6.0 ROCKETS AND CANNONS Rockets and cannon are generally thought of as heavy artillery. Perpetrators of violence do not usually employ such devices, because they are difficult or impossible to acquire. They are not, however, impossible to make. Any individual who can make or buy black powder or pyrodex can make such things. A terrorist with a cannon or large rocket is, indeed, something to fear. 6.1 ROCKETS Rockets were first developed by the Chinese several hundred years before Christ. They were used for entertainment, in the form of fireworks. They were not usually used for military purposes because they were inaccurate, expensive, and unpredictable. In modern times, however, rockets are used constantly by the military, since they are cheap, reliable, and have no recoil. Perpetrators of violence, fortunately, cannot obtain military rockets, but they can make or buy rocket engines. Model rocketry is a popular hobby of the space age, and to launch a rocket, an engine is required. Estes, a subsidiary of Damon, is the leading manufacturer of model rockets and rocket engines. Their most powerful engine, the "D" engine, can develop almost 12 lbs. of thrust; enough to send a relatively large explosive charge a significant distance. Other companies, such as Centuri, produce even larger rocket engines, which develop up to 30 lbs. of thrust. These model rocket engines are quite reliable, and are designed to be fired electrically. Most model rocket engines have three basic sections. The diagram below will help explain them. __________________________________________________________ |_________________________________________________________| -- cardboard \ clay | - - - - - - - - - - | * * * | . . . .|c| casing \_______| - - - - - - - - - | * * * | . . . |l| ______ _ - - - thrust - - - | smoke | eject |a| / clay | - - - - - - - - - | * * * | . . . .|y| /________|_____________________|_______|________|_|_______ |_________________________________________________________| -- cardboard casing The clay nozzle is where the igniter is inserted. When the area labeled "thrust" is ignited, the "thrust" material, usually a large single grain of a propellant such as black powder or pyrodex, burns, forcing large volumes of hot, rapidly expanding gasses out the narrow nozzle, pushing the rocket forward. After the material has been consumed, the smoke section of the engine is ignited. It is usually a slow-burning material, similar to black powder that has had various compounds added to it to produce visible smoke, usually black, white, or yellow in color. This section exists so that the rocket will be seen when it reaches its maximum altitude, or apogee. When it is burned up, it ignites the ejection charge, labeled "eject". The ejection charge is finely powdered black powder. It burns very rapidly, exploding, in effect. The explosion of the ejection charge pushes out the parachute of the model rocket. It could also be used to ignite the fuse of a bomb... Rocket engines have their own peculiar labeling system. Typical engine labels are: 1/4A-2T, 1/2A-3T, A8-3, B6-4, C6-7, and D12-5. The letter is an indicator of the power of an engine. "B" engines are twice as powerful as "A" engines, and "C" engines are twice as powerful as "B" engines, and so on. The number following the letter is the approximate thrust of the engine, in pounds. the final number and letter is the time delay, from the time that the thrust period of engine burn ends until the ejection charge fires; "3T" indicates a 3 second delay. NOTE: an extremely effective rocket propellant can be made by mixing aluminum dust with ammonium perchlorate and a very small amount of iron oxide. The mixture is bound together by an epoxy. 6.11 BASIC ROCKET BOMB A rocket bomb is simply what the name implies: a bomb that is delivered to its target by means of a rocket. Most people who would make such a device would use a model rocket engine to power the device. By cutting fins from balsa wood and gluing them to a large rocket engine, such as the Estes "C" engine, a basic rocket could be constructed. Then, by attaching a "crater maker", or CO2 cartridge bomb to the rocket, a bomb would be added. To insure that the fuse of the "crater maker" (see sect. 4.42) ignited, the clay over the ejection charge of the engine should be scraped off with a plastic tool. The fuse of the bomb should be touching the ejection charge, as shown below. ____________ rocket engine | _________ crater maker | | | | V | _______________________________V_ |_______________________________| ______________________ \ | - - - - - -|***|::::| /# # # # # # # # # # # \ \__| - - - - - -|***|::::| ___/ # # # # # # # # # # # \ __ - - - - - -|***|::::|---fuse--- # # explosive # # ) / | - - - - - -|***|::::| ___ # # # # # # # # # # # / /___|____________|___|____|____ \_______________________/ |_______________________________| thrust> - - - - - - smoke> *** ejection