Attempt to duplicate the ever popular AT White Lightning (everybody is doing it). This is a 29/180 motor tested in cooperation with Reactive Propulsion.  Look at the reflection from the grass even at midday.	"Orange Crush" flying on a fast PitchBlack  6-grain BATES 38mm load.

Sean McAndrew's site with pics of his test stand and motors.  He's become an authority on sparky loads.

Darren Wright's Ozark Propulsion Labs
(Videos, pictures, motor specs., links)  BIG STUFF!!!

Justin Gleiter's Reactive Propulsion (SITE DOWN TEMPORARILY) blazing fast blue loads (Videos from my early tests, and some his recent tests)
Several of my own early TT and BB tests are archived here in video form.
Very careful detailed work going on here behind the scenes.

Mike Bennet's HPR/EXP Site   Another victim of AP addiction.  Lots of videos.

1)  Tiger Tail Formula:  Standard Propellant

2)  Brilliant Blue:  Can be slow or fast depending on solids content, and Kn selected; My
    favorite for D-grains due to its stable burn

3)  Totally blatant attempt at US Rockets' "ButtKicker"
4)  No Nothin':  Nometals, high solids and VERY FAST!
5)  10Al: 10% aluminum, very bright
6)  Pink Elephant**:  A variation on D. Wright's original "FlamingFuchsia"  propellant
7)  No Al Fast:  Haven't tested yet; No Nothin' plus Fe2O3
8)  Pitch Black:  No Zinc smoky developed by Sean McAndrew
9)  Blue 22:  Simple fast blue propellant developed for small F-H reloads (gone
    through several recipe adjustments but I've finally settled on one). The second,
    thunderous Ranc"O"r flight was on this propellant.

DISCLAIMER:

Just because something worked in my hands doesn't mean it will work in yours.  And just because I may post some partial details on how I make (or think I could make) a particular device doesn't mean that you should go out and try it.  Rocket motors are among the most dynamic of human inventions and even small ones can fail in devastating ways.  If you are just throwing chemicals together to see what happens stay away from me because you are clearly an idiot and not a mature member of the world of rocketry.  I make no claims that anything on these web pages will work as I describe it nor do I suggest that should you attempt to copy any of the activities discussed here.  Nor do I make any claims as to the reliability of any activities or devices you may find on pages linked from this page.  Any descriptions or depictions of my personal activities you may find on this page were conducted in a safe legal manner.

At the very least I recommend you have considerable experience in rocketry using consumer motors.  I'm not being condescending (I'm new to this, too), I just think you will be safer and happier in the long run.  Also, you need to locate other people who have been doing propellant and have practical knowledge.  In the  precedingmonths of talking to people I've probably saved 3 years of work and avoided a lot of hassles with chemical providers and motor design.  DO NOT enter experimental rocketry without a mentor (or maybe five!).  As one person told me, "You'll get five different opinions, but all combined they will hold the truth".  There is no need to reinvent the wheel.

I STRONGLY suggest you buy Prof. McCreary's book, " Experimental Composite Propellant ", and read it multiple times.   He covers the topic well.  I've decided to use HTPB propellants where he stresses PBAN, but there is good information on HTPB, too.  Learning about how to be safe is up to you and this book will help you greatly. There are other books also available and I will add links to them when I read them.

1)  Learn fundamentals of propellant formulation, production, characterization and incorporation into flyable motors using AP/HTPB solid propellant.

2) Design 29mm test motors to determine workable Kn, burn rate coefficient and exponent values for at least 3 distinct propellant formulae.

3)  Scale test motor results to flyable 29, 38 and 54mm motors.  The 29 and 38mm projects are intended to be single-use or reloadable, whereas 54mm projects are intended to use off-the-shelf reusable hardware.  Nozzles will be also be industry stardards until specific configurations are proven enough to warrant custom graphite nozzles.

4)  Design criteria will require the use of HTPB binders, no degassing, cure times less than 48 hours at room temperature.

5)  Share the formulae with interested experimenters like myself.  BUT.....
NO FORMULA WILL BE POSTED HERE.  You can email me directly if you want to discuss formulae.  I'm totally willing to share my findings/formulae.  I have already benefited greatly from assistance from some very knowledgeable and generous people and I will "give back" when I feel there is something worth telling.
 
 

5/14/02:   Flew PE.7, a clone of BB.8, and 29mm, 4-slug, fully-offset moonburner (220NS) with 30% Zn propellant at the RFS launch at Cape Henlopen.  All three performed as designed.   I have tested a great sparky propellant that I modified from a formula from Sean.  I use a cheaper form of Ti but it worked VERY well.  I can't wait to fly it.  I've also tested Pitchblack with 1.5% Mg added up to a peak Kn of 400 in a 29mm motor.  It had a pale flame and reduced smoke but it was more than fast enough for a good propellant.  I need to play with that more.  At a Kn of 250 and only 1.0% Mg it is a good bit slower but no flame.  I may leave the Mg at 1% and just go for nice high Kn's.
 

7/28/02:  Flew a 38/600 d-grain sparky, 38/600 BATES grain sparky, and a J500 38/800 (Cherokee 009)  All worked perfectly (which is darn good considering the kind of day almost everyone else seemed to be having).   Talked a bunch of EX bull with a lot of folks.  Seems like this is getting to be a highly addictive pastime for everyone.

4/6/03:   Lots of projects flown since last update.  Most notable is the ability to get Pitchblack propellant up to speed for flight use.  First indication this had been achieved is when I overstressed a pyramid on a 38/720 load with a Kn of 320.  A second load in a 4.5lb 2.5" rocket, screamed off the pad.  I'll post a picture in the next day or so.  Cherokee was completely destroyed yesterday in a crash on a blue 54/1400 load due to a Missileworks  RRC2 failure.  I've used those for 4 years and this was the first time I've had a total malfunction.  I'll try to put up better pics soon of several projects.

5/19/03:  Several 54mm and 38mm loads ready to go.  No large field launches scheduled any time soon so most stuff is going to have to be low altitude for the summer at the Sod Farm.  My 6-grain 38mm SU moonburner Pitchblack motor went great at Henlopen RFS launch.  I have another one.  54/1750 Orange load, 54/1400 White load, 38/800 Orange, and 38/480 and 38/600 White loads are all waiting to go.  I Have found once again that iron oxide is a potent burn rate enhancer.  I added 0.15% to 82% solids Orange and wound up ripping the thrust ring off a 29/250 motor and flying it through the airframe of my Javelin rocket.  The motor then CATO'd due to the collision with an eyebolt and was never seen again.  Let's just stick with plain Orange from now on.  I should have learned from my mistakes involving Fe nearly 2 years ago!  I have a bunch of testing with TiC nozzles to go too, all while attempting to get a 7.5" L3 type rocket built.

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