Rocketry in the year 2014-concept idea

Ha! You're way behind Tom. I've been thinking about that very thing since

3rd grade, which was 1964. You'll eventually discover that it IS possible, but getting the dilithium crystals is just not possible in our time line. You'll have to wait about 150 years, until Cochrane develops them. Sorry to shoot you down but "dems da grits."

Randy

didn't somebody do a R&D report maybe 20 years ago about constructing a magnetic launch rail where the magnets where inside the rocket vehicle itself.....opposing magnetc forces kept it in a magnetic launch well? I think they actually built this.... shockie B)

Hmmm -that would work too. My plan is a little simpler. A square rod about 3/8 inch in dia. that is positively charged. Two small square shaped loops of metal or ceramic composite material attached to rocket that are also positively charged. The railbuttoms (or lugs if you want to get technical) would literally be suspended in a magnetic field between the rod and thier inner surfaces. Tom B. "Born To Fish - Forced To Work!!!"

} After BATF was soundly defeated in the year 2004, amateur rocketeers have reach } new heights with the new "MagnaRail" system. Rockets with G motors are reaching } altitudes of over 16,000ft. } Now for the concept. Magnetic rail buttons on an electromagnetic launch rail. } The buttons would be floating in a magnetic field (like the bullet trains), } ergo, little or no friction. Wonder just how hard this would be to actually } do...lets see, a portable generator to provide the juice, scientifically } designed rail system, special magnetic rail buttons... hmmmm. Just something } I've been kicking around since my 3rd glass of wine . } } Tom B. } "Born To Fish - Forced To Work!!!" }

A mag rail based catapault was designed and built by the class which Gerard O'Neill taught, and which resulted in his book "The High Frontier". This was an undergrad class at Princeton, early 30 years ago.

If undergrads can do it, it should be only twice as hard for us old farts. But not impossible.

The amount of energy required is not staggeringly great. The problem is getting it all into one small, compact, coordinated burst, without CATOing the structure.

IIRC they got greater than 20 g's acceleration within one meter. And got in trouble for holing a cinder block wall. Which just goes to show you, the best way to do anything is OUTSIDE, pointing UP.

Let's see...

An X33 glider weighing about 20lbs launched with a liner induction motor and then air starting a couple of K185's.......

How long does the rail have to be and how much power do we need????

Check out: Mister Freeze roller coaster at

(Liner induction motors)

Rich K. PS: I have a 5KW generator ;-)

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (TomNavyRet) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m29.aol.com:

Have another glass of wine. Launch guide friction has negligible effect on performance.

len.

your'e the expert, shouldn't *you* know?

"Hey Andy, I found rocket guy who might advise us on how to use a linear induction accelerator for our space shot...."

Len Fehskens replied:

Have another glass of wine. Launch guide friction has negligible effect on performance.

Actually - I originally was thinking more along the lines of a sort of positively charged small square launch lug with a positely charged small square launch rail. The lug would be literally suspended in a magnetic field so that there would be no friction. The old "like fields repel" routine.

Tom B. "Born To Fish - Forced To Work!!!"

I used to use that exact method on model rockets twenty years ago. Don't know anyone else who does. Still have some of 'em left--a couple of US Rockets to be exact. And a six-foot custom made C-rail(slotted 3/4 inch square Al tube).

What do you use to attach the H-rail to the BT? (Aaaagh, a glue thread!)

+McG+

Hope you are planning to use a fuel cell power generator!!!

I Just cannot see launching a rocket with ...ugghh... gasoline driven generator power.

-Chr$ NAR 79536 L1

The whole point of any electrical or mechanically assisted launcher is to get rid of the lug. Partially for drag reduction and partially to reduce dispersion. It mostly has weapons applications. You know you have a civil rocket when you have a launch lug or an excessively long tower.

Jerry

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (GCGassaway) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m21.aol.com:

Supporting data?

len.

We'll also need a Flux capacitor and a couple 55gal drums of mono-hydrazine. And a helmet :-)

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Ken McGoffin wrote, about using Plastruct "H" structural plastic for a C-rail lug:

What do you use to attach the H-rail to the BT?

Unfortunately, launch guide friction sometimes has huge effects on performance.

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (GCGassaway) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m10.aol.com:

OK, but that's a pathological situation. When a launch guide is working properly, the friction effects should be negligible. If they're not, something needs to be fixed.

Otherwise I could just as meaningfully say that a CATO or a misfire sometimes has a huge effect on performance.

len.

Since this is rmr . . .