charge> :::: Duct tape is the best way to attach the crater maker to the rocket engine. Note in the diagram the absence of the clay over the ejection charge Many different types of explosive payloads can be attached to the rocket, such as a high explosive, an incendiary device, or a chemical fire bottle. Either four or three fins must be glued to the rocket engine to insure that the rocket flies straight. The fins should look like the following diagram: |\ | \ | \ | \ <--------- glue this to rocket engine | \ | \ | \ | | | | | | leading edge | -------> | | | | | trailing edge | | <-------- | | | | | | | | \_____/ The leading edge and trailing edge should be sanded with sandpaper so that they are rounded. This will help make the rocket fly straight. A two inch long section of a plastic straw can be attached to the rocket to launch it =66rom. A clothes hanger can be cut and made into a launch rod. The segment of a plastic straw should be glued to the rocket engine adjacent to one of the fins of the rocket. A front view of a completed rocket bomb is shown below. | fin | <------ fin | | | | | | | __|__ | V / \ V ---------------| |--------------- \_____/ |o <----------- segment of plastic straw | | | <------ fin | | By cutting a coat hanger at the indicated arrows, and bending it, a launch rod can be made. After a fuse is inserted in the engine, the rocket is simply slid down the launch rod, which is put through the segment of plastic straw. The rocket should slide easily along a coathanger, such as the one illustrated here: ____ / \ | | cut here _____ | | | | | | / \ V / \ _________________/ \________________ / \ / \ /____________________________________________\ ^ | | and here ______| Bend wire to this shape: _______ insert into straw | | | V ____________________________________________ \ \ \ \ \ <--------- bend here to adjust flight angle | | | | | | <---------- put this end in ground | 6.12 LONG RANGE ROCKET BOMB Long range rockets can be made by using multi-stage rockets. Model rocket engines with an "0" for a time delay are designed for use in multi- stage rockets. An engine such as the D12-0 is an excellent example of such an engine. Immediately after the thrust period is over, the ejection charge explodes. If another engine is placed directly against the back of an "0" engine, the explosion of the ejection charge will send hot gasses and burning particles into the nozzle of the engine above it, and ignite the thrust section. This will push the used "0" engine off of the rocket, causing an overall loss of weight. The main advantage of a multi-stage rocket is that it loses weight as travels, and it gains velocity. A multi-stage rocket must be designed somewhat differently than a single stage rocket, since, in order for a rocket to fly straight, its center of gravity must be ahead of its center of drag. This is accomplished by adding weight to the front of the rocket, or by moving the center of drag back by putting fins on the rocket that are well behind the rocket. A diagram of a multi-stage rocket appears here: ___ / \ | | | C | | M | ------ CM: Crater Maker | | | | |___| | | | | | | | C | ------ C6-5 rocket engine /| 6 |\ / | | | \ / | 5 | \ / |___| \ ---- fin / /| |\ \ / / | | \ \ / / | | \ \ / / | C | \ \ | / | 6 | \ | | / | | | \ | | / | 0 | \ | |/ |___| \| | / \ | \______/ ^ \______/ ------- fin | | | | C6-0 rocket engine The fuse is put in the bottom engine. Two, three, or even four stages can be added to a rocket bomb to give it a longer range. It is important, however, that for each additional stage, the fin area gets larger. 6.13 MULTIPLE WARHEAD ROCKET BOMBS "M.R.V." is an acronym for Multiple Reentry Vehicle. The concept is simple: put more than one explosive warhead on a single missile. This can be done without too much difficulty by anyone who knows how to make crater-makers and can buy rocket engines. By attaching crater makers with long fuses to a rocket, it is possible that a single rocket could deliver several explosive devices to a target. Such a rocket might look like the diagram here: ___ / \ | | | C | | M | |___| ___| |___ | | | | | | T | | / \ | U | / \ / \| B |/ \ | || E || | | C || || C | | M || || M | | ||___|| | \___/| E |\___/ | N | /| G |\ / | I | \ / | N | \ / | E | \ / |___| \ / fin/ | \ fin\ | / | \ | \__/ | \__/ ^ |____ fin The crater makers are attached to the tube of rolled paper with tape. the paper tube is made by rolling and gluing a 4 inch by 8 inch piece of paper. The tube is glued to the engine, and is filled with gunpowder or black powder. Small holes are punched in it, and the fuses of the crater makers are inserted in these holes. A crater maker is glued to the open end of the tube, so that its fuse is inside the tube. A fuse is inserted in the engine, or in the bottom engine if the rocket bomb is multi stage, and the rocket is launched =66rom the coathanger launcher, if a segment of a plastic straw has been attached to it. 6.2 CANNON The cannon is a piece of artillery that has been in use since the 11th century. It is not unlike a musket, in that it is filled with powder, loaded, and fired. Cannons of this sort must also be cleaned after each shot, otherwise, the projectile may jam in the barrel when it is fired, causing the barrel to explode. A sociopath could build a cannon without too much trouble, if he/she had a little bit of money, and some patience. 