Hale Rocket - how do you ignite it?

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CANNONMAN

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Well it is a BP question. And for those of you that know me, I make a lot of my own BP for years for the numerous cannons I make. The first batch I made here in TN I tried a new puck mold and then began to wonder about how they used BP in rocket engines. The Hale has compressed BP with a cone of air. Imagine a tube packed with BP that had a cone, liken to an ice cream cone in the center of it with the tip of the cone at the top of the BP. This makes sense to control burn and not have it simply blow up. Having it not blow up is the point. I can make the whole thing. I can machine the nozzle for spin stabilization and make the tube and BP. Packing the BP around a cone would also be simple. BUT! It seems to me that the thing should be ignited from the base near the nozzle and not the tip? If so, it seems it would have to have the circumference of the base of the BP be ignited simultaneously? Any thoughts? And if anybody knows how I can get ahold of Officers' Wife I
'd appreciated you.
 
Just as a general caution, I have heard that sold-fuel rocket motors can turn into firecrackers if a chunk of fuel falls into the exhaust path and briefly occludes it. However you light it, you want to reliably be a safe distance away before showtime.
 
I have this odd rememory that a fired clay venturi and a wax plug were used--but, I may be conflating Congreave with Hale.

The wax plug kept the powder dry and allowed canon fuse quills to be inserted. Propellant powder was loose packed so that it would conflagrate rather than detonate. (That is unless memory is faulty.)
 
Somewhere in my library is a book on British rocketry.
 
Hey 4v50 hope you can give me a lead. I blown up so much BP that I hope it's going to work as a propellent. Seems like a great project.
 
Congreve's works are republished and may be had today. Congreve's book, Details for a Rocket System was republished by Museum Restoration Services and is as low as $19.95 at Alibris.com. (I have this book too but couldn't find it). From Winter's book, page 56 they were lit with a fuse. Not surprising as friction primers were not around in 1805. Originally Congreve mounted his stabilizing stick on the side of the rocket. That however caused the rocket to yaw, especially if there was wind. He later used a centrally mounted stabilizing stick by putting an endcap on the rocket that was threaded for the stick. Holes in the endcap allowed for the gases to escape.

At a glance (it's been years since I read the book and I didn't scribble notes all over it), the powder must have had something added to it to slow its burning. The top of the rocket packed explosive (black powder) that was lit by a fuse.
 
Page 202 mentions the propellant. "Both the Congreve and Hale rockets used gunpowder as the propellant, although the proportions of the ingredients changed from model to model. Burning rates were modified by increasing or decreasing the amount of saltpeter and/or charcoal." It goes on and states, "By 1870, the British formula for Hale's 12 and 24 pounders was 70% saltpeter, 16% sulphur and 23% charcoal (alder) wood. For 3 and 9 pounders the proportions were 68.75%, 12.25% and 18.75% respectively.

On page 210 it talks about igniters. "Igniters for Hale's rockets were friction tubes with a trigger and a lanyard arrangement fitted on to the tube launchers, or a simple slow match and portfire."
 
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