Monday Funday

OPERATION MAG-NEATO

Doc Lee says a Dumbvee update is coming soon, so stay tuned. While you're waiting, I've enlisted you in a new mission: Project Valour-IT, a very worthy cause to buy voice-controlled laptops for soldiers with injured arms and hands. I've volunteered the Legion of Dumb and associated Iowahawk lurkers for Team Airforce, a fund challenge group headed by John from the ginchy MilBlog OPFOR. Your orders: march over to OPFOR to read more and drop a few shekels in the PayPal bucket. You'll be glad you did!

A VERY SPECIAL HEAP O' THE WEEK SPECIAL

Lord knows I like rocket-powered vehicles as much as the next guy, and have amassed my share of some vintage rocket drag racing equipment.  But let's face it - in this namby-pamby nanny state society of ours, most of us get cold feet at the thought of roping an explosive thrust engine to the minivan, even after twelve or fifteen beers. That's why I was pleased and proud to receive this inspirational email from John Brossard of Orion Propulsion. Technically interesting points are highlighted.

Other bloggers like to brag that their readers are special. I'll let this one stand as 'Exhibit A' why the Legion of Dumb is, pound for pound, the scariest on the intertubes.

Dave,
As a longtime reader of iowahawk, I felt that you might appreciate a recent project that we recently put together and tested.  When you’re from Alabama, rockets and pickup trucks just go together like cole slaw and barbeque, firearms and cornmash, sisters and wives.   I’ve attached a few pics of a rocket truck we’ve developed, mainly for our own amusement.  Basically, we designed, built, and tested a hybrid rocket motor that fits into the bed of a pickup truck.  The hybrid rocket motor features nitrous oxide as the oxidizer.  For the fuel we use roofing tar.  The motor makes about 2750 lbf thrust at static conditions, and burns for about 10 seconds.  During this short period of time, the motor generates around 14,000 thrust hp.  (power = thrust*exit velocity = 2750 lbf * 4000 ft/sec).  Note, this is thrust hp, not shaft hp to the wheels.

The truck is a standard 2004 chevy ss.  The only real modifications we made were to beef up the underframe which supports the truck bed. There are four ½” grade 5 bolts that pass through the rocket box frame and into the underframe.  We operate the motor using a modified XBOX game controller (ergonomics, ya’ know). 

We demonstrated this unit recently at the x-prize cup in Las Cruces.  After several successful demos, the “negras modelos” flowed abundantly.  Within the next few weeks, we’ll move past the static testing, and take the truck out to the drag strip to see how it’ll do down the road.  I’ll keep you posted. 

Thanks for the great website, it's an inspiration.

Regards,
John Bossard

TIMEWASTER MATINEE: COUPE OF JUSTICE

Speaking of wheeled vehicles, a lot of you have written asking about progress the Coupe of Justice. Here's a new YouTube zoetrope I put together containing some recent build picks, interspersed among other October auto shenanigans.  Debut is now a matter of months!

HAWKEYE HOOSEGOW HONEY OF THE WEEK

Eagle-eyed hawkeye Zach T. from Urbandale IA scores a second straight HHHotW hat tip for his nomination of the lovely gamine Charlene:

With her girl-next-door looks and MySpace inspired glamour head tilt, it's just darn hard to believe this 5'3" 22-year old is guilty of the multiple theft charges that rang up a $52,000 bond bill from a hardhearted Des Moines magistrate.

So Charlene, on behalf of Iowahawk readers everywhere, good luck in court. Presumption of innocence granted - with gusto!

BLOGROLL UPDATES - DUHHHH EDITION

Long overdue linkage to Allahpundit/HotAir and Patterico. derrrr. doyyyy. 

PRICELESS TREASURES FROM THE IOWAHAWK MUSEUM

If you enjoy tragic figurines as much as I do, you'll love this: a plasterine charmer I picked up at a local Goodwill, apparently from the Precious Moments long-forgotten "Lil' Serial Killer" collection of the 1970s.

SECRET MESSAGE OF THE WEEK

IH TB 08/10/07 I80  41°54' N 87°39' W  40°45'53" N 113°29'59" W NaCL

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE BLASPHEMOUS MOHAMMED CARTOON

More blasphemy at Chaikorama (tip o' the lid to Mike Chaika)