This full scale SM-2 Block III rocket is just immense (15.5′ tall, 13.5″ wide, ~220 lbs.) I took a moment to back off my zoom as I had the sense something artistic might happen overhead. Sure enough, Bam! The rocket rapidly disassembled before me and I caught it all in frame.
Incredible flying debris detail at full size. The aluminum motor case sheared off in a circle at the rear end, and losing the rear retention lip. So the blue motor shot right up though the airframe, sans nozzle, but with enough force to push out all of the innards.
Thanks to Ron Rickwald for the details on his project. It flew successfully once before at LDRS 25.
The rocket took off just as the dust storms kicked in (which scrubbed our launch this afternoon; hopefully we will get it off tomorrow morning).
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