Okay -- Here's What It Is...

Like Captain JMH says, context is everything -- and in this case, if I'd shown it in context (below)

the gun bunnies would have gotten it without even a second thought. As it is, Outlaw 13 nailed it and KCSteve did a pretty good tap dance.

The Mk66 rocket, aka Hydra 70, is spin-stabilized, which is the reason for the scarfed nozzle. The fins do what the fins on any rocket does -- they provide drag to keep the business end pointed toward the target. When they're in storage, the shielding sleeve keeps the fins folded against the motor and allows the rocket to be loaded without much hassle. HomefrontSix nailed the site, just the wrong bit of ordnance. Click here and scroll down to the section on igniters for the line drawing.

Here's what the motor looks like with fins extended.

If you were curious enough to read the entire blurb at Ordnance-dot-org, you read about the effects of EMI on the Mk66 motor. This particular motor was used in those tests -- notice the little bolt sticking into what would be the exhaust stream? That's where one of the testing receiver's wires were attached.

And I might as well show you the motor in context, too.

No, the rocket's *not* live. I'm not completely crazy, y'know...

"Well, Officer, I think the 2.75" holes in the roof, the second story hallway floor, the kitchen ceiling