doesn't help.

Doug Pratt

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Reply to
pratthobbies
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That statement is simply false.

I cite NFPA regulations (authored by NAR and TRA) and adoption of unnecessary LEUP permits, magazines and logs for goods clearly EXEMPT under 27 CFR 555.141-a-8.

None of which were hybrids.

Jerry

Reply to
Jerry Irvine

Great comments, Doug, but I think you're off by over an order of magnitude. Last time I saw the numbers, Estes alone was claiming 500 million safe flights. That number goes up at least 10 million a year. I'd bet a quick call to mary Roberts would get you the current numbers.

Don't feel too bad. Back when we were tryiong the get the FAA to change its regs (and got 101.22 as a result) I responded to their NPRM. IIRC I was the only one to notice thaty they said THOUSAND instead of MILLION!

Of course Estes sales numbers could be like McD: "100 billion served, 3 eaten" :-)

Reply to
Bob Kaplow

Its an 'Art' project - not real. Check out the other projects.

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My favourite is the Barmobile.

Reply to
Init 6

Jerry, with all due respect, get bent.

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Reply to
raydunakin

But it is a real rocket:

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Reply to
Jim

OK, so how many unsafe flights does Estes claim? I have to admit that my first flight, would have been a DQ.

I'd swear I've seen you personaly eat more than 3. :-)

Alan

Reply to
Alan Jones

Art, schmart. Even suggesting that you could use a sport rocket for something that idiotic is like spitting in my holy water. Good thing he's a half a world away, or this "artist" would be pining for the fjords if I had anything to say about it.

Reply to
info

A 32.5lb (inc payload) steel bodied hybrid that reaches 17000 ft at

1600mph. Single cable from launch controller to rocket - no fill lines? Well I'll buy one. :)

Anyone work out what class motor that is?

Doug is right though, to suggest this use is irresponsible, as some nut will think it a great idea. However I don't expect to see this one launched any time soon. Artists like to be controversial - lets not encourage them.

Reply to
Init 6

I see there is mention of messing with food crops. I thought screwing over the food supply was considered an act of terrorism. Maybe Mr. Ponytail should peddle his missle-laden bike around Washington, DC and see what happens. It would warm my heart to see that clown sent to Gitmo......

Reply to
lightnpyro

Geography 101 - Denmark is a flat, low-lying country without mountains.

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Dictionary definition of a fjord: a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes.

Perhaps you have fjord and herring confused?

Less angst, more accuracy :-)

G.

Reply to
Graham

"Pining for the fjords" is an expression loosely connected (from a Monty Python sketch) meaning he would be dead...

If you don't know this, that's been corrected. If you do know this, and are just being a nit-picker, consider it artistic license...

David Erbas-White

Reply to
David Erbas-White

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I enjoyed the read.

Doug

Reply to
Doug Sams

David, I was aware - just wasn't sure if that was the context it was being used in.

If you strip out the payload distribution side of things, it's a neat rocket, for sure - 17k feet isn't a bad altitude for what appears to be a small homebrewed hybrid motor. I might have to have a closer look at the plans for this.

G.

Reply to
Graham

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news:1125637585.213778.124470 @o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

Does anybody else think it a wee bit odd that the suggestion for protesting genetically modified food crops is to spew genetically modified weed seeds across the field?

Yeah, that'll show 'em. Them GM crops is bad. We better release GM super weeds to protest them.

To quote the Brothers Magliozzi from Cambridge, Mass,

"Bohohohgus"

ScottE

Reply to
ScottE

From a Monty Python quote, you're expecting geographic precision?

Reply to
info

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