For those who missed it, here is a link to a video showing the 29mm tests, and then the idiotic "K" powered tests:
https://vimeo.com/55626828
Look at how that tree shakes when it's hit, and imagine a person taking that hit instead. Of course, the way those metal (steel?) pedal cars were mangled also gives testament to the velocity and impact damage.
Some have suggested the casings (and motor power) might have been bigger than what I said. Possibly so, but I didn't want to claim they were bigger than what seemed the smaller end of the spectrum in visual appearance.
Just curious... does NAR / TRA have a mechanism for revoking someone's cert level?
NAR and TRA can definitely do that, and can go as far as to revoke the membership of someone.
But I do not think Travis and the rest are members of NAR or TRA. But, I do not know that for a fact. So if Travis or anyone else is an NAR or TRA member, then the NAR or TRA should look into taking action in revoking their memberships.
I thought that one had to be a HPR certified member of NAR, TRA or CAR to buy a H+ sized motor (beyond the one needed to certify).
There is an exception for military, and universities. That might be how Travis gets his HPR stuff, under the guise of his teaching at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. I guess teaching his students things like how composite rocket motors are sticks of gunpowder, and how Alcohol is a "new" rocket fuel idear he had (never mind VonBraun, V-2, Explorer-1, Redstone, etc).
In any case, if Travis *is* getting those motors via the university loophole, then he's doing so illegally. Because those motors are not being used for any university rocket activities.
So, pretty much this: They are either illegally obtaining HPR rocket motors (the university exception is invalid for this, so if Travis is getting them that way he is committing fraud), or if they are getting them as HPR certified NAR or TRA member(s), then their memberships need to be revoked ASAP. Of course, they'd still get the motors, somehow. But they would not be linked to the NAR or TRA anymore (if they are now, which I doubt).
Hmmm, now, depending on how much truthfulness, versus how much "fiction" (lying) was going on about when they tried to fly at the SLI launch, then Travis might indeed be an HPR certified member of NAR or Tripoli. Because they claimed they were told in advance they could fly their 20 foot Gagarin-killer rocket (that later crashed, elsewhere). But you HAVE to be HPR certified to fly anything at the SLI launch. All the fliers there are university students, but the university loophole does not apply, they have to be HPR certified first (there were a few times when SLI students came down to Birmingham to make flights to get their HPR certs, and I was there when the Birmingham section had special launches to help them do that. So this is how I know this for certain). So, if Travis really did expect to fly at the SLI launch, he should have known he needed to be HPR certified and would therefore need to be an NAR or TRA HPR certed member to fly. But of course, the attempt to "crash" SLI might have all been a stunt for the show, that they never really expected to fly there, just get footage for the show.
Almost tempted to go to their Facebook page and ask if they are HPR certified. And if not, how are they legally obtaining HPR engines for their illegal activities.
- George Gassaway
