"Rocket Man! British Napoleonic Rocket Troopers" Topic

A new year and a new project. I fancied making a small rocket detachment based on the Warlord figure launching the rocket from the ground. Details of this W.I.P. can be found in the blog.

link

What clever conversion work. the idea of the plastic strip for the overall stripe is inspired. Slicing rod for buttons would be too much for my patience though!

The trooper with the sticks is great work. That funny extra thing on top of the valise/portmanteau? It is a metal canteen for cooking up summat.

As on my Perry Scots Greys

Yes indeed some very very clever conversion work Steve. Well done!

You have given me inspiration to construct a couple of vignettes. I have a spare Capt Mercer RHA (Perry BH49 Battery commanders) that I will use as the rocketeer battery commander. However, I must give some thought to the mounted rocketeers who wore a close resemblance to an RHA uniform.

They were RHA.

100%. The Duke forebade the use of rockets in 1815 even if it would "Break his heart, sir"

"Damn his heart, I will be obeyed" is something like the apocryphal quote I recall.

But Whinyate's troop did have cannon as well as the rockets when they faced Boney in 1815. They were RHA and totally dressed as such

And there I was visualizing grenadiers with rockets strapped to their backs, shooting up over the top of the enemy's walls to throw their grenades!

No, I haven't figured out how to get them down after the rocket runs out of fuel. Maybe this tactic will only work against fortifications adjacent to deep water, like Olavinlinna or Fort Boyard.

Trust me. Newton would make sure they came down again.

But you did raise a great laugh here.

It is so funny how this new Internet thing makes messages so confusing. Despite that, I think it might still catch on.

One day

I think it's gonna be a long, long time.

Thanks for your comments everyone. Weather permitting, I should have these close to finished after the weekend, so I'll post some more pictures. Deadhead, the second thing on the valise is supposed to be another blanket roll. Two of the reference pictures that I used seem to have something similar. If not regulation, it was something that he bought on ebay to supplement his kit! :)

Form a rules POV, presumably a rocket-equipped RHA troop could fire its rockets or its guns in any given turn, but not both?

Why oh why didn't it occur to them to put fletches on them, like arrows, to make them accurate?

When were paper darts invented?

Great stuff, very inspiring!

Thanks, Deadhead. Sometimes I'm just burning down the fuse of everyone.

The latest picture showing the finished model. All being well. I'll post more details in my blog this week.

Why oh why didn't it occur to them to put fletches on them, like arrows, to make them accurate?

Because they were spin-stabilized like rifle bullets (there are vanes in the rocket nozzle to force the body to spin), the stick just adds some drag that 'helps' to keep the rocket pointed the right direction.

The problem is that black powder makes terrible rocket propellant. Inconsistent burn rate, has a bad habit of exploding outright instead of burning, etc.

Also, the quality control for weight of the rocket, stick, etc just wasn't there, so the balance of the complete rocket isn't controlled. (Make a paper airplane, make sure it flies OK. Now put a penny in the tail end and see how it flies. That's weight&balance in a nutshell.)

How I wish this information could somehow be preserved from LitS.

Three short paragraphs.

Each has content new to me.

(But I am incredibly IT ignorant…seriously…)

How is some such info like this now preserved for the next person who asks such a a Question?