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The most kerbal flat-earther I have yet to see


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On ‎1‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 1:27 PM, GoSlash27 said:

 

 Also keep in mind that his intention isn't to prove the Earth is flat on this flight. It's just to 1) make a new record, and 2) raise awareness and funding for future flights which will fly higher and faster. Or a publicity stunt if you prefer that wording.

 

I'm confused.  What record could this guy possible make with this contraption?  Does this rocket have a recording studio in it too?  Is he trying for a Grammy?  

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20 minutes ago, KG3 said:

What record could this guy possible make with this contraption?

Farthest launching yourself with steam ? Much like farthest launching yourself with a car (car jump)...

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1 hour ago, YNM said:

Farthest launching yourself with steam ? Much like farthest launching yourself with a car (car jump)...

I guess the guy hasn't read Down the Mississippi by Mark Twain.  There's some descriptions of boiler explosions in that book that are probably good contenders for that one! 

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1 hour ago, KG3 said:

I guess the guy hasn't read Down the Mississippi by Mark Twain.  There's some descriptions of boiler explosions in that book that are probably good contenders for that one! 

Well, Evel Knievel did got into bad shape...

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Still no word on what happened yesterday. There was a rumor floating around that the heating element broke and they had to replace it.

Could also be that it was a simple fleecing and there's never going to be a launch.

16 hours ago, mikegarrison said:

Now he says he'll do it tomorrow, "during the Superbowl".

mikegarrison,
 Where did you hear that? I can't find any official comment on it.

Best,
-Slashy

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On 24.1.2018 at 7:27 PM, GoSlash27 said:

W00t! :D

 Also keep in mind that his intention isn't to prove the Earth is flat on this flight. It's just to 1) make a new record, and 2) raise awareness and funding for future flights which will fly higher and faster. Or a publicity stunt if you prefer that wording.

 While I don't agree with his world view, I do sincerely hope that he has a safe and successful flight.

Best,
-Slashy

He is simply trolling, saying that you want to prove the earth is flat is an good way to get media attention who is the best way to get lots views and add revenue. 
Trolling media is pretty easy and fairly common, the booring flame thrower is just one example. 

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Spoiler

 

Statement from Mad Mike Hughes following yesterday's failed launch attempt. This should've been posted to social media yesterday, but the people at "NoizeTV" are clearly half- wits.

 Reading between the lines, I don't think he'll have another go at it for a while.

*EDIT* There also seems to be a disparity between the time this video was posted and the time it was claimed to have been taken.

Best,
-Slashy

Edited by GoSlash27
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22 hours ago, GoSlash27 said:

Where did you hear that? I can't find any official comment on it.

It was right at the end of the video you posted (on the previous page). But obviously the announcement that was made there was not correct. About 4 hours, 3 minutes in. (Although, now that I listen to it again, the guy with the microphone says "We're going to find out if we're going to do this tomorrow, during the Superbowl." I didn't hear him say that italicized bit when I listened to it on Saturday.)

Edited by mikegarrison
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

He made it!!!

Well... almost. He only got 1875 feet up.... but I have to give him credit... it did get off the ground!!

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/03/26/self-taught-rocket-maker-shoots-himself-1875-feet-to-prove-earth-is-flat.html

This guy may be a mad-man... but he's also earned all sorts of KSP points in my book!!!  :cool:

 

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2 hours ago, Just Jim said:

He made it!!!
Well... almost. He only got 1875 feet up.... but I have to give him credit... it did get off the ground!!
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/03/26/self-taught-rocket-maker-shoots-himself-1875-feet-to-prove-earth-is-flat.html
This guy may be a mad-man... but he's also earned all sorts of KSP points in my book!!!  :cool:

For those keeping score, that's 108m/s delta-v.  I don't know what the Isp of steam is, but it is bad.  Very bad.

The interesting bit about this whole debacle is that a relatively short rail is needed for stability.  I'm guessing the rail used was ~15-20m and was enough to get the fins effective.  No idea what the acceleration was, but I wouldn't expect much.  The extreme TWR needed in model rocketry appears to be largely thanks to the traditional 1m launch rod.

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OK, i have to give props to this guy. He might be a loon, but he is persistent and apparently fearless. I know i would be too scared to come anywhere close to this rocket while it was under steam.

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2 hours ago, Cheif Operations Director said:

He only went a few thousand feet. Hahaha

He could have build an autogyro with the same skill level and budget, and gone higher.  

Why do I know about autogyros?

autogyros.png

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5 hours ago, Scotius said:

OK, i have to give props to this guy. He might be a loon, but he is persistent and apparently fearless. I know i would be too scared to come anywhere close to this rocket while it was under steam.

I kinda feel the same way... Up until now it was all just talk... But he actually got in it and took off... wow.

Part of me is thinking "Durn fool idiot..." But another part of me is so impressed that he actually had the guts to do it in the end... no matter how crazy.

This guy must be half-kerbal!!! 

:confused:

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3 hours ago, DAL59 said:

He could have build an autogyro with the same skill level and budget, and gone higher.

Or for even less, and no skill involved at all, bought a ticket on an airliner, and gone even higher. He would be much more comfortable, experience the high altitude for longer, would be able to sip a drink of his choice, and wouldn't have broken his back.

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Oof his second chute only opened seconds before landing and they where attached to the back of the rocket so he landed nose down..

Looked like the speed of a car crash with about 30 / 40 Kmh..

They say next he wants to build a Balloon capable of going to 100 Km height.. Maybe he should have saved his budget and started with that.. allot safer..

 

 

Edited by cypher_00
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The only reason he's talking about flat earth is to get money off the flat earthers to fund his rockets (and possibly get more media attention).  Previous launches were just personal stunts.

The behaviour of the "paramedics" (article term, I think they were just hillbilly mates of his) is totally unbelievable. If he really does have a broken back, lifting him out like that was the worst possible thing they could have done. Requires some pretty skilled handling for suspected spinal injuries to avoid doing more damage.

That said, pretty awesome dude for actually going ahead with it! As others have said, to get altitude, there's better ways.  I think he's just doing it for the stunts.

EDIT: PS: the kids "watching" the launch are hilarious, they are just goofing about and not even watching the rocket when it blasts off.

Edited by micha
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13 minutes ago, KG3 said:

So what would the equivalent booster in KSP?  If he had used the flea SRB would he have gone much higher?

RCS thrusters.  Steam works the same as pressurized gas, with the added bonus of cooling off and losing energy.  The final output was 108m/s (after gravity losses).  A kerbal jetback has 400m/s, but 0m/s after gravity losses (on Kerbin).

Using SRBs would likely have been deadly, and you really don't want to pull negative gees the way I'd expect from a "headfirst" landing.  A balloon is a far more sane way to get extreme altitude (remember, to get above 20,000 feet, a ~$100 ticket from Southwest is all you need).

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6 hours ago, KG3 said:

If he had used the flea SRB would he have gone much higher?

Yes.  Hmm... can we come up with a realistic, inexpensive rocket that could send someone to 10,000 feet?

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