"SeaLaunch"...Mid/High-Power Style??

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deandome

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I'd been thinking about something, then I saw a post in my "first launch" thread that brought my idea into the realm of possibility...
The other most impressive one was, well, the one designed to use large compressed gas cannisters to inflate air bags. That was downright scary.

People are always looking for huge, un-treed/brushed areas to launch & recover.

What about lakes/oceans??

Obviously, I'm talking glass and/or plastic/polymer construction. Single use or RMS motors (preferably freshwater w/alum. RMS hardware. It lands, you haul it out, drain & dry & go again!

Recovery would be an inflatible balloon/airbag, brightly colored for easy ID. launch would be from the beach/pier, even a lil' towed raft for mid-water use.

I'm not talkin' a huge new sub-genre here, but as a special project for those who live near water who'd like to do something different. Has anyone tried this? Am I assuming correctly that this would meet NAR rules as it has a recovery system?

Just floating my idea out there..anyone wanna dive in? :D :D

Dean
 
Cool, but much more adventurous/iffy than what I propose...

I'm talkin' DRY launches w/wet recoveries. Std. pad/rails used on the beach/pier..or perhaps on a floating platform towed behind a boat (the assumption being that people won't want to risk launching directly from their $$$ yachts/boats).

I gotta applaud that guy with his submerged Polaris-esque launch attempt, but I'm just figuring that large bodies of water provide GREAT recovery areas...and zipping out w/a boat or jet-ski to pick it up sure beats trudging through muddy ground/brush..not to mention trees!

BTW, I've figured how I'm gonna support my new habit; at Bong, I'm gonna bring & RENT quads for recovery & porta potties for obvious reasons!! Wildman was nice enough to let me use his motor home's toilet for my kid, but he could probby make more $$ charging for that then he does selling stuff!!

Dean
 
Larry Brand did make a semi-waterproof rocket called FISH which was for launching at our Fiesta Island site, since rockets there occassionally land in the waters of Mission Bay.

A while back I also read about a group of students who were attempting to make a rocket that would be launched from a completely submerged tube at the bottom of a pool, and did so with limited success.

WW
 
Hmmmm...

A simple all fibreglass or 'glass/Quantum rocket with big enough airtight payload bay to float it would propably be very usable...

Set it up on a shore or dock, point it out to lake, launch, fetch, dry out and repeat...

Pros: Can be launched off your dock

Cons: Much higher cost due to more expensive materials, not to mention the price of some lakefront property and a jetski... :D
 
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