Brian, I bought those plans but too never built the rocket, I might even
still have them rat holed somewhere.
It might have worked, no show stoppers in the design, the grease 'prop
valve' was novel and would have worked
over the short time between propellant loading and ignition. The dry ice
pressurization system though would have
been a bit tricky but probably workable.
The China Lake book though was far more useful which got me on the straight
and narrow road to a long successful
career in rocketry.
Ken
On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 8:03 PM BrianK ABQ <cielobenazul@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
When I was a kid, 68/69, I bought a plan for a liquid fuel rocket using
Furfuryl Alcohol and WFNA. For $5 as I recall. In retrospect, as an adult,
I realize the suggested rocket was utterly insane! I wonder if anyone
actually tried to fly one. Luckily I was as mechanically inept then, as I
am now so I didn't attempt it.
But it was a kinder, gentler time. I would've had NO problem buying the
chems at the chem supply place in KC. Having previously bought: NaO2, Mg,
KClO3, Yellow P, etc. They thought it was great that a kid was so
interested in chemistry.
So the basics of the rocket motor. Two Al tanks held the FA and WFNA. A
simple with the holes plugged with thick grease. And a small tank with dry
ice that pressurized the fufuel and oxidizer. A long cord pulled the lever
that open the CO2 tank. Then God only knows what would happen.
Ahhhh, the good, old days!
Brian
The Guts: A Furfural Alcohol + WFNA.
On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 7:32 PM John Dom <johndom@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
IIRC, WFNA was used in Nike Ajax SAMs with aniline fuel in stage 2. Slug
ignition.
Same in Vanguard talking 19 fifties.
John D
In Ignition! John D. Clark mentions that furfural comes from oat hulls
and Quaker Oats was glad to sell it. It was burned with WFNA or RFNA, I
didn’t see any reference about using it with peroxide.