Weird Fin Fluttering Rocket Video

Posted: Monday, November 21, 2005 at 11:36 pm (UTC+1)
Filed under: Misc., Movies, Science
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Peter Clay’s U.S.S. Bakula rocket fins flutters and wave like flags as it enters and exits the speed of sound and was captured with an Aiptek DV4500 onboard video camera.

Click for the video (4.5 MB WMV)
warping fins

The video has been examined frame-by-frame by some experts and resulted as “not fake”.

    The video has inspired many theories as to what was captured but these are the only known facts.

  • USS Bakula is PML Quantum Leap with some “enhancements” Peter added for extra strength
  • This flight used a AT K550 to a K185
  • The G10 fins are VISIBLY intact and feel solid (see the post flight exam) with only a minor fracture at the base on two opposing fins
  • The G10 fins were built with an extra “tip to tip” layer of 3oz fiberglass making their final (average) thickness 3/16″
  • The fins did flutter in some capacity
  • The anomaly occurred entering and exiting Mach
  • The footage is unaltered except for where altimeter data is added
  • The lower section of the sustainer rotates from it’s original orientation with the camera / upper sustainer.
  • The Sustainer recovered without incident

The fins in the picture are the ones “featured” in the video captured. Click the image below for the fin exam video (WMV small)
fins

WMV Video (4.5 MB)
Slow-mo Video of the Flutter (WMV 900kb)

Read more

Aurora Galleries

Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 at 6:27 pm (UTC+1)
Filed under: Science
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Mike Hollingshead has an Amazing Pics of the Aurora Phenomenon taken with a canon digital rebel with 17-40L lens. These images were all shot from Blair Nebraska. Imagine standing under it. It should be a breath taking experience.

View the gallery

Other Aurora Galleries:
http://www.royhooper.ca/gallery/AuroraBorealis?page=1
http://www.extremeinstability.com/04-11-8.htm
http://www.noriomatsumoto.com/

Digg Story:
http://digg.com/science/Aurora_Photography

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