Just a little bit you might find interesting-
We have a new photo of engine testing up on our page below, under
"Current Projects". I took the photo with a handheld spotlight
illuminating the engine to prevent the brilliance of the plume from
washing out the image. I had to hold the lamp so close to the exhaust I
could feel the thrust on the lamp! The bolts and the vertical line to
the right side of the image are parts of a lexan/aluminum blast shield
structure just in case we have a bad day, since I was about a meter from
the engine while it was firing. The noise at that distance is 144 dBA,
so earplugs *and* muffs are a good idea.
The plume is much brighter than it appears in this image, since I had a
bit too much external illumination- the incandescent lamp also shifted
the color balance, and the plume is not quite so bluish. One of those
"Ya had to be there" things, but we should be doing public demos at
various conferences in a few months (shameless plug).
-- Doug Jones Rocket Plumber, XCOR Aerospace http://www.xcor-aerospace.com
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