Glenn & Dale;
Righto. We used Red Fuming Nitric Acid--RFNA-- (oxidizer) and hydrazine
(fuel) in our Corporal missiles. They are hypergolic-- that is, burst into
flame when they come into contact. Furfural (sp?) alcohol was used to get a
good combustion chamber light-off. Interesting stuff.
In the Hebrides Islands, we had one missile that misfired on launch. Ever
wonder what happens if they do a countdown from ten, nine, eight, etc., get
to zero....and nothing happens? Well, if you're ever asked that on a TV quiz
show, here's the answer: ...two, one, zero, A, B, C, etc. Our launch
countdown got up to "G" and the launch control officer saftied the fuel
tanks but pressurized RFNA had already blown out of the motor everywhere. A
decontamination crew hosed down everything and neutralized the missile (but
not before the acid had severely damaged a part of the missile guidance
system down on the fins) so that a cherry picker service platform could be
brought in & raised up to the dummy warhead section near the nose.
A battalion Sergeant went up in the cherry picker to deactivate the missile
and while he was 40 feet up in the air a powerful gust of wind caught the
platform, broke the shear pin in the cherry picker, and the whole thing
swung completely around 360 degrees (with the Sgt. aboard) and the platform
slammed into the side of the still half-fuelled missile. We all stood there
like bug-eyed statues while the missile swayed back and forth about 4 feet
before-- thankfully-- settling back on the launcher. I don't think that Sgt.
liked his little ride one bit.
I managed to repair the guidance system while the rest of the Ordnance
soldiers found the launch problem-- a burst diaphram in a fuel line that
didn't burst. Only the RFNA had sprayed into the rocket motor and out the
nozzle, no fuel. We worked all night to get that thing repaired ready for
another launch attempt the next morning and when that countdown got to zero,
we got ignition and a perfect launch, down range out into the Atlantic
ocean. The "Ruptured Duck" streaked up into the sky and pitched over
perfectly on its flight trajectory, right over a Soviet "fishing trawler"
bristling with antennas. Take that, Ivan.
So much for war stories.
Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ
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