vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
No. The original propellant used; guanidine nitrate, 2,4-dinitroresorcinol and some other exotic chemicals and used a formulation probably very similar to the stuff in the rocket propelled torpedoes that you described. The combustion process was a slow burning complex catalysed reaction - the gauze was the catalyst. Lots of folk, myself included thought that guano was involved based on the chemical name guanadine nitrate being extrapolated to an incorrect source.
Looking around Ebay can sometimes source some recently discovered fuel pellets belonging to a deceased elderly aeromodeller.
Jetex mk II used a different formulation and it too has bitten the dust.
An alternative solid fuel propellant system emerged in the late nineties - the Rapier rocket. They are no longer available because they have been reclassified as a firework from a smoke generating device which altered the rules and regulations over manufacturing premises and transport. It was a small scale manufacturer in the Czech Republic and could not fund the construction/alteration/purchase of suitable premises. Their thrust varied from rocket to rocket and they came in packets of ten with a thrust range handwritten on the packages.
The nearest thing available is the Estes rocket engines and they are relatively high thrust fast burning engines which are likely to shred any stick and tissue airframe that they are attached to.
