Balloon-Rocket to Soar 43 Miles (Jul, 1934)
Filed under: Aviation — @ 11:23 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jul, 1934
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Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jul, 1934
| Buy on Ebay
Balloon-Rocket to Soar 43 Miles
A balloon-rocket conceived by a Wyoming inventor is expected to roar 43 miles into the stratosphere. Carried 11 miles by the balloon, the operator cuts loose, ignites two opposed rockets and soars 33 miles higher. One mile is lost cutting away from the balloon. When the rocket power is expended, an air vent is opened, filling a parachute which floats the tube to earth. Inserts show release of rocket and details of the operating mechanism of the cylinder.
So . . . with the absence of a reclining acceleration seat, he just hangs onto the parachute air vent pipe when the thing blasts off? Or maybe he curls up around it on the floor. Tricky . . .
Comment by Rick Segedi — July 14, 2008 @ 7:42 am
I wonder how well that air vent thing would work if the rocket came down nose first.
Comment by slim — July 14, 2008 @ 9:00 am
You guys are such nitpicks. I’m sure they will work out the kinks once they’ve tried it a few times.
Comment by Myles — July 14, 2008 @ 11:00 am
Except for the ‘manned’ part, balloon launched rockets actually existed.
Comment by jayessell — July 14, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
I like that guy standing there. He looks like something off a Greek vase.
Comment by Torgo — July 14, 2008 @ 5:54 pm
Torgo, I think the illustrator took that image right out of Grecian Clipart Vol. 1.
Comment by Blurgle — July 14, 2008 @ 6:16 pm
Can someone explain the steering wheels to me? I assume they are meant to be operated by the pilot. They appear to be 1 foot up from the floor on opposite sides of the cylinder. Was there an “anti-ergonomics” movement back in the ’30s?
Comment by rsterling78 — July 14, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
This is an old idea that hasn’t gone entirely out of fashion. Former x-prize contenders: http://www.arcaspace.ro/suborbital/en/stabilo.htm and http://www.davinciproject.com/ both planned balloon launch.
Comment by Reed — July 15, 2008 @ 2:12 am
I’m really surprised that rocket balloons are this old. Right now the first team to launch for Google’s Lunar X-Prize is using a similar approach.
Comment by Andrew B — July 15, 2008 @ 5:58 am
But the inventor isn’t named. I’d really like to know about patents, and maybe contact his descendants.
Comment by Mike — July 15, 2008 @ 5:50 pm