A question for those with experience firing rocket launchers...

ioelus

Jr Hunter
... or any device that might fire a missile from the shoulder. In planning out the weathering I want to do on a suit, I'm wondering how firing a weapon like a PLX-1 would affect the wearer. If I try to show blackening of the suit from firing an rpg-type weapon, would most of that occur on the back? Only on the side where the weapon is fired? The right side of the helmet/visor? I assume that some of this will be determined by how "clean" a weapon fires, but I also know that most (if not all) firearms leave a residue on one's hand after discharging the weapon, and that's not always visible, right? Thanks for any insights/experience you might have.
 
I'm right handed, so the right side. I was planning to weather the flightsuit and flak vest, however, not a photo of the gear... Did I misunderstand your question?
 
For a second I thought were talking about what would happen to your suit if you fired an RPG and I was getting very worried for a second :lol:
 
Hahaha. That would be interesting, though, if I read your post correctly. Back when I used to do more with mail armor, I did like to whack at pieces with an axe or a sword to see the effect. Finding out what a suit might look like after being hit with a missile might actually be an easier costume to create. I could just cut a big circle out of the armor plates and fill the hole with carbon scoring... I've always liked hearing about the guys who weather carbon scoring onto their helmets with blowtorches.
 
Hey ioelus, I'm done, do you have an aim screen-name that I can send you the pics by, or would you rather I send them via email? If so, can you pm me either your screen-name or your email?

Thanks

- Darke
 
Thanks very much--images received. That's interesting. It looks like the "burn" mark has a real uneven effect--almost star-shaped. I expected something more circular. Should I assume that some of that comes from the folds of the fabric on the flak vest, or is it because of the flash at the rear of the weapon when it discharges? And if I'm reading the image correctly, it looks like there's scoring along the neck on the side where the weapon is fired, down the shoulder sleeve on the same side, and then the irregular "spray" down, but not across, the back. Should I also assume there is no scoring to the front? I imagine the discharge of the weapon is far enough away from the face/front of the body that there'd be little to none, but if there's scoring on the side of the neck, would there also be some on the side of the helmet?

Thanks very much for your indulgence.
 
On the front, there'd be almost..specks and circular spherical spots....if any.

The front would have less because the rocket "soot" if you wanna call it that, would sorta have a spray effect as it blows away from the launcher. The way I see it it would flash...and you'd have a spray effect, that would cause maybe a few scratches and a star type shape. Not circular...unless it's an actual rocket. My reasoning being...rockets in modern times would more likely have a circular mark, versus a PLX-1 rocket launcher in the "future" where it would be more of a "laser based" rocket? Which would zap a "carbon" score across the back right shoulder?

What do you think?

"If you want" you can upload the pics here for others to critique..

- Darke
 
The marks on the front--the specks and such. Where would you expect them to fall? Would it depend on wind, or would they always tend to be in the same place, if they marked the suit at all?

I'll have to dig up acknowledgement for the original pics before I post them here. I'm a little squidgy about posting someone else's pix on the forum without saying where they came from. I know the one for the scoring on the flak vest was an image of tk409's, but I'll have to see if I can find who's image you doctored of the custom Mandalorian.

I do appreciate your work and the thought you've put into your responses for me.
 
No problem, always glad to help a fellow mando.

Now, I will say this....if there's wind in the equation, then the spots will likely fall "around" the same area in the front. Whereas if there's wind, they might be smudged across the front of the vest.

Now this all depends on your preference, would you be shooting your rocket in the wind, or no?

Then based on that, paint it that way. If you want. you can even make textures based on that. I'll elaborate more if you want. Let me know.

- Darke
 
Well, here is my experience firing rocket launchers....;)
1Rocket_9.jpg
 
Yes, do please elaborate. Textures. Based on what? How wind would effect the pattern? Comparable to the famous CSI blood spray pattern to determine the angle and impact trauma of a blow? Round shapes versus ellipses and long funnel shapes? I think I always thought of the "soot" from this to be more vaporous (if there is such a word), as opposed to substantial. I mean, I know that standing around a smoky fire makes your clothes smell of smoke, but one doesn't necessarily see the soot. One can get smudges on one's hand from charcoal, and putting your hand into the very tip of a candle's flame can generate a cool, wispy black mark on the skin... What exactly would cause the marks that I would be simulating in my weathering? Heat? Flash (flame, I guess?)? I see your point about rocket versus laser bolt...

And Desloc and Zurath, I'm gonna go see if I can pull up images of what you suggest. Is there a particular weapon I should be looking for, or do you think I might be able to find images of burn or flash patterns on gunships? It probably won't give me the image of what kind of a mark would be created on a person, since it would have to wrap down the back, but it would be interesting.
 
You may be surprised how little markings are around the rocket pod. We are shooting gunnery this week. I will go out and take pictures of the pod and aircraft and send your way. You will find that the aircraft receives no "scorching" from the rockets.
Mike
 
I'd suspect that since most (if not all) RPG's today use solid fuel to propell them. i.e. Blackpowder/gunpowder which actually produces white smoke so i'm not sure how much black sot you should add..

The flame, however, could possibly leave some scorching on the right side of the helmet as the rocket exits the fireing tube but i'd belive that the backside would be left pretty unscaved.
 
Big thing here is this: The tube of the RL should be long enough that you don't get any scorching or anything. Solid fuel, so no soot on the front, and the back would just discharge smoke.

Not hands-on, but through extensive observation.
 
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