Rocket Zagi
This is a movie of the Rocket Zagi. When we set out to try this, we
determined that any outcome involving engine ignition without serious
injury to any person would constitute a success. Horrible crash =
success. Flaming wreck=success. Wings being ripped off while the rest
of the plane piles in the ground at 100 MPH=success. But none of those
things happened, the plane flew and landed with minimal damage.
I bought a remote switch, wired it to a solid-state relay to handle the
current load, and then attached it to a C-size model rocket engine mounted
under the Zagi. Upon launch, the added weight makes for a very lumbering
plane; but it does fly. When the ejection charge fired, the plane just
tumbled out of the sky, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps the impulse of the
engine firing out the back, plus the change in center of gravity. In any
case, these Zagis are made to be durable, and there was no real damage to
the plane after the crash. We will certainly try this again someday, with a bigger engine.
You might want to save it to your desktop before playing, because it's 7.5 megs.
Rocket Zagi.mov