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Rocketman Crosses Colorado Gorge
nandemoari writes "Remember the 1991 film, 'The Rocketeer,' where a young pilot uses a jetpack prototype to become a masked vigilante and win the heart of Jennifer Connelly? That scenario isn't as far-fetched as it once was, given that an American stuntman recently used a jetpack to soar over Colorado's Royal Gorge. The stuntman in question is one Eric Scott, who recently appeared on CBS' Early Show and a variety of local cable channels after making his daring leap. Scott has been testing jetpack devices for 16 years, and was confident that he wouldn't plummet to his untimely death when he straddled the Gorge above the Arkansas River earlier this week. Despite an enormous gulf between the two sides — 1,500 feet across and 1,000 feet down — Scott made the trip safely."
Note that he didn't wear a parachute. He's been doing this for years, apparently without serious mishaps, so I suppose he had reason to be confident.
Goes without saying really, but iwantoneforchristmas.
+1 IDisagreeSoHeMustBeATrollOrAnAstroturferOrAShill
Can't a parachute be strapped on the front or something? This guy made it across without being harmed, but I would hardly refer to such an activity as safe. No redundancy = not safe.
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
Hydrogen peroxide naturally decomposes into water and oxygen gas: 2(H2O2) -> 2(H2O) + O2 but it's a very slow reaction. But, throw in a catalyst like silver and it happens in milliseconds. It's a highly exothermic reaction, so at those rates, it actually produces oxygen gas and superheated steam, which is directed through a nozzle. The catalyst isn't used up, so yes you could just refuel and take off again, though the equipment probably needs time to cool down.
Good old catalytic decomposition, I would guess. Simple and reliable, like the hydrazine RCS thrusters on spacecrafts.
Ezekiel 23:20
Anyone got a movie of this stunt? Sounds really cool, would be even cooler to actually see him doing it.
Catalytic decomposition, I would guess. Simple and reliable, like the hydrazine RCS thrusters on spacecrafts.
RCS exhaust is lethal to unprotected humans. At normal shuttle landing sites huge fans are used to blow gas away from the orbiter before any seals are cracked. At emergency landing sites ground crews are briefed to keep clear of the spacecraft.
Eric Scott is still alive so this is not like the RCS system on a spacecraft.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
...and that is precisely why they are using hydrogen peroxide instead of hydrazine or one of its derivates, even though hydrazine has a higher energy density and, at the same time, it is less corrosive and can be stored for an extended period of time. But the principle of the thruster is the same - catalytic decomposition of a monopropellant. What exactly does it make it "not like the RCS system on a spacecraft", other than the choice of the monopropellant?
Ezekiel 23:20
Google says you got it wrong too.
Silly Americans, switch to metric already :D
Like != identical to.
A hydrogen peroxide jet is a monopropellant thruster: all you need is the H202 and a catalyst, which isn't used up. Hydrazine thrusters come in two forms, monopropellant and bipropellant. The monopropellant type is a lot like an H202 jet, and the exhaust is ammonia, nitrogen and hydrogen.
The bipropellant form mixes hydrazine and N204, which is hypergolic - it ignites itself. The exhaust is nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water. The concern with hydrazine thrusters is leaking, unburned hydrazine, not the reaction products.
Eric's a fine stunt specialist with a lot of experience and his jetpack work goes way beyond regular stunt work. But there is a stuntman who rightfully earned and uses the name "Rocketman", and it's not Eric Scott. The real Rocketman built many stunt devices, including Evel Knievel's. He also headed the team to build and fly the first amateur rocket to cross the internationally accepted altitude defining "space". Of course he's not going to fault Eric for the press's inevitable use of the name "Rocketman" -- they do it every chance they get. But these other guys get called that and then that name forgotten. But Ky Michaelson http://www.the-rocketman.com/rocketmanhist.html remains THE Rocketman.
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
I wouldn't be surprised to read that the jetpack he is using is based strongly on the engine that powered the ME-163. The 'fuel tank' consisted of two bladders - one full of concentrated hydrogen peroxide and the other full of high grade methanol.
Actually wikipedia says that the first component wasn't H202 but N2H4 - but I'm skeptical. I've always heard it was concentrated peroxide, and lab experiments I've seen support that theory.
Regardless - back in WWII the biggest threat to the ME163 pilots wasn't getting shot down by other planes, it was having their fuel cells leak this stuff into the plane (which would dissolve the pilot - nasty stuff.)
Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer
...when he crashes, will he win a Darwin award? Thank you very much.