A10-3T fired underwater

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We all launch a lot of rockets in the air, how many of us have launched one from underwater?
 
We all launch a lot of rockets in the air, how many of us have launched one from underwater?

I have. I ran into my high school friend at a launch in Pawhuska back in Sept. We were talking about our old launches and he brought up my launch of a Mosquito from underwater. This would have been back in '74 or '75 (I think). Not really a big deal. I used a block of wood wedged in the bottom of a tall pail (OK, it was a diaper pail ,but don't tell anybody). The launch rod went into the block of wood. Kevin reminded me that I had painted the Mosquito in yellow neoprene paint (I don't think it helped any). This was back in the day when igniters were just a straight piece of nichrome. I put the igniter in the motor, and a ball of tissue paper, followed by a piece of masking tape to cap it. Launch went perfectly - the resistance of the nichrome is much less than the resistance of water, so the igniter had no problem. Never found the rocket - never found ANY Mosquito I've launched!
 
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Never found the rocket - never found ANY Mosquito I've launched!
50 years ago, My brother and I both built Mosquitoes. I think they lasted a total of 3 flights before they were both lost. The one we did find was just via dumb luck wandering around the football field: we didn't actually see it going up or coming down.
 
I think the only Mozzie I've ever seen recovered was from flying in the middle of a big parking lot. We could hear the "Whack! of landing, and walked over to it. I consider them "single use rockets".
 
It is very helpful if you want to launch a scale model Polaris missile from a model submarine. The Polaris would have to be made out of FG, so it would have to be scaled up to a decent size, say a minimum diameter 24mm or 29mm. Without fins, you would have to use gas dynamic stabilization with air holes cut below the engine nozzle in the airframe, use a long burn motor and a short delay. I am already testing 13mm and 18mm models (cardboard based and not for underwater launch). Anybody got a model submarine?
 

I launched from underwater somewhere around 1967, from an irrigation canal on my grandfather's farm. I sealed the back of the motor with a cardboard disk with the igniter leads coming out through 2 small holes. The rocket was barely covered with water so it was a fairly routine launch. It would take a lot more work if you intended for the rocket to be underwater for some length of time.
 
That's a potential winning entry in any NARAM Sport Scale contest!
 
Didn't watch the video, but if it's truly an A10-3T I'm sure it blew up at some point. Highest Cato rate I've ever seen with those motors. I simply won't buy them now.
 
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