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The Huntsville Concrete Rocket
eric writes: "Students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville have designed and launched the world's first concrete rocket. Video of the launch can be found on their site" Look to the bottom of the page. What's next? Concrete cell phones? I could use a cell phone that could float.
Sorry, I didn't find the rocket. I found a concrete canoe. And a part of the article mentioned that the concrete could be used to make a rocket.. COULD...
In the distance you hear an ominous moo.
Calling it a concrete rocket is a bit misleading however IMHO - if it is like the boat, it's got a very thin layer of concrete ( < half an inch) over the top of a structure made from another material.
What is more interesting is the concrete - waterproof, high tensile strength, etc. etc.
"Fly's like a brick" might have to be re-evaluated.
A second Washington monument has appeared overnight. The second one is round, but of similar dimensions to the original monument.
President Bush was quoted as saying "Cool! Bungi jumping!"
Former President Clinton was quoted as saying "Yep, almost lifesize! Now THAT'S a legacy, baby!"
More on topic- this impresses me less than the concrete boats the military used in WWI (I think). I can understand blasting concrete around, but my mind just can not wrap itself around a big hunko concrete actually floating. Of course, iron/steel would also be a non-starter if I didn't grow up with it as the standard, probably.
Vote monkeys into Congress. They are cheaper and more trustworthy.
It is a felony in most states to launch a model rocket exceding certain characteristics.
For example tipping it with a nail, or making it a DESTRUCTIVE DEVICE by merely increasing its girth to over sixty hundredths of an inch, or using its fuel as a type of explosive payload.
But you cannot tip it with a metal mass.
These people cleverly used concrete to skirt the state laws on illegal rocketry.
Thats funny.
We used to shoot metal tipped rockets into aluminum siding of college busses using c engines in mosquitos at college (actually the NROTC guys did it all the time as a thrill)
They stopped when springtime brought prospect of open bus windows.
the rockets stuck into the bus (north campus busses).
They would have used cement to stay within the law if they knew it could be done.... too bad it would be a small pinch of payload.... no way to get thrust for much concrete.
There was a whole article about this in the New Scientist a couple of months ago, it's not on their site but I seem to recall it mentioned concrete planes too...
Someone tries to call me on this every time I use that word. No, it is not a typo. There is a key separating the 'g' and 'd' keys, so you can assume I meant to type that.
Wow, I must say, I'm proud to live in this state now! Billy Bob spent his 4 years learning how to make concrete fly! See, Alabama isn't so bad, after all. No, really.
So you want an Aquapac?
)9TSS
There has even been serious military planning for concrete submarines. Since concrete is very strong under pressure, such subs can sink to enormous depths and lurk on the sea bottom, looking like a rock to enemy sonar. Steel subs can only go down about half a mile.
-- We don't understand software, and sometimes we don't understand hardware, but we can *see* the blinking lights
Check out the GNCTR:
o ggan&hl=en&safe=off
Great
Northern
Concrete
Toboggan
Race
at http://www.google.com/search?q=gnctr+concrete+tob
"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
Several Universities around here build concrete toboggans. Take a look, it's actually quite intersting.
I guess when the attack of the smart elephants starts we really will be able to build concrete rockets powered by nuclear bombs!
Who knew Jerry Pournelle was a true visionary?
NASA is located on Redstone Arsenal and is technically not part of Huntsville, but that would be nitpicking. (Redstone is also home to the US Army's Missile Command, MICOM). One of the early rockets developed at MSFC was the Redstone Rocket, named for the arsenal and developed by Wernher von Braun and his team. A version of the Redstone called the Jupiter C launched the USA's first satellite into orbit, and Mercury Redstones launched Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom into suborbital flights prior to John Glenn's first orbital flight.
So all this history has me wondering: do the UAH students call it the "Graystone" rocket?
--Jim
I wouldn't be caught dead in a concrete submarine until they get their shit together with concrete surface ships.
~Philly
1. "This unique interaction prevents the concrete from cracking and, when properly designed, the composite section can withstand more stress and absorb more energy than an advanced aerospace composite made using materials such as graphite and epoxy."
2. "Two of our chapter members and some other students on campus recently put this claim to the test by designing, building, and launching the first rocket made from reinforced concrete."
Maybe the SR-71 won't leak on the runway!
"I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
Because of the need to rush construction, the ready availablitity of concrete (as opposed to scarce metal) and the 'who cares about fuel mileage' attitude, Liberty ships during WWII were sometimes produced in concrete. These were trans-Atlantic freight haulers, deemed perfect for moving armoured vehicles. Of course, if struck by enemy fire, they gave a quick refresher on the phrase 'sinks like a stone'.
So long and thanks for all the fish . . . !!!
The American Society of Civil Engineers holds and annual concrete canoe competition for student chapter/club programs. Check out the site for more information...
"He was a wise man who invented beer" Plato
I'm a model rocket enthusiast as well. You're right--there are rules for specific model rockets (1 pound or less, no use of metal, et al.) The National Association of Rocketry set these rules.
But there is such a thing as amateur rocketry, which has a different, more complex set of rules. I don't want to talk much more about this since I don't participate, but these people have massive rockets that fly to substantial heights with very high impulse engines. I don't know if the NAR is the sanctioning body for these people, but, provided they follow the rules for these devices from whatever body provides them, it shouldn't be a problem.
Otherwise, people like Dick Rutan and other amateur rocketry fans would have a very hard time trying to win the X Prize (http://www.xprize.org/).
Vos teneo officium eram periculosus ut vos recipero is.
