WW-II rocket motor on E-bay - opinions ?

Do yourself a favor and first read the history of the ME-163, especially
about pilots who were burned to death by the rocket motor's fuel!

end

"BeepBeep" wrote in message
...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rocket-Engine-Ge...erschmitt-Kome
t_W0QQitemZ6551110440QQcategoryZ4078QQrdZ1QQcmdZVi ewItem


Anybody think this can actually be lit off ?

that is - without

(a). any tech manual documentation
(b). any kind of hazmat permits (presuming it uses
some toxic chemicals for fuel).
(c). blowing oneself up





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"Juergen Nieveler" wrote in message
. ..
wrote:

This would be a cool conversation piece. Or an instrument of
self-immolation. Owne'rs choice, I guess.

Mount it to the back of a car, get some fuel for it, make sure there's
people with cameras about, and you'll be a living legend in DAFUL :-)

Juergen Nieveler
--

No, you'd be a DEAD "legend".
You'd probably qualify for a "Darwin Award" nomination.

a) it would be very dumb to do it without a major overhaul and an
extensive study of the engine....actually, might be worthwhile to make a
replica with modern materials and run that.
b) a permit? What is a permit going to do for you? You don't need no
stinkin' permit...unless you really need a permit...then you get one.
c) there is risk if everything, but historically speaking, firing one
up and documenting on video/audio for posterity would be very
worthwhile. With the right people (definitely not the mythbusters)
taking the proper precautions, running this engine, while a major
undertaking, under controled conditions ought to be tried....but only
if you are going to do it under near lab conditions. Just my
opinion...it isn't an ordinary "motor".


BeepBeep wrote:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rocket-Engine-Ge...cm dZViewItem


Anybody think this can actually be lit off ?

that is - without

(a). any tech manual documentation
(b). any kind of hazmat permits (presuming it uses
some toxic chemicals for fuel).
(c). blowing oneself up

Keith W wrote:

Thats only the fuel or C-stoff which was 57% Methanol, 30% hydrazine
hydrate and 13% water. The killer was the oxidiser, t-stoff which was 80%
concentrated hydrogen peroxide. This compound causes spontaneous
combustion when in contact with almost any fuel, including human flesh.

What about the Z-stuff? What was it? And which of the
others (C or T) replaced it?

Doug

"miket6065" wrote:
snip

Probably was
that the pilot didn't have a direct linkage to the engine. It seems in the
wings were the flight engineers and the pilot spoke into speaking tubes
giving orders about power settings. This was almost as dangerous as the
glider idea and Karl complained bitterly. Finally the pilot had some direct
power control on the engines.


I doubt that this is correct...on the Canadian ASW aircraft (the
Argus) the pilots didn't operate the engines either, they never
touched them, and we flew that aircraft for over twenty years
with the flight engineers operating them...no accident was ever
attributed to that fact.
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)

Gord Beaman wrote:
"miket6065" wrote:
snip


Probably was
that the pilot didn't have a direct linkage to the engine. It seems in the
wings were the flight engineers and the pilot spoke into speaking tubes
giving orders about power settings. This was almost as dangerous as the
glider idea and Karl complained bitterly. Finally the pilot had some direct
power control on the engines.



I doubt that this is correct...on the Canadian ASW aircraft (the
Argus) the pilots didn't operate the engines either, they never
touched them, and we flew that aircraft for over twenty years
with the flight engineers operating them...no accident was ever
attributed to that fact.

I think the difference is the FEs and pilots were together in the
cockpit of the Argus, not connected only by Gosport tubes (or
whatever the Germans called them).

I think there are still crewed aircraft around where the pilot can
reach the engine controls but normally the FE operates them... not
that I have any time in heavies myself, just hearsay.

"Doug Sams" wrote in message
...


Keith W wrote:

Thats only the fuel or C-stoff which was 57% Methanol, 30% hydrazine
hydrate and 13% water. The killer was the oxidiser, t-stoff which was 80%
concentrated hydrogen peroxide. This compound causes spontaneous
combustion when in contact with almost any fuel, including human flesh.

What about the Z-stuff? What was it?

A catalyst, usually either calcium permamgante or potassium permanganate.


And which of the
others (C or T) replaced it?


C-stoff, early engines used to Z-stoff to make the T-stoff
dissassociate into steam and O2. This was the so called 'cold' engine.
The same reaction was used to drive the turbine fuel pump
for the V-2 and the Walter turbines in the experimental type
XXVI U-Boats

Two of these were briefly used as test craft by the RN post war and were
nicknamed HMS Exploder and HMS Excruciator by their crews !

Keith



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Gord, but I was told that the FEs were in the wings, not in the cockpit.
This wasn't like the B29 where the FE was behind the pilots and within near
reaching distance.

Gord Beaman wrote:

"miket6065" wrote:
snip

Probably was
that the pilot didn't have a direct linkage to the engine. It seems
in the wings were the flight engineers and the pilot spoke into
speaking tubes
giving orders about power settings. This was almost as dangerous as
the
glider idea and Karl complained bitterly. Finally the pilot had
some direct power control on the engines.


I doubt that this is correct...on the Canadian ASW aircraft (the
Argus) the pilots didn't operate the engines either, they never
touched them, and we flew that aircraft for over twenty years
with the flight engineers operating them...no accident was ever
attributed to that fact.

Gord, good to see that you're still here!
The B-36 was also an FE-oriented airplane. The pilots had a set of
coarse throttles, but all the fiddling and fine adjustment was done
by the FEs (later models had 2 on duty at any given time). Of
course, they had a lot to do - 6 engines, 6 props, 2
turbosuperchargers/engine, multispeed cooling fans (Which would chew
up 200 hp/engine if you set 'em wrong) and, if they had nothing
better to do, they could go out into the wing & change out the
accessory sections.
BTW, I just noted a new book in one of the local shops in the making
of "The Dambusters" - lots of beautiful shots of Lancasters, both
inside & out, from about your era - (Mid '50s). I think the Statute
of Limitations is off now, so - after the movie came out, you guys
weren't, uhm, taking the opportunity to practice chasing down the
local lakes at 60', were you? (Just in case they needed to make the
sequel, after all).

Oh, yeah - the John Wayne estate's just released one of his better
movies, after sitting on it for a couple of decades- "Island in the
Sky". It's the story of a C-47 (Captained by John Wayne) on the
North Atlantic Run (Preque Isle, Gander/Goose, Bluie West 1,
Reykavik, Prestwick) forced down somewhere in Labrador or
Newfoundland during Winter, and the search for the missing plane. It
was adapted by Ernie Gann from his novel of the same name, which is
based on events that actually happened while Gann was a Civil
Contract pilot on the North Atlantic Run. The film was directed by
Lafayette Escadrille veteran William Wyler - so it's got Authentic
Aviation through the roof. It's damned good, and not your typical
John Wayne movie. (And Wyler's presence shows that while Bomber
Pilots make History, Fighter Pilots _do_ make movies.)
I caught it on cable, but I understand it's also being released on
DVD.


--
Pete Stickney
Java Man knew nothing about coffee.

Peter Stickney wrote in news:iaens2-sk7.ln1
@adelphia.net:

Oh, yeah - the John Wayne estate's just released one of his better
movies, after sitting on it for a couple of decades- "Island in the
Sky".

snip
I caught it on cable, but I understand it's also being released on
DVD.


Yes, it is in my Netflix queue (DVD)--today shows as "short wait", which in
theory means they have some in stock out to members, but are falling a
little short of user demand.

Peter A. Stoll