Have you seen this months Popular Mechanics Cover? WTF?

[Up2Late]

I saw this at the Grocery store today and, as someone that grew up as a flying Model Rocket Hobbyist thought, "Oh, Cool," but when I looked closer, I soon realized, that's NOT a Model, that's a Medium Range Air-to-Air, Anti-Aircraft AIM-120C Missile. That's NOT Cool.:wtf:

<>

I haven't read the article yet, to see if it says HOW and Why this guy has the latest generation Air-to-Air missile (which has also been tested as a Surface-to-Air Missile), but I have written Popular Mechanics to ask them WTF. Does anyone have anymore info about this, or this guy?

Here is a link to a page with data on this Missile:

<http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/aim-120.htm>

[jpgray]

1. Someone needs to photoshop in "phallic compensations" for the byline (nt)

[TrustingDog]

10. may as well put a shoot hole at the end.

those men look 'gay', don't they, admiring the big schlong. Where's all the vagina shaped missiles?

[wtmusic]

2. It's probably a non-functional model n/t

[Up2Late]

6. No, that's the claim of the article, that they FLY these "Rockets"

with the same fuel as the Space Shuttle. That means, Solid Rocket fuel, which, even without the guidance system, could be a danger to Commercial Jets! :crazy: Granted, it would be a lucky shot.

[Ready4Change]

34. Lucky shot is putting it mildly.

There is a reason anti-aircraft missiles have to have very advanced guidance systems. Hitting a flying target is HARD. WWII aircraft used multiple machine guns with very high rates of fire, using hundreds of bullets just trying to get a CHANCE of a hit.

A missile or rocket is like one, single bullet. Without guidance, it doesn't stand a chance.

There's just no threat here. I can easily think of 20 things that could do more harm, and have far better chances of success.

[tech3149]

7. High Powered Model Rocketry has been big

since the mid 80's. Launches require FAA notification and waivers.

http://www.nar.org/cabinet/index.shtml#faawaiver

[tinonedown]

3. So, what, this offends you?

It's Popular Mechanics, not Cosmopolitan. Almost expected.

[Up2Late]

11. Oh, so you see no problem with a the average guy having ...

...an Anti-Aircraft Missile with a 20+ mile range? I bet some of the active terrorists, who ARE in this country, might want to find this guy. :eyes:

[MichaelHarris]

15. kinda not true

the motor for that model has a burn time of about 5 seconds, depending on weight it will go about 5000 feet. Don't let the BTF and the patriot act disciples sway you, this is a great hobby that is under attack.

[jdots]

4. Popular Mechanics and Popular Science should be renamed

" Popular Waste Paper "

[leftofthedial]

5. why do you hate us for our freedoms?

[MichaelHarris]

8. I fly those and

it's a replica, I've built a ton of them. I have some bigger ones but the patriot act killed the hobby bad. So much for rocket physics demonstations for school kids.

It is solid fuel, kinda like the shuttle but there is about 1/gazillion less in hobby rockets. It's been around since 1957 and has had no serious accidents. If you're interested watch October Sky, it's a true story and a pretty good movie.

[Up2Late]

16. Are you sure? This one has, what looks like, guidance fins up front.

It also looks like its made of Metal, which I thought was Illegal.

I does say AIM-120C on it, but I know decals can be made:evilfrown:

[MichaelHarris]

20. the kit comes with

those decals, the fiberglass over the cardboard can be sanded to a high polish. If the wind dies down I'll take a picture of the one I'll never get to launch because of the patriot act.

Here's one of mine from it's last launch:

[Carmerian]

30. Heh

LOC Precision must still be in business :)

[MichaelHarris]

38. LOL yeah

that's their Warlock, it flies great and the kids love to see it because it's kinda big.

[KansDem]

9. Are you sure this isn't a full-size model rocket...

designed to look like the real thing?

Perhaps we've gone beyond building fallout shelters (ca1950s) to building missile silos in our backyards? Moving from a reactive to proactive home defense? Freepers might think that if we all had a missile in our backyard ready to fire, that the "axis of evil" would think twice before launching a nuclear attack...

[MichaelHarris]

12. it's

actually a cardboard tube, fiberglassed. The whole thing is nothing more than cardboard tube and plywood. The rules of both the NRA and Tripoli, the governing bodies state the tubes not be of a metal material. There are a few guys making metal ones but they are doing experimental stuff way out in the desert. it's a very safe hobby that the patriot act killed.

[Junkdrawer]

13. ...and in Texas, they'll pass a law that you have to own one. n/t

[Carmerian]

25. Funny you mention it

I used to be a member of DARS several years ago, and the group's main high-ceiling launch site was just south of where Busholini's pig farm is now. It seems DARS still launches from there, somehow.