6.21 BASIC PIPE CANNON A simple cannon can be made from a thick pipe by almost anyone. The only difficult part is finding a pipe that is extremely smooth on its interior. This is absolutely necessary; otherwise, the projectile may jam. Copper or aluminum piping is usually smooth enough, but it must also be extremely thick to withstand the pressure developed by the expanding hot gasses in a cannon. If one uses a projectile such as a CO2 cartridge, since such a projectile can be made to explode, a pipe that is about 1.5 - 2 feet long is ideal. Such a pipe MUST have walls that are at least 1/3 to 1/2 an inch thick, and be very smooth on the interior. If possible, screw an endplug into the pipe. Otherwise, the pipe must be crimped and folded closed, without cracking or tearing the pipe. A small hole is drilled in the back of the pipe near the crimp or end plug. Then, all that need be done is fill the pipe with about two teaspoons of grade blackpowder or pyrodex, insert a fuse, pack it lightly by ramming a wad of tissue paper down the barrel, and drop in a CO2 cartridge. Brace the cannon securely against a strong structure, light the fuse, and run. If the person is lucky, he will not have overcharged the cannon, and he will not be hit by pieces of exploding barrel. Such a cannon would look like this: __________________ fuse hole | | V ________________________________________________________________ | |______________________________________________________________| |endplug|powder|t.p.| CO2 cartridge | ______|______|____|____________________________________________ |_|______________________________________________________________| An exploding projectile can be made for this type of cannon with a CO2 cartridge. It is relatively simple to do. Just make a crater maker, and construct it such that the fuse projects about an inch from the end of the cartridge. Then, wrap the fuse with duct tape, covering it entirely, except for a small amount at the end. Put this in the pipe cannon without using a tissue paper packing wad. When the cannon is fired, it will ignite the end of the fuse, and shoot the CO2 cartridge. The explosive-filled cartridge will explode in about three seconds, if all goes well. Such a projectile would look like this: ___ / \ | | | C | | M | | | | | |\ /| | | | ---- tape |_|_| | | ------ fuse 6.22 ROCKET FIRING CANNON A rocket firing cannon can be made exactly like a normal cannon; the only difference is the ammunition. A rocket fired from a cannon will fly further than a rocket alone, since the action of shooting it overcomes the initial inertia. A rocket that is launched when it is moving will go further than one that is launched when it is stationary. Such a rocket would resemble a normal rocket bomb, except it would have no fins. It would look like this: ___ / \ | | | C | | M | | | | | |___| | E | | N | | G | | I | | N | | E | |___| the fuse on such a device would, obviously, be short, but it would not be ignited until the rocket's ejection charge exploded. Thus, the delay before the ejection charge, in effect, becomes the delay before the bomb explodes. Note that no fuse need be put in the rocket; the burning powder in the cannon will ignite it, and simultaneously push the rocket out of the cannon at a high velocity. 7.0 PYROTECHNICA ERRATA There are many other types of pyrotechnics that a perpetrator of violence might employ. Smoke bombs can be purchased in magic stores, and large military smoke bombs can be bought through adds in gun and military magazines. Also, fireworks can also be used as weapons of terror. A large aerial display rocket would cause many injuries if it were to be fired so that it landed on the ground near a crowd of people. Even the "harmless" pull-string fireworks, which consists of a sort of firecracker that explodes when the strings running through it are pulled, could be placed inside a large charge of a sensitive high explosive. Tear gas is another material that might well be useful to the sociopath, and such a material could be instantly disseminated over a large crowd by means of a rocket-bomb, with nasty effects. 