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  #11  
Old 06-18-2010, 08:58 AM
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GregGleason GregGleason is offline
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Very interesting history. I have never heard of this rocket before until this post, so thanks SEL.

Man, do I really like the box art! It is very Rocket Retro (or is it Retro Rocket).

Greg
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  #12  
Old 06-18-2010, 09:10 AM
RWmarlow RWmarlow is offline
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I cobbled together a "semi-scale" Texaco cricket in the early Seventies...It did have oversize fins...and even on a B14-5 i remember it "coned" on the way up. I think it flew twice more thay day... but after a hard landing at the AARA home field the damage to the fiber fins (the adhesive backed card off of polaroid film) i think it went into the parts bin

RM
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  #13  
Old 06-18-2010, 02:28 PM
Richard Hull Richard Hull is offline
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The alpha-1 is loosely modeled after the V-2.

Once the chemicals were loaded in it with the liquid part in the nose of the rocket, you placed the sloted fuel chamber with the lockdown nozzle part into the inverted missle using a special supplied wrench. The rocket was then placed up-right on the lancher and the reaction began. After about 30-60 seconds you pulled the lanyard, unlocking the retainer pawl, allowing the rocket to literally impulse blast off the pad in a fine mist that was, hopefully, near neutral ph.

Note* There was a safety feature on the alpha-1. Realizing that kids and amateurs would inevitably push the boundries by stuffing in more chemicals to boost altitude and to avoid a catastrophic rupture of the missle body, they made the launch pad support pin a tiny bit smaller than the nozzle outlet and used a rubber "o" ring seal. Thus, anyone attmepting to triple load the thing and hold off launch for a couple of minutes would just see the o-ring seal fail and the fizz blow by it.

We altered one, machining a new launch pin to rather tight tolerances and used a double o-ring and got the rocket to over 300 feet. Fortunately, we never had that rocket rupture.

Some clever guy with modest skill sets could probably use this technology to make an interesting performer in these modern times that would shame the old Alpha-1 performance. No fire, either, from burning motors. Hmmm.....

The cost per launch using vinegar and baking soda could be virtually zip!

__________________________________________________

I actually saw real cricketts launched thanks to Dr. Burke who invited us to a special mutiple launch showing at the university of VA in the early 60's. That thing really moved, too! The spray radius was about 25-30 feet around the tube
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  #14  
Old 07-05-2010, 09:51 AM
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Cohetero-negro Cohetero-negro is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SEL
Does anyone know what was used as the 'Oxidizer' in the old Alpha-1 rocket kits?
Picked one up on ebay that came w/3 drums of 'Fuel' (baking soda ?), but I haven't been ableto find any info on the other powdered ingredient is.

Sean



Sean and others,

I have often wondered if the mechanism for the 2-stage version of the Alpha was the impetus for the ejection/staging mechanism for the Vashon rockets?

in principle they are the same; high pressure holding the stages together with a bladder section, and then the lower pressure in the bladded allowing the stages to separate and the second stage doing its 'conservation of momentum' venting to propel it. Just wondering.

Jonathan - Still more, tell me why?
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  #15  
Old 07-05-2010, 08:26 PM
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SEL SEL is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cohetero-negro
Sean and others,

I have often wondered if the mechanism for the 2-stage version of the Alpha was the impetus for the ejection/staging mechanism for the Vashon rockets?

in principle they are the same; high pressure holding the stages together with a bladder section, and then the lower pressure in the bladded allowing the stages to separate and the second stage doing its 'conservation of momentum' venting to propel it. Just wondering.

Jonathan - Still more, tell me why?


Not sure how it works as I don't own one. If anyone's interested tho,
there is one up on ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com/LUNAR-1-TWO-STAGE-ROCKET-MOON-ROCKET-SCIENTIFIC-PRO-66-/260630569358?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3caecae18e

S.
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  #16  
Old 07-07-2010, 09:44 AM
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Cohetero-negro Cohetero-negro is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SEL
Not sure how it works as I don't own one. If anyone's interested tho,
there is one up on ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com/LUNAR-1-TWO-STAGE-ROCKET-MOON-ROCKET-SCIENTIFIC-PRO-66-/260630569358?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3caecae18e

S.



Yep that is the one.

I have a couple, one MIB and othe other used but complete.

The second stage is held in place by the pressure of the first stage. There is a membrane that is inside a nipple that expands and causes the friction fit of the nipple inside the nozzle of the second stage. The nipple is an extension of the first-stage tank (pressure vessel).

Once the pressure decreses in the first stage tank, the pressure slowly decreases in the nipple, the pressure of the second stage pushes the nipple/first-stage away, and now you have stagging.

This is VERY similar to the way in which the Vashon models would operate but not as fancy and with the tolerances of the Vashon kits.

Just wondering if the idea of the Vashon creators was influences by this kit? It would appear so...

Jonathan
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