That'll buff right out.

[RoadKingLarry]

Found this on a photography forum I visit.

Link is plenty safe for work or whatever.

http://markjrebilas.com/blog/?p=21971#more-21971

[wmenorr67]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_OHeHmVOJY

Video of the crash.

[K Frame]

Looked like the nose just folded up about 2/3s of the way back...

[roo_ster]

Thankfully the fuel did not light off.

[mtnbkr]

A coworker, whose dad is into drag racing (as in has his own car and races) was at that race and witnessed the crash firsthand.  Driver walked away from it.

He says, "Yep, we are probably somewhere in the photo below the caption of shower of sparks in the sky".

Chris

[Fly320s]

Thankfully the fuel did not light off.

How hard is nitro methane to light?  Is it easy like gas?

[BobR]

While the crash was pretty spectacular, his opponent was pretty quick to realize everything was going sideways (literally) and popped his chute very quickly.

bob

[wmenorr67]

How hard is nitro methane to light?  Is it easy like gas?

Nitromethane is used by hobbyists as a fuel in motor racing, particularly drag racing, as well as for rockets and radio-controlled models (such as cars, planes and helicopters) and is commonly referred to in this context as "nitro". The oxygen content of nitromethane enables it to burn with much less atmospheric oxygen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitromethane

[HeroHog]

How hard is nitro methane to light?  Is it easy like gas?

It is mostly an oxidizer. It is mixed with a LITTLE alcohol to run in those engines. To crank the engines, they squirt gasoline in the blower to get it kicked off. The higher the octane rating, the more RESISTANT the liquid id to ignition/detonation. Alcohol and Nitromethane have high octane ratings and are harder to ignite than gasoline.

[HeroHog]

Anyone else pick up on the butterflies being wide open during all that? Think he had both feet planted and was pushing them with all his might while clenched and screaming "$%IT! $%IT! $%IT! $%IT!"?

[HeroHog]

Anyone else remember when Don Garlits lost half his right foot in this one? A clutch explosion caused it.



After this incident he made the 1st successful rear engined rail-job and set the pattern for all future rail type dragsters to come.

Nice guy BTW. Met him a few times back when my dad worked for Wynns, Don's sponsor.

[vaskidmark]

Couple of bungee cords, some Gorilla Tape, and he'll be ready for the next run.  Although his nomex suit may not be back from the cleaners yet.

stay safe.

[230RN]

Saaaaa-cré merde!

He wasn't good enough for heaven or bad enough for hell just yet.

Terry

[HeroHog]

If you watch those rail-jobs from the side, there is a LOT of flexing in those chromemoly chassis. That IS the front suspension as the front axle's are normally solidly mounted. That flex causes stress fractures over time and if the welds are not properly heat-treated/tempered, it can cause stress points.

[230RN]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitromethane

From that article:

Nitromethane, however, has a lower specific energy: gasoline provides about 42–44 MJ/kg, whereas nitromethane provides only 11.3 MJ/kg. This analysis indicates that nitromethane generates about 2.3 times the power of gasoline when combined with a given amount of oxygen.

Doesn't seem to make sense to this bear of very little brain.

I note that it has some of its own oxygen.

I note the weights in kg.  How does that work out in terms of volumetric comparisons?  

I also note the term "when combined with a given amount of oxygen."

I also note the phrase "2.3 times the power."

Should Wiki have explained that better, or do I need more coffee?

Me brainblocked?  It's happened before to I.

Halp?  

"I am a bear of very little brain, and long words bother me."  --Winnie the Pooh.

Terry

[HeroHog]

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/hrdp-1304-what-is-nitromethane-anyway/

Nitromethane-or CH3NO2-is one member of a family of explosive compounds that contain nitrogen and oxygen.

What makes them (nitroglycerin, TNT & gunpowder) so bad is the oxygen in the nitro group, which breaks down into gaseous combustion products that create large amounts of heat and pressure without the need for further oxygen. Nitromethane and its relatives have the potential to be monopropellants; they can combust without any air at all. That's why nitromethane was once used as a rocket fuel.

