052C/052D Class Destroyers

vincent

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Moderator - World Affairs
A stupid question. Why are there dark smoke marks? I would imagine these missiles are fired only once in their lifetime... And a cold launch means the missile hasn't even been fired yet at the point when this photo was taken...
How do you think the multi-tons missile get pushed up high in the air? There is actually an explosion under the missile's ass
 

by78

General
A stupid question. Why are there dark smoke marks? I would imagine these missiles are fired only once in their lifetime... And a cold launch means the missile hasn't even been fired yet at the point when this photo was taken...
Those are stain marks left over by the cold-launch propellant. If it recall correctly, the cold-launch propellant is basically coal powder, which is ignited underneath the missile to push it clear of the silo, at which point the missile's main rocket motor ignites. So the smoke marks are from the coal powder.
 

by78

General
I thought there was a huge rubber band underneath the missile... Jokes aside, I had no idea there was an explosion. I thought the purpose of a cold launch was to avoid explosions that might damage the ship...

It's not a explosive detonation with gaseous expansion reaching hypersonic speeds. It's a much lower pressure ignition, just enough to push the missile out. No harm done.
 

Tam

Brigadier
Registered Member
A stupid question. Why are there dark smoke marks? I would imagine these missiles are fired only once in their lifetime... And a cold launch means the missile hasn't even been fired yet at the point when this photo was taken...

The force of the coal gas as the bottle pops underneath may have smeared the missile in tiny fractions of a second before the missile lifts off. The speed of the gas expanding would be much faster than the initial take off speed of the missile.
 
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