what's the recipe for dense white smoke?

I have a friend who has a fournier motorglider with the most unusual
tips.

it has quite solid cast aluminium holders top and bottom for
pyrotechnics canisters which would give off really dense white smoke.
they were like a military smoke grenade in that once ignited they
burnt until extinguished. they were about 8inches long and 2 inches
diameter and would burn for something like 10 minutes.

the guy who used to build these for fournier has died and it is
unknown whether his recipes have survived. The canisters are no longer
available commercially which is why we are trying to duplicate them..
one component was known to be a zinc compound and another possibly
finely divided aluminium powder.
they were electrically ignited and burnt with the intense white smoke.

does any pyrotechnics enthusiast out there have an idea as to what the
canister components would have been? or maybe a substitute recipe that
could be home brewed by intelligent bods for airshow use?


in other discussions with the owner I found out what was used in
european displays to create red white and blue vapour trails for
flying displays. it is a simple dye which is mixed in the dieselene
that is fed through the smoke generator. the evaporated fuel comes out
coloured by the dye.

(I figure that since this isnt related to things exploding it may
still be ok to talk about it post 9/11)

Stealth Pilot

I don't know if he will tell you, but this is the guy who surely knows the
answers to your questions.

http://www.radiusairshows.com/main/

Vaughn

"Stealth Pilot" wrote in message
...

I have a friend who has a fournier motorglider with the most unusual
tips.

it has quite solid cast aluminium holders top and bottom for
pyrotechnics canisters which would give off really dense white smoke.
they were like a military smoke grenade in that once ignited they
burnt until extinguished. they were about 8inches long and 2 inches
diameter and would burn for something like 10 minutes.

the guy who used to build these for fournier has died and it is
unknown whether his recipes have survived. The canisters are no longer
available commercially which is why we are trying to duplicate them..
one component was known to be a zinc compound and another possibly
finely divided aluminium powder.
they were electrically ignited and burnt with the intense white smoke.

does any pyrotechnics enthusiast out there have an idea as to what the
canister components would have been? or maybe a substitute recipe that
could be home brewed by intelligent bods for airshow use?
snip
Stealth Pilot

You might post to rec.pyrotechnics.

White smoke is easy. Mix 1part salt peter with one part sugar. Please be
advised that it burns VERY hot. I put some in a soda can, and it melted the
whole can away.

--
"Don't be misled, bad company corrupts good character."
www.LCTPaintball.com
www.LCTProducts.com


"Stealth Pilot" wrote in message
...

I have a friend who has a fournier motorglider with the most unusual
tips.

it has quite solid cast aluminium holders top and bottom for
pyrotechnics canisters which would give off really dense white smoke.
they were like a military smoke grenade in that once ignited they
burnt until extinguished. they were about 8inches long and 2 inches
diameter and would burn for something like 10 minutes.

the guy who used to build these for fournier has died and it is
unknown whether his recipes have survived. The canisters are no longer
available commercially which is why we are trying to duplicate them..
one component was known to be a zinc compound and another possibly
finely divided aluminium powder.
they were electrically ignited and burnt with the intense white smoke.

does any pyrotechnics enthusiast out there have an idea as to what the
canister components would have been? or maybe a substitute recipe that
could be home brewed by intelligent bods for airshow use?


in other discussions with the owner I found out what was used in
european displays to create red white and blue vapour trails for
flying displays. it is a simple dye which is mixed in the dieselene
that is fed through the smoke generator. the evaporated fuel comes out
coloured by the dye.

(I figure that since this isnt related to things exploding it may
still be ok to talk about it post 9/11)

Stealth Pilot

Are model rocket ignitors the only way to set these off?

John

I use a 1/4 watt resistor (pick you favorite Ohm.) to light
off model rocket engines so the "fancy" ignitors are not the
only way.

Still use just a pair of "D" cells to fire them off. You can
buy 200+ for a couple dollars at Fry's electronics.

Never had a misfire. Flameproof my butt! Try one by itself
sometime!

Bart

Bart D. Hull

Tempe, Arizona

Check http://www.inficad.com/~bdhull/engine.html
for my Subaru Engine Conversion
Check http://www.inficad.com/~bdhull/fuselage.html
for Tango II I'm building.

Remove -nospam to reply via email.

Bashir Salamti wrote:
On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 13:43:42 -0500, John T
wrote:

:Are model rocket ignitors the only way to set these off?
:
:John

They are the most convenient, least expensive, and most reliable way I
found. You can make an igniter from a short piece of nichrome wire
wrapped around a match head but they are not as reliable.

You can lite the coffee creamer biscuits with a fuse, usually, but
then the question is how to lite the fuse? Usually people wanted to
be able to push a button and get smoke, not run around with a
cigarette lighter.

On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 09:44:39 -0700, Bashir Salamti
wrote:

Real military smoke grenades are filled with terephthalic acid.

When I was in college we made smoke cookies with one part potassium
nitrate, 2 parts powdered coffee creamer, mix with a little water,
bake in a muffin pan at 275 degrees for an hour. Use the little paper
muffin cups to line the pan so you can get them out. Dense whte
smoke, lasts for about 3 mintues. Light with a model rocket igniter.

The formula you may be looking for is called "HC" and was used by the
militay through Viet Nam. Hexachloroethane 45%, Zinc Oxide 45%,
aluminum powder 10%. 8 oz. makes 100,000 cubic feet of dense,
gray/white smoke. Use a model rocket igniter, make sure the aluminum
powder is really, really REALLY fine (not machine shop shavings) or it
won't light. The smoke itself is zinc chloride. Other variations are

Hexachloroethane 53%
Zinc Dust 44%
Magnesium Oxide 3%

Hexachloroethane 45%
Zinc Oxide 45%
Calcium Silicide 10%
This is an interesting formula. In addition to producing a zinc
chloride smoke, it also forms silicon tetrachloride which reacts with
moisture in the air to produce silicic acid which is a smoke agent in
itself.

Hexachloroethane 40 - 45%
Zinc Oxide 20 - 40%
Ammonium Perchlorate 35 - 10%
Powdered Charcoal 5%
This is a newer formula and is mixed after being dampened with a 5%
PVC solution (use PVC pipe primer as a solvent). The rate of burning
depends on the amount of ammonium perchlorate. The smoke consists of
ammonium chloride, and zinc chloride.



Bashir
you are bang on the money.
we found a partial description of the canister that matches your HC to
a tee. the calcium silicide recipe is interesting as well.
thanks a million
Stealth Pilot

http://www.hexachloroethane.com/

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"Bashir Salamti" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 22:28:36 +0800, Stealth Pilot
wrote:

:
:Bashir
:you are bang on the money.
:we found a partial description of the canister that matches your HC to
:a tee. the calcium silicide recipe is interesting as well.
:thanks a million
:Stealth Pilot

I am happy I can help. Just please do not ask me where to get
hexachloroethane, the only answer I have is "down the hall on the
left, from the chem supply office."

Bob Chilcoat wrote:
http://www.hexachloroethane.com/

OK OK my head's spinnin---What is the composition of mothballs ??