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From: MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU (Michael Edelman)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: JATO units
Message-ID: <1990Dec11.015747.26849@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 11 Dec 90 01:57:47 GMT
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From:         Michael Edelman <MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU>
With regards to Josh's inquiry, I have read that JATO units were basically
made of asphalt and a perchlorate as oxidizer- probably ammonium perchlorate.
Asphalt makes a very good fuel; stable, lots of carbon, and lots of other
solids to add mass to the exhaust.
Similar solid fuel engines have been made in more recent times using
high molecular weight polymers; one, I recall was made from the stuff they
make plastic garbage bags from together with an oxidizer.
   --mike edelman   medelma@cms.cc.wayne.edu   medelma@waynest1