Gliding rocket

ke...@askforaddress.com

unread,

Jun 23, 2008, 7:10:47 AM6/23/08

to

I observed an interesting and rather scary thing this weekend. A long,
skinny (~3" diameter) rocket suffered a recovery harness failure at apogee,
and the booster section did not come in on chute. What it did do was glide -
a relatively long way, and very fast. It was amazingly stable, and flew in a
slightly 'nose up' attitude. The winds were very slight, crosswind to the
flight line.

A guesstimate would put the glide distance in excess of 400 yards from
~1000', at a speed well in excess of 30mph. There was no nose cone or
forward section, just the open tube. There were no tag ends of harness
flapping in the breeze, so it must have broken at the mounting. The scary
part is that on its final leg, it took a turn toward the flight line and
came in arrow straight toward the crowd. It impacted the berm of a drainage
ditch less than 30' in front of people.

I've never seen such a thing, and am really glad it is not a more common
occurance.

Kevin O

Joe Pfeiffer

unread,

Jun 23, 2008, 10:46:45 PM6/23/08

to

ke...@askforaddress.com writes:

There was a boost glider at NARAM a few years ago designed to glide
like this.

Smaug Ichorfang

unread,

Jun 24, 2008, 2:31:40 AM6/24/08

to

Doesn't Peter Alway have a patent on retrogliding model rockets? Number
6926576 I believe.
http://www.google.com/patents?id=FksUAAAAEBAJ&dq=backward+gliding+rocket

Joe Pfeiffer <pfei...@cs.nmsu.edu> wrote in
news:1bod5rs...@snowball.wb.pfeifferfamily.net:

--
sm@ug dot ichorfang
at gmail dotcom

Joe Pfeiffer

unread,

Jun 24, 2008, 5:57:52 PM6/24/08

to

Smaug Ichorfang <s...@ug.the.orc> writes:
>
> Joe Pfeiffer <pfei...@cs.nmsu.edu> wrote in
> news:1bod5rs...@snowball.wb.pfeifferfamily.net:
>>

>> There was a boost glider at NARAM a few years ago designed to glide

>> [backwards]

> Doesn't Peter Alway have a patent on retrogliding model rockets? Number
> 6926576 I believe.
> http://www.google.com/patents?id=FksUAAAAEBAJ&dq=backward+gliding+rocket

That patent looks like it's probably the one I'm thinking of. I
didn't remember Peter was involved, though.

George Rachor From:

unread,

Jul 5, 2008, 8:54:45 PM7/5/08

to

Yup.. Called the backslider.....

I belive one of Alway brothers actualy has a patent on it....

George Rachor

geo...@rachors.com

=========================================================
George L. Rachor Jr. geo...@rachors.com
Hillsboro, Oregon http:rachors.com
United States of America Amateur Radio : KD7DCX

burnnews

unread,

Aug 8, 2008, 10:03:50 PM8/8/08

to

I once saw a Mini Mag strip everything at apogee and come in straight down
for a core sample 10' in front of me. I would guess the speed at better than
80mph (maybe more). Quite scary. NOT a glider though so I may be off-post.

<ke...@askforaddress.com> wrote in message
news:W9GdnX_CrYk9GcLV...@giganews.com...

Fred Shecter

unread,

Aug 8, 2008, 11:15:26 PM8/8/08

to

Long slender boosters that glide are called "backsliders". There have been
R&D papers on them. I have not Googled the tem, but give it a shot.

--
-Fred Shecter
remove zorch two places to reply
Current eBay auctions:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQsassZshreadvector

Join the Revolution:
http://www.sirius.com

"burnnews" <burn...@frontiernet.net> wrote in message
news:9W6nk.27291$Lb6....@fe99.usenetserver.com...

Fred Shecter

unread,

Aug 8, 2008, 11:16:01 PM8/8/08

to

That was supposed to be 'term'...

--
-Fred Shecter
remove zorch two places to reply
Current eBay auctions:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQsassZshreadvector

Join the Revolution:
http://www.sirius.com

"Fred Shecter" <fredzorc...@earthlink.zorchnet> wrote in message
news:PMednfS4HIPDlgDV...@earthlink.com...

Steve Vernon

unread,

Aug 9, 2008, 12:11:43 AM8/9/08

to

http://members.aol.com/petealway/srrg.htm

"Fred Shecter" <fredzorc...@earthlink.zorchnet> wrote in message

news:NaedndBB54kflgDV...@earthlink.com...