Tracking Smoke Formula

Avoid the colored smoke formulas...they make a big mess. A few EX'ers I know have a great looking slow burning delay grain that continues to smoke long after ejection. That way the burny stuff says inside the motor case and doesn't constitute a fire hazard.

I've tried the colored smoke formulas to be initiated after the delay grain burns through, but so far no success. I think the reason is that the inside of the motor is so oxygen depleted at the end of the burn that the colored smoke just fails to ignite.

Mike Fisher

One rodent smoke bomb from the local hardware store. Burns about 2 minutes.

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

Aren't they being banned (at general retail) because of the 3 inches of safety fuse?

Yet another 27 CFR 555.141-a-7-v (ATF mistake).

Jerry

Some formulas I have seen are 40% Zinc, 40% AP and then your binder. I believe I received this through the grapevine from Tom Binford.

Check out rcsmoke.com.......the larger of the two sizes are about 4 minutes if memory serves me well. Made for R/C planes, and ignite via ematch. could easily be converted to rocket use. And all those pre-formulated colors.....nice volume smoke at that. At about 6 bucks a pop.

ROTFL!

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

Just don't catch the tree on fire once your rocket gets stuck in it, and the smoke is still burning.

Oh, and don't run with scissors and poke yer eye out either!

I contacted them after hearing about thir products from someone else. They do have quite a selection. If anyone wants to order some, they supplied me with a contact that will sell in small quantities with a minimum $75.00 order. Email me privately if you want the info.

Remove _spamblock_ to email me directly.

Len Bryan CAR S620 L3

Hmmm, it was a fresh RedHat Linux install using Mozilla...

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

Tigertails work VERY well (except for the ones with the staple holes from the packaging process :-( ) when used with more than 6v. If you want to see something interesting, fire a Solar ignitor over an indoor fireproof surface, then try a Tigertail and note the difference.

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

I ought to clarify - I don't have a problem with their reliability, it's the prep work (peeling the little stickers with the punch holes, sticking to the igniter, and getting the clips on just right) that's just a little tedious, IMO.

FWIW, the only time a Copperhead has ever failed me is when I inadvertantly used a drained 12V battery, which had depleted to about 9V. It provided just enough current to make the copperheads go "pffft", but even after 2 copperheads, no ignition. Fresh battery, another new copperhead, ZAP - ignition. I know... if the pyrogen even caught just a "little", it should have sufficed (i.e., how can you light a match 'just a little'). But that's what happened.

Here I sit All broken hearted My rocket went "pffft" It never got started

Doug

They make a pill for that, now.... ;O)

I don't mess with the stickers either. A piece-o-gaffers-tape on one jaw of each clip does the trick for me.

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

Yes, the colored smoke variety. It used potassium chlorate as the oxidizer. You can't use chlorates with AP. Well, you can, but only if you want to die.

Mike Fisher

Humm.. then since knowing how and who wrote it, I assume mozilla is the Trojan in your case.

My local fireworks outlets have 27mm smoke sticks for about $1-2$ each that seems to burn for 4-6 seconds.

I think that's just what I need for smoke on outboards of my Ultimate. 4 engines, and 2 smokes on the outboards, one central core, 7 total.

Art

smoke generation formulas.... does anyone have any source materials for a non-chemist to make use of. Better yet, anyone have a tried and proven formula?>

For a grayish-white smoke use:

Zinc Dust................25% Zinc Oxide...............25% Hexachloroethane.....50%

For a white smoke use:

Calcium Silicide............9% Zinc Oxide................45.5% Hexachloroethane.....45.5%

or

Aluminum Powder........5.5% Zinc Oxide..................46.5% Hexachloroethane..........48%

Bill