Nitromethane carries its own oxygen, so it needs much less atmospheric oxygen to burn.

[HeroHog]

http://www.chem.wisc.edu/courses/901/901-Spring00/pdb/nitro.html

http://www.automotiveforums.com/t497288-octaine_equivlent_of_nitro_methane.html

[brimic]

From that article:

Doesn't seem to make sense to this bear of very little brain.

I note that it has some of its own oxygen.

I note the weights in kg.  How does that work out in terms of volumetric comparisons?  

I also note the term "when combined with a given amount of oxygen."

I also note the phrase "2.3 times the power."

Should Wiki have explained that better, or do I need more coffee?

Me brainblocked?  It's happened before to I.

Halp?  

"I am a bear of very little brain, and long words bother me."  --Winnie the Pooh.

Terry

Gasoline mixes with air in a roughly 1:14 ratio to burn properly, iirc, nitromethane mixes close to 1:1 with air. Nitromethane is less energy dense than gasoline but you are also burning A LOT more of it at a time.

Fun facts:  http://www.sccoia.org/articles/top-fuel-dragster-fast-facts/

[HeroHog]

I am searching for and can't find this great demo video of a top fuel blower and injector setup that shows you just how much fuel is being dumped into a top fuel car. AMAZING volume!

[HeroHog]

Gasoline mixes with air in a roughly 1:14 ratio to burn properly, iirc, nitromethane mixes close to 1:1 with air. Nitromethane is less energy dense than gasoline but you are also burning A LOT more of it at a time.

Fun facts:  http://www.sccoia.org/articles/top-fuel-dragster-fast-facts/

...stoichiometric 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitro methane...

[HeroHog]

http://cloud-computing.tmcnet.com/news/2014/08/02/7952726.htm

A great read showing how today's top fuel cars are making OVER 10,000 HP! Lots of really great data and insight to the forces generated and power requirements just to operate the various systems.

[brimic]

http://cloud-computing.tmcnet.com/news/2014/08/02/7952726.htm

A great read showing how today's top fuel cars are making OVER 10,000 HP! Lots of really great data and insight to the forces generated and power requirements just to operate the various systems.

I was talking to my 12 yo son aboutall of this this mornng. .. only a man would think to compress rocket fuel into an engine to see how fast one can traversea1/4 mile. Further, only a man would set up a chemical plant to produce nitromethane just to feed these machines. Only a man would dream big enough to put a man on the moon or even Mars. I finished by telling him its awesome to be a man and to simply mock those that tell him different.

[Hawkmoon]

http://cloud-computing.tmcnet.com/news/2014/08/02/7952726.htm

A great read showing how today's top fuel cars are making OVER 10,000 HP! Lots of really great data and insight to the forces generated and power requirements just to operate the various systems.

I think I really need one of those engines for my Jeep Cherokee that I drive to work every day. Maybe I'd get to work on time.

[Northwoods]

I think I really need one of those engines for my Jeep Cherokee that I drive to work every day. Maybe I'd get to work on time.

Only if your commute could be cut down to about 5 seconds.  Or if you could coast the rest of the way after that 5 seconds.  The life span of those engines at full throttle is only just a bit more than their 1/4mile time.

[230RN]

Gasoline mixes with air in a roughly 1:14 ratio to burn properly, iirc, nitromethane mixes close to 1:1 with air. Nitromethane is less energy dense than gasoline but you are also burning A LOT more of it at a time.

Fun facts:  http://www.sccoia.org/articles/top-fuel-dragster-fast-facts/

Aha!  Suddenly it all fits together, and thank you!  Wiki should have said it like that.  Maybe somebody ought to edit that passage I quoted.

Bear of very little brain happy now, Christopher Robin!

Sometimes bear of very little brain has trouble handling four variables at once.


Terry