We Have Liftoff!!!

Monday May 28th 2007
8:30 p.m.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have liftoff! Three more engines were made using washers taped on as nozzles. Two washers were the same, one was a little bit bigger. The first on the launch pad was the large bore nozzle. It ignited fine and I observed a smaller orange jet of flame along with a large cloud of smoke. The low light probably enabled me to see the orange glow better. The rocket, however, did not move.

The second engine was one with a smaller washer on the end. This one ignited, flew a meter into the air, fell back to the ground, and burned out half the engine before the thrust blew the washer off the back of the engine.

The third and final engine took a while to ignite. My thoughts are that the ignition wire touched the inside of the washer which shorted it out. Once ignited, it flew a little ways off the pad then fell down and burned out, but the nozzle stayed put!

Pictures:

This is the ignition of the first wide bore nozzle engine.

We have liftoff!!!

The second engine burning itself out on the ground.

The third engine mid-descent.

Can you guess what this is?