What the heck! We're talking about making rockets and submerines and stuff out of this super concrete?!?!?? Let's be practical and fix the damn streets with the stuff!!!
From the sig:
Error 1701-D. file not found.
Obviously you forgot to purchase the Enterprise version.
--- I wish I could hear the soundtrack to my life. That way I'd know when to duck.
The American Society of Civil Engineers runs a nationwide contest each year, where teams of college students build concrete canoes, race them against other schools in their area, and then meet for a national race. This year's race is in Wisconsin. I've also been told that some places build concrete tobaggans too, but not for a contest.
My girlfriend is the captain of the Johns Hopkins University Concrete Canoe Team. The presentation was held just this past Sunday, against Catholic University in DC. Over the past 3 years of her doing this, I've picked up a few things. Concrete isn't just for cinder-blocks... depending on how you mix it, what you add to it, how you pour it and cure it, and what you pour it ON (example: mix it with microspheres or layer it between sheets of fiberglass mesh), you can make a very lightweight, low-density (read: floats) structure.
Even though I know all this, the old jokes never get less funny. "Concrete canoe? You row, I'll watch."
Intercarve Networks, LLC
Ok I know there are alot of people who think that the whole concrete rocket thing is stupid. In fact it was done just to see if it could be done. The real project that this team works on is much bigger. I helped. Student Launch Initiative of The University of Alabama in Huntsville's official website is: http://www.eng.uah.edu/~sli/ You can fins the videos and such there. The newest videos of our launch to 11,000 ft should be posted soon.
Like we don't have ENOUGH jokes about Huntsville?
"Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
I'm a member of CMASS, a NAR section in New England. In the past, I've been responsible for doing the regulatory paperwork needed to have a high power rocket launch.
(speaking of which, we have a launch coming up on April 20 in Amesbury, MA -- see our launch schedule)
So, while in most states there are usually no additional local restrictions (California is a notable exception). The states usually adopt the NFPA codes 1122 and 1127 as their regulations. These are what actually limit the amount of structural metal (and that's only on a high power rocket).
However there are FAA regulations that restrict the weight, altitude, and amount or propellant that a model rocket can use. Generalizing (see the schedule link above for a more detailed table), and assuming you meet the other restrictions outlined in FAR 101 (i.e., not within 5 miles of an airport):
- A rocket under 1lb and with up to a "G" motor can be launched with no altitude restriction.
- A rocket under 3.3lbs and with up to a G motor is only a large model rocket; it requires no approval from the FAA, but it does require a LMR notification prior to the flight
- A rocket over 3.3lbs of rocket or over 125g of propellant requires an FAA waiver to allow the launch.
So, depending upon the weight of the concrete rocket (I didn't see that offhand on their page), they could have been fine with their launch, especially since they only launched on an Aerotech "E" (which is generally under 20g of propellant).That all being said:
None of the FAA regulations have provisions for such blanket immunity of universities; I think you are mistaken here. You should check into this.
And, let me point out that none of this applies to amateur rocketry. As said above by someone else, that has it's own, more complex rules.
Outside of all that, there is ongoing litigation with the BATF about their attempts to regulate the hobby. See the information at the NAR (National Association of Rocketry
Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun working on it. If it weren't for that annoying life and family thing, I'd be shooting up, too (Uh..rockets, that is...)
Vos teneo officium eram periculosus ut vos recipero is.
No no, you're thinking wrong, how about a solar car that has a set of bicycle pedals for the driver to pedal so that the car can go faster, and rely on batteries less? A pedal assisted solar car could go pretty fast considering it's already sreamlined and recumbant. Or maybe an enclosed recumbant bicycle could be given solar power assist, so that higher speeds could be achieved.
True though, the 'concrete' they made a rocket out of is pretty high tech. They could probably make a nerf frisbee out of the stuff, considering the properties. lighter than water, flexible, strong. It probably costs a lot to make it too, considering it's lighter than water though, it's probably ideal for aircraft design too. I wouldn't be too suprized if the military decideed to test to see if they could make stronger jet aircraft with this stuff.
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
A concrete hot air balloon would really be something.
If nothing else, they claim to be sponsored by NASA. Now, if anybody could arrange an FAA exception, I'm sure that NASA has the connections/rights/knowledge to arrange it.
Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.
because it was SO FRICKEN STUPID! The fact it even made it as a submission just really pissed me off.
Let me get to my first beef. The link take's you to a page that describes a cement canoe. BIG WOOT! Out here in California, around Santa Cruz we have a state beach with a HUGE cement boat, not some dinky little canoe.
I wish I had a link to a picture, or something from the state park, but Iâ(TM)ll do my best to tell the story. During the war metal was in short supply (all going to the war effort) so efforts were made to find alternate materials (ala cement)
Now my second point concerns that rocket. I've built quite a few model rockets in my lifetime, mainly Estes kit's. The concrete rocket looks exactly like a Estes model 1818. It sounded like they used a C6-7, i.e. engine size C, 6-second burst, 7 second delay to parachute deployment. Listen to the video yourself you can hear it. The point Iâ(TM)m trying to make is ANY dope can take a Estes model kit, cover the paper tube with some stucco, stick a fat engine in there and it will probably fly. Will Nasa be looking at this anytime soon? Hell No! Model rockets with their solid fuel gunpowder engines are no comparison to a huge steel rocket pressurized with several atmospheres of oxygen as fuel.
Anyways, really stupid article, whoever submitted it THANK YOU for making the slashdot population just a little dumber.