8 replies to this topic

[Peret]

I've been playing with something new (to me) recently. Known as Bees, I think. It's a short rocket with a core and a nozzle, but lit at the wrong end through a hole in the side. It spins around on the ground briefly, then when the fire reaches the core it shoots off, curves up and rises more or less vertically with a startling sound. The initial direction is of course random, so it needs a bit of space. I made a tool and pressed a few -

 

 

 

That's a 3 inch, 1/2 inch ID (sorry, 75mm, 12mm ID) tube. The core is about 32mm long, 4mm at the base,  and there's 18mm above it for the spin-up fuel and a solid clay bulkead. I used 60:30:10, and fireproofed the top hole with a little sodium silicate - don't know if that was necessary, because I haven't managed to recover one yet to examine the hole.

 

These are quite, um, exciting. A pretty good backyard firework, as long as you don't have a greenhouse or large windows overlooking. I wouldn't want to make one any bigger. I don't remember ever seeing these as a kid. Has anyone else seen them before?

 

 

[Mortartube]

Look for Stinger Missiles. There is a good tutorial on Skylighter. http://www.skylighte...sile-making.asp

[phildunford]

Yes, known to me as stinger missiles, although killer bees is a much better name.

 

I think I made them from the instructions on Dan Williams' web site.

 

Good fun, but mine were a bit erratic. Must have another go now I've got space and they won't land in the neighbours garden!

[maxman]

Mmm interesting, that dosent look like a stinger to me. You said lit at the wrong end?? 60.30.10 seems a bit slow for a stinger too. Is this a kind of buzz b**b? or turbillon, Z b**b? Does it spin up on a nail or flat ground? If you look at the photo you can see the nozzle but the fuse is at the other end! not like a stinger. I bet that is erratic! fun though. Looks more like a free spinning saxon that turns into a rocket, scary! Heres a stinger with 3g flash http://www.pyrobin.c... 3g flash_1.wmv

 

Rod

Edited by maxman, 06 February 2014 - 04:04 PM.

[Peret]

Stinger missiles are something different. I make those too. They light at a tangential hole near the nozzle, spin up axially on a pin and then take off when the fire reaches the core. They don't always go where you expect - http://www.amateurpy...ge/910-mishaps/

 

These devices don't sit on a pin, they start off flat on the ground and spin horizontally like a ground bloom flower at first. When the core lights and pushes them horizontally, they stand up by gyroscopic precession, assuming they're spinning fast enough, and by conservation of angular momentum the spin changes from radial to axial. At that point they behave like a stinger, except that the direction is random.

 

I use ball milled 60:30:10 in my stingers, normally they fly off with a good amount of zip, though the one in the video above had a bit too much titanium.

 

A half inch tube is a bit heavy for a backyard firework - you wouldn't want it to hit you. Probably a 1/4 inch version would be zippier and less dangerous.

[Bob Twells]

I've never heard of that kind of device before, i.e. turning from spinning on the ground to vertical. Would love to see one in action, off to Youtube I go...

[starseeker]

I would love to buy some tooling for this,any body fancy turning me some?

[Karl Mitchell-Shead]

We buy these in Valencia over Las Fallas, great fun, search 'cyrcoblitz' in youtube

 

[Peret]

I've never heard of that kind of device before, i.e. turning from spinning on the ground to vertical. Would love to see one in action, off to Youtube I go...

 

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Z5I04CMOgBI

 

 

Those above are commercial. After further experiment, I find they need a hot powder in the spin-up section, and a small hole with sodium silicate fireproofing. I made some at Winter Blast but only fired one, which flew howling into an area where there was live product lying around. I didn't press my luck by trying another.

Edited by Peret, 19 February 2014 - 02:19 AM.