Independence Day

[reverend]

I realize it's only the day before Memorial Day and I realize most of what is getting launched would be better classified as fireworks, but hearing some fireworks today gave me the idea to make a Fourth of July "Independence" rocket... The 5 weeks between now and then should be ample time to come up with some designs and make something to launch on Jul 4 (or even two or three somethings!)

Does anyone else have a similar tradition of launching large amounts of pyrotechnics or rockets into the sky by chance?

:beach: Summer Yay!

 

[tblaxland]

We do for New Year's Eve (see here). The 07-08 display had 20,000 fireworks on the Sydney Harbour Bridge alone, and 100,000 fireworks overall:

 

[James.Denholm]

Australian Fireworks: Better, Louder, Bigger, Brighter, More(r), Illegaler.

 

[tl8]

The chasers Apec fireworks show, lol

 

[SPASE_1976]

-'Does anyone else have a similar tradition of launching large amounts of pyrotechnics or rockets into the sky by chance?'-

At easter
Some also use shotguns (thats true , i am not kidding)

i think both are illegal (pyrotechnics AND weapon firing) but.... this is greece!
and i do not like both methods of celebrating , ...

 

[Marcel]

Around here there are several fireworks displays one can go to on the fourth of July, but it's more fun to set off your own and see the others from a distance. The police don't bother with the illegal (good) ones unless the weather is dry and there's a fire danger. They're more concerned with drunk drivers. That's how we celebrate, drinking and blowing things up!

 

[Linguofreak]

Now what I've always thought would be fun would be taking Saturn V's loaded with Apollo-spacecraft-sized nuclear warheads, and using *that* for fireworks. (Best to detonate the nukes a fair ways up. Say halfway to the moon.)

 

[reverend]

Well, the original plans have been scrapped for a 2 stage rocket. Here's today's schedule:

8:00 Schedule Planning
8:15 Equipment Setup
8:30 Prepare new grain molds
9:00 Mix Fuel 1
9:30 Melt and Pour Fuel 1
10:00 Freeze First Grains
10:00 Mix Fuel 2
10:30 Melt and Pour Fuel 2
11:00 Freeze Second Grains
11:00 Mix Fuel 3
11:30 Melt and Pour Fuel 3
12:00 Freeze Third Grains
12:00 Remove First Grains
12:00 Cut and Drill First Grains
12:30 Refreeze First Grains
12:30 Cut Motor Casings
12:30 Cut 2x4's For Launch Pad
13:00 Remove Second Grains
13:00 Cut and Drill Second Grains
13:30 Refreeze Second Grains
13:30 Assemble LaunchPad Support Legs
14:00 Remove Third Grains
14:00 Cut and Drill Third Grains
14:30 Refreeze Third Grains
14:30 Make Nozzles
15:00 Assemble Motors
15:30 Make Ignitors
16:00 Prep R/C Launch Control
16:30 Launch Pad Setup
17:00 Pre-Launch Festivities
19:00 1/2 Scale Motor Launch
19:30 Rocket 1 Launch
20:00 Rocket 2 Launch

 

[Woo482]

good luck with your rocket

 

[reverend]

Thanks,

Also, there's already a change of plans... I realized if I just cut an extra coupler, I can make 2 more molds I can get my 12 grains in 2 batches instead of 3. Duh, simple math! This is going to save about an hour, and I can move alot of the tasks up!. Equipment setup and New molds prepared... Getting ready to mix batch 1. Will repost revised schedule.

8:00 Schedule Planning. Done.
8:15 Equipment Setup. Done.
8:30 Prepare new grain molds Done.
9:00 Mix Fuel 1. Done.
9:30 Melt and Pour Fuel 1. Done.
10:00 Freeze First Grains. Done, BTW: Happy 4th Everybody
10:00 Mix Fuel 2. Done.
10:30 Melt and Pour Fuel 2. Done.
11:00 Freeze Second Grains Done.
11:00 Cut Motor Casings. Done.
11:30 Cut 2x4's For Launch Pad. Done
11:45 Assemble LaunchPad Support Legs. Done
12:00 Remove First Grains. Done.
12:00 Cut and Drill First Grains. Done.
12:30 Make Nozzles. Done.
13:00 Remove Second Grains. Done.
13:00 Cut and Drill Second Grains. Done.
13:30 Make Ignitors. Done
14:00 Prep R/C Launch Control. Done
14:30 Assemble Motors. Done.
15:00 Launch Pad Setup Done.
15:30
16:00
16:30
17:00 Pre-Launch Festivities. Awesome
19:00 1/2 Scale Motor Launch. Awesome.
19:30 Rocket 1 Launch Awesome.
20:00 Rocket 2 Launch Awesome.

 

[Ghostrider]

-'Does anyone else have a similar tradition of launching large amounts of pyrotechnics or rockets into the sky by chance?'-

Yes, in Switzerland on August the 1st. And in Italy, at many popular holidays.

i think both are illegal (pyrotechnics AND weapon firing) but.... this is greece!

And of course, we know that Greece is where SPARTAAAAAAA is.:lol:

 

[Notebook]

November the Fifth in the UK:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night

N.

 

[Star explorer]

this year im going to lite all this and more for independece day

6 triple shell morters

6 double shell morters

50 firecrackers

200 bottle rockets

36 sky rockets

21 M 150 firecrackers (not real M 150s of course)

and well i have so much i cant say evrything but those are the main things cant wait till tonight

 

[reverend]

too bad for all of you that i brought my camera down with bad batteries...

 

[jgrillo2002]

I dont celebrate the holiday because we cant have fireworks in New York. it takes away our civil liberties so just call me a liberal hostage

 

[Andy44]

Fun is dangerous. Fun should be outlawed. Only the professionals should be allowed to have fun.

 

[Ghostrider]

The benefits of a Catholic education: I can improvise explosive and incendiaries out of almost anything I can lay my hands on at the store.

Fun is dangerous. Fun should be outlawed. Only the professionals should be allowed to have fun.

So only prostitutes can have sex?

 

[simonpro]

Only the professionals should be allowed to have fun.

For some reason reading this line made me think of the lyrics "girls just wanna have fun".
Which is a little worrying...


There's fireworks here quite a bit, during the summer there's at least one fireworks display per night, and we've had even more the last week or two as it's high school graduation.
We've taken to launching rockets from the back garden of our apartment building, and as I live on the top floor I get plenty of chances to take photos of them as they zoom past: It's harder than it looks

 

[Cairan]

-'Does anyone else have a similar tradition of launching large amounts of pyrotechnics or rockets into the sky by chance?'-

Icelandic New Year's Eve are just nuts, people put up fireworks just next to parked cars, in the middle of parks, on their lawns, it just goes left and right. That's as close to experience being shelled by artillery fire one can get without actually fearing for your life. Ehm. Actually, sometimes you do fear for your life when it goes off next to you