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Old 05-16-2013, 12:03 AM
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Gus Gus is offline
7/21/61
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: North of Detroit
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Bill,

I know the thread is about the history of clustering and staging so I appologize for the tangent. But I want to share another photo which does a good job of showing what happens at the top of a gap stage tube, or what you would see at the top of a booster motor if it didn't have a sustainer motor taped on top.

The photo below shows three frames of a movie I did of a test trying to determine how much powder to use in a 1/8" diameter by one foot long gap stage tube for European booster motors. At the left end of the tube is an Estes igniter held in place in the tube by a tiny ball of Kleenex. I held the tube vertically and sprinkled a very tiny pinch of black powder down on top of the Kleenex.

The 3 frames are consecutive and were shot at 30 frames per second.

The first frame shows immediately before the igniter lights. Igniter and black powder to the left.

Second frame shows the small white spot at the left of the tube as the igniter lights.

Third frame shows the volume of flame at the other end of the tube 1/30th of a second later. Note the lack of flame at the left end of the tube where the igniter was.

The gap stage tube effectively works like fireworks "quick match", virtually instantaneous propogation of a ball of flame to the other end of the tube.

It's not burning embers.

Jerry Lee Lewis had it right: "Goodness gracious great balls of fire!"

Steve
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