7.1 SMOKE BOMBS One type of pyrotechnic device that might be employed by a terrorist in many way would be a smoke bomb. Such a device could conceal the getaway route, or cause a diversion, or simply provide cover. Such a device, were it to produce enough smoke that smelled bad enough, could force the evacuation of a building, for example. Smoke bombs are not difficult to make. Although the military smoke bombs employ powdered white phosphorus or titanium compounds, such materials are usually unavailable to even the most well-equipped terrorist. Instead, he/she would have to make the smoke bomb for themselves. Most homemade smoke bombs usually employ some type of base powder, such as black powder or pyrodex, to support combustion. The base material will burn well, and provide heat to cause the other materials in the device to burn, but not completely or cleanly. Table sugar, mixed with sulfur and a base material, produces large amounts of smoke. Sawdust, especially if it has a small amount of oil in it, and a base powder works well also. Other excellent smoke ingredients are small pieces of rubber, finely ground plastics, and many chemical mixtures. The material in road flares can be mixed with sugar and sulfur and a base powder produces much smoke. Most of the fuel-oxodizer mixtures, if the ratio is not correct, produce much smoke when added to a base powder. The list of possibilities goes on and on. The trick to a successful smoke bomb also lies in the container used. A plastic cylinder works well, and contributes to the smoke produced. The hole in the smoke bomb where the fuse enters must be large enough to allow the material to burn without causing an explosion. This is another plus for plastic containers, since they will melt and burn when the smoke material ignites, producing an opening large enough to prevent an explosion. 7.2 COLORED FLAMES Colored flames can often be used as a signaling device for terrorists. by putting a ball of colored flame material in a rocket; the rocket, when the ejection charge fires, will send out a burning colored ball. The materials that produce the different colors of flames appear below. COLOR MATERIAL USED IN ----- -------- ---- -- _______________________________________________________________________________ red strontium road flares, salts red sparklers (strontium nitrate) _______________________________________________________________________________ green barium salts green sparklers (barium nitrate) _______________________________________________________________________________ yellow sodium salts gold sparklers (sodium nitrate) _______________________________________________________________________________ blue powdered copper blue sparklers, old pennies _______________________________________________________________________________ white powdered magnesium firestarters, or aluminum aluminum foil _______________________________________________________________________________ purple potassium permanganate purple fountains, treating sewage ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.3 TEAR GAS A terrorist who could make tear gas or some similar compound could use it with ease against a large number of people. Tear gas is fairly complicated to make, however, and this prevents such individuals from being able to utilize its great potential for harm. One method for its preparation is shown below. EQUIPMENT MATERIALS _________ --------- 1. ring stands (2) 10 gms glycerine 2. alcohol burner 2 gms sodium bisulfate 3. erlenmeyer flask, 300 ml distilled water 4. clamps (2) 5. rubber stopper 6. glass tubing 7. clamp holder 8. condenser 9. rubber tubing 10. collecting flask 11. air trap 12. beaker, 300 ml 1) In an open area, wearing a gas mask, mix 10 gms of glycerine with 2 gms of sodium bisulfate in the 300 ml erlenmeyer flask. 2) Light the alcohol burner, and gently heat the flask. 3) The mixture will begin to bubble and froth; these bubbles are tear gas. 4) When the mixture being heated ceases to froth and generate gas, or a brown residue becomes visible in the tube, the reaction is complete. Remove the heat source, and dispose of the heated mixture, as it is corrosive. 5) The material that condenses in the condenser and drips into the collecting flask is tear gas. It must be capped tightly, and stored in a safe place. 7.4 FIREWORKS While fireworks cannot really be used as an effective means of terror, they do have some value as distractions or incendiaries. There are several basic types of fireworks that can be made in the home, whether for fun, profit, or nasty uses. 7.41 FIRECRACKERS A simple firecracker can be made from cardboard tubing and epoxy. The instructions are below: 1) Cut a small piece of cardboard tubing from the tube you are using. "Small" means anything less than 4 times the diameter of the tube. 2) Set the section of tubing down on a piece of wax paper, and fill it with epoxy and the drying agent to a height of 3/4 the diameter of the tubing. Allow the epoxy to dry to maximum hardness, as specified on the package. 