[Carmerian]

14. Before everyone goes ballistic (so to speak)

As others have noted, the story appears to be about high-power model rocketry. That is, "high-powered" compared with the tiny Estes/Centuri rockets you may have flown as a kid. These larger rockets have only enough fuel for a few seconds of burning, and mostly they're just empty space. Tripoli's website is probably a good place to start.

[nostamj]

17. cowboy! conceal that weapon!!

are we sure it's not a viagra ad that got photoshopped?

[MichaelHarris]

18. I won't get into any kind of flame war but

This is a great hobby under attack by the patriot act and the BTF, hundreds of thousands of kids participate and learn physics all over the world thanks to this hobby. Some may see it as men with big "phallic" symbols, some may see it as "militia" guys with big toys, and some may see "terrorist" possiblilities. You all have the right to your opinion but opinions are more effective with facts. I've never once seen any of the above mentioned types at any of the hundreds of launches I've attended. There has NEVER been any evidence made public, (BTF claims evidence but refuses a court order to introduce it into court) that terrorists will use it.

I've been into this hobby for over 20 years and there are some good people involved, too bad fear will will dictate it's death. All I can ask is the people opposed to this hobby read a few web sites.

[Junkdrawer]

19. Oh, I fly model rockets. But a life sized replica of a Surface-To-Air...

missile is a little over the top.

[Jesus Saves]

21. The salient word here is 'replica'

[Carmerian]

22. Hybrids

Have you tried flying hybrids? The way things are going, that's going to be the only way to fly large models. They make a nice noise, at any rate.

[MichaelHarris]

24. I almost got into that

but I saw too many guys spending way too much time getting it to work.

[Carmerian]

29. Understandable

My activity was tapering off just about the time that Hypertek's system was coming into use. I'm sure it's nice not to have to worry about buying your reloads at the launch site or getting an LEUP to keep them at home. Carting around those heavy nitrous and liquid nitrogen bottles doesn't look to be fun, though.

[MichaelHarris]

31. I had my level 2 cert rocket

ready to go when the patriot act came around, that pretty much killed that. I still have it in case the laws get relaxed.

[Up2Late]

28. O.K. now you have me curious, do you have a link to these Hybrids?

Like I said at the beginning, I did fly the small model rockets when I was a kid.:hippie:

[MichaelHarris]

33. here is some info

http://www.maxthrust.net/Viewlink-cid119.html

[MichaelHarris]

here is a great manufacturer of scale kits

https://secure.consumersinterest.com/pml/

Some people take the scale kits and "upscale" them. That kit in your post may have been an upscaled AmRaam

[Carmerian]

35. Hybrid links

Here's Hypertek's page, and here is Aerotech's page (follow the links about reloadable motors).

[Up2Late]

23. I hope your right, it sure looked like the real thing in PM

If nothing else, it's a poorly written article for not having obvious warning notices.

Do you know if they ever flew that "Mercury Redstone" 1/3 Scale Replica successfully?:hippie:

[MichaelHarris]

27. I think

they flew that on the Discovery channel. For a while last summer the Discovery channel had a series on hobby rocketry. The rules and the launches are very strict on not having guidance. We have electronics i.e. cameras and altimeters for parachute deployment so we don't have to chase them for like 2 million miles. It's actually pretty cool, I have an altimeter set to deploy a small drone chute up high so it falls relatively close to me then at 200 feet a large chute opens.

[Up2Late]

32. Yeah, I saw that show, but the time I saw it, I don't think it...

...ever got off the pad.:smoke:

[Ready4Change]

26. Plus, without guidance systems, it's zero threat.

First, it's not a surplus missile. It's a carboard, plywood and fiberglass replica. Second, while it and Aim-120s and the shuttle may all be powered by solid fuels, the quantities involved cannnot even be closely compared. I'ts like comparing a firecracker to a crate of dynamite to a 20,000lb Daisy Cutter. Many orders of magnatudes of difference.

Second, without the engine power of an Aim-120, you can't carry the payload (ie: warhead) of an Aim-120.

Lastly, without an advanced tracking system, either using infra-red or radar sensing, your chances of hitting a target with this is practically non-existant. And if you COULD get a tracking system, your weak motor won't be able to lift it very far. And if you add some kind of warhead you aren't even going to get off the ground.

Now, for Gods sake, chill, and let some rocket hobbiests have a some fun.

[meisje]

36. That's why it's called "MODEL ROCKETRY"

It's a model of the rocket

[Up2Late]

37. I guess, They sure have come a long way since my "Groove Tube"

Now THAT was a Cool little rocket.:evilgrin:

[Junkdrawer]

39. Memories...

http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/nostalgia/80cen012.html

[slor]

40. The small one is a V-2 rocket model...

are they preparing to strike blue states?