BRS Rocket disposal

[ODowneyEng]

This is how I disposed of expired BRS Rocket from my plane. Local fire dept. did not want to know about it.

lesson learned: don’t position level as it bounced on ground before going wildly skyward. It is quite violent.

here is the video. Enjoy

Oliver 

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0nI0OrcnHt1MNXKuee6xSNymg#Wilmington,_Home_&_Burgaw

[GrassStripFlyBoy]

WOW!  That was entertaining - I'm still laughing at the comment "where the F did that go?"

Ok seriously now, being an E-LSA fella, I'm considering buying the age'd out rockets and rotating them back into service every year, perpetually replacing and never surpassing ~1 year past the certified time line requirement, just a thought at the moment.  Better than letting one go for years past the service life, but also not having to buy a new one either?  I have three years before I face the decision.

[Tom Baker]

 The rocket is very unstable aerodynamically by itself. It could have easily reversed direction and come right back at you. You could have seriously hurt or killed somebody. It is the pickup collar and harness that deploys the chute that keeps the rocket stable, without it who knows where it will go.

I have serviced several parachutes. I remove the rocket fuel from the canister as soon as practical after replacing the rocket. The fuel by itself will burn very rapidly, like a big sparkler, but not go anywhere.

[Tom Baker]

1 hour ago, GrassStripFlyBoy said:

WOW!  That was entertaining - I'm still laughing at the comment "where the F did that go?"

Ok seriously now, being an E-LSA fella, I'm considering buying the age'd out rockets and rotating them back into service every year, perpetually replacing and never surpassing ~1 year past the certified time line requirement, just a thought at the moment.  Better than letting one go for years past the service life, but also not having to buy a new one either?  I have three years before I face the decision.

You will have to go pick up the rockets yourself, because they can't be shipped while assembled. At least not legally. That is why you have to remove the rocket when you send the parachute to BRS for service, and you have to assemble the rocket from parts when replacing it.

[Anticept]

Yeahhhh i can tell you from first hand experience with rocketry, that's something you really don't want to go firing off like that if it doesn't have proper stabilization. I almost hit someone when I decided to fire off a model rocket with a broken fin.

Fun though.

Also, if that's an Irish accent... that's icing on the cake. There's something about this that just seems so Irish!

[ODowneyEng]

Born in Tipperary, Ireland. Worked in various countries around the world. Came to the USA, the home of aviation in 78. Been a great journey. This truly is a great country 

[mchou83]

hello there, can you please share it again? I would like to see this interesting video

 

[ODowneyEng]

Here attached is the requested BRS Rocket disposal video. Hope it is uploaded correctly. Be careful this method was not safe, but was exciting.

Due to lack of Aerodynamics it can go anywhere 

Enjoy

Regards

Oliver

[cdarza]

Just curious.  How old was that rocket

[ODowneyEng]

It had just turned 10. Years old

[Doug G.]

Is it possible to soak it in a bucket of water to disable it?

[FlyingMonkey]

On 2/22/2020 at 10:27 PM, Doug G. said:

Is it possible to soak it in a bucket of water to disable it?

I believe that is what BRS recommends.  I'd soak it 24 hours.

[procharger]

I just took mine apart and then you can soak the fuel puck in water if you want to

and fire the cap in a vise with a rag over it. You have to get the long key out by

 turning the red canister backwards and fish out the key through the slot, remove cap

and take it apart.

[FlyingMonkey]

16 hours ago, procharger said:

I just took mine apart and then you can soak the fuel puck in water if you want to

and fire the cap in a vise with a rag over it. You have to get the long key out by

 turning the red canister backwards and fish out the key through the slot, remove cap

and take it apart.

I think I'd just soak the whole assembly and call it good.  I'd hate to get it hot from friction getting the key out and cooking it off...

[Clay Johnson]

I used the attached instructions, except I pried out the fuel with a utility knife and screw driver in small chunks, instead of using a chisel. 

BRS-5 Rocket Disposal Instructions.pdf

[Anticept]

You can unscrew the primer's three little plastic screws in the black base that screw it to the rocket motor. I've fired those off in my hand pointed away from me AFTER I removed it from the motor. It goes off with a bang like a blank .45, its quite impressive.

As for removing the fuel charge: screw in 2 metal bolts and a block in 2 of the 3 holes in the rocket base. There is a slot in the side filled with RTV, pick that out and look for the metal tab, you want to place the block in a vise and turn the motor case in the direction that will cause the metal tab to back out. It is a retaining ring. You might need a big pipe wrench.

Once that ring falls out, keep the block clamped, and pull away from the vise with a grip on the casing. There are o-rings that are the final obstacle, once they break free, you will see the fuel charge. A little shake and both come out.

I have 4 of them I will be setting off soon, just need a safe place to do it!

[airhound]

On 2/20/2020 at 5:42 PM, ODowneyEng said:

Here attached is the requested BRS Rocket disposal video. Hope it is uploaded correctly. Be careful this method was not safe, but was exciting.

Due to lack of Aerodynamics it can go anywhere 

Enjoy

Regards

Oliver

 

Dang! I’m amazed at all the work that thing does. What am I missing?

it lifts the weight of the collar, crashes through the fuselage cover while pulling the chute and ripping 4 risers out of their tracks which are zip tied in place…and housed under composite. Is there much chute/canister friction. Anyway All that combined takes some energy….how many zip ties holding things in place??

……If I read another post right, what’s the idea about doing a yearly rotation with saved fuel on an ELSA?  I get do as you desire, it’s experimental, but not clear on why rotate yearly…?
……what do rocket replacement parts run, approximately?

along those lines…would anyone save ELT batteries?

……don’t need to pack a survival tent or 550 cord or fire starter if one punches out over desolation……to be avoided

 

 

 

[FlyingMonkey]

On 8/1/2021 at 6:01 AM, BugBuster (BB) said:

Dang! I’m amazed at all the work that thing does. What am I missing?

it lifts the weight of the collar, crashes through the fuselage cover while pulling the chute and ripping 4 risers out of their tracks which are zip tied in place…and housed under composite. Is there much chute/canister friction. Anyway All that combined takes some energy….how many zip ties holding things in place??

……If I read another post right, what’s the idea about doing a yearly rotation with saved fuel on an ELSA?  I get do as you desire, it’s experimental, but not clear on why rotate yearly…?
……what do rocket replacement parts run, approximately?

along those lines…would anyone save ELT batteries?

……don’t need to pack a survival tent or 550 cord or fire starter if one punches out over desolation……to be avoided

 

 

 

I have thought the same thing, it's doing a LOT.  Though IIRC the risers get pulled out of their fairings in the airplane skin by the aerodynamic forces on the chute and not by the rocket.  I think the rocket pulls the chute out and stretches out the first part of the risers, then the wind takes over and grabs the chute and does the rest.  Still a lot of force to break all those zip ties, punch through the fuselage panel, and pull the chute out of the canister to its full extension.  When they say treat it like a loaded gun I think they are actually underselling it.