3) When it is dry, put a small hole in the middle of the tube, and insert a desired length of fuse. 4) Fill the tube with any type of flame-sensitive explosive. Flash powder, pyrodex, black powder, potassium picrate, lead azide, nitrocellulose, or any of the fast burning fuel- oxidizer mixtures will do nicely. Fill the tube almost to the top. 5) Pack the explosive tightly in the tube with a wad of tissue paper and a pencil or other suitable ramrod. Be sure to leave enough space for more epoxy. 6) Fill the remainder of the tube with the epoxy and hardener, and allow it to dry. 7) For those who wish to make spectacular firecrackers, always use flash powder, mixed with a small amount of other material for colors. By crushing the material on a sparkler, and adding it to the flash powder, the explosion will be the same color as the sparkler. By adding small chunks of sparkler material, the device will throw out colored burning sparks, of the same color as the sparkler. By adding powdered iron, orange sparks will be produced. White sparks can be produced from magnesium shavings, or from small, LIGHTLY crumpled balls of aluminum foil. Example: Suppose I wish to make a firecracker that will explode with a red flash, and throw out white sparks. First, I would take a road flare, and finely powder the material inside it. Or, I could take a red sparkler, and finely powder it. Then, I would mix a small amount of this material with the flash powder. (NOTE: FLASH POWDER MAY REACT WITH SOME MATERIALS THAT IT IS MIXED WITH, AND EXPLODE SPONTANEOUSLY!) I would mix it in a ratio of 9 parts flash powder to 1 part of flare or sparkler material, and add about 15 small balls of aluminum foil I would store the material in a plastic bag overnight outside of the house, to make sure that the stuff doesn't react. Then, in the morning, I would test a small amount of it, and if it was satisfactory, I would put it in the firecracker. 8) If this type of firecracker is mounted on a rocket engine, professional to semi-professional displays can be produced. 7.42 SKYROCKETS An impressive home made skyrocket can easily be made in the home from model rocket engines. Estes engines are recommended. 1) Buy an Estes Model Rocket Engine of the desired size, remembering that the power doubles with each letter. (See sect. 6.1 for details) 2) Either buy a section of body tube for model rockets that exactly fits the engine, or make a tube from several thicknesses of paper and glue. 3) Scrape out the clay backing on the back of the engine, so that the powder is exposed. Glue the tube to the engine, so that the tube covers at least half the engine. Pour a small charge of flash powder in the tube, about 1/2 an inch. 4) By adding materials as detailed in the section on firecrackers, various types of effects can be produced. 5) By putting Jumping Jacks or bottle rockets without the stick in the tube, spectacular displays with moving fireballs or M.R.V.'s can be produced. 6) Finally, by mounting many home made firecrackers on the tube with the fuses in the tube, multiple colored bursts can be made. 7.43 ROMAN CANDLES Roman candles are impressive to watch. They are relatively difficult to make, compared to the other types of home-made fireworks, but they are well worth the trouble. 1) Buy a 1/2 inch thick model rocket body tube, and reinforce it with several layers of paper and/or masking tape. This must be done to prevent the tube from exploding. Cut the tube into about 10 inch lengths. 2) Put the tube on a sheet of wax paper, and seal one end with epoxy and the drying agent. About 1/2 of an inch is sufficient. 3) Put a hole in the tube just above the bottom layer of epoxy, and insert a desired length of water proof fuse. Make sure that the fuse fits tightly. 4) Pour about 1 inch of pyrodex or gunpowder down the open end of the tube. 5) Make a ball by powdering about two 6 inch sparklers of the desired color. Mix this powder with a small amount of flash powder and a small amount of pyrodex, to have a final ratio (by volume) of 60% sparkler material / 20% flash powder / 20% pyrodex. After mixing the powders well, add water, one drop at a time, and mixing continuously, until a damp paste is formed. This paste should be moldable by hand, and should retain its shape when left alone. Make a ball out of the paste that just fits into the tube. Allow the ball to dry. 6) When it is dry, drop the ball down the tube. It should slide down fairly easily. Put a small wad of tissue paper in the tube, and pack it gently against the ball with a pencil. 7) When ready to use, put the candle in a hole in the ground, pointed in a safe direction, light the fuse, and run. If the device works, a colored fireball should shoot out of the tube to a height of about 30 feet. This height can be increased by adding a slightly larger powder charge in step 4, or by using a slightly longer tube. 8) If the ball does not ignite, add slightly more pyrodex in step 5. 9) The balls made for roman candles also function very well in rockets, producing an effect of falling colored fireballs.