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Originally Posted by Shreadvector
Obviously an interesting propellant. End burning with the small core at the nozzle end that produces the peak thrust, just like Estes black powder motors. Could this propellant be similar to the Widowmaker propellant? Those were endburners.
The nozzles in the photos look interesting. Are they poured in or pressed in during motor loading? Is the tiny core and the nozzle formed during loading or are they drilled post loading?
I wonder if these have any automated loading or assembly steps or if they are hand made?
Of coourse, the propellant could be a pressed composite instead of a poured and cured composite.
I look forward to more details or comments from motor making experts.
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according to the Widowmakers brought back by Bernie Biales in the 1972 MIT Journal the Widowmakers were composed of potassium picrate, ammonium perchlorate, and nitrocellulose.
propellant chemistry has greatly improved since then so I doubt that these new German composites contain any NC or picrates.....BAM would never ok them. They are considered primary and high explosives. I would make an educated guess they are simply APCP.
I'm nowhere near a motor making expert (although I will play one for a few seconds here) but I would also guess that since they are endburners and they use paper cases with a composite propellant the propellant probably burns as fast as typical BP and that the chamber pressures are < 300-400 psi.
As far as the rest of your questions, Leo might be able to answer them or Robert Klima, the manufacturer could I'm sure. His phone number is on the web at his website.
When these were first announced at the Nuremberg 2011 Toy Fair I thought I read they were pressed composites. By pressed I also mean granulated as thats how the APCP in the Czech Rapiers were made and they were essentially long duration endburners. I could be wrong. In fact all my guesses above could be wrong as they are pure speculation.
Hey Leo...how about an interview with Robert Klima?
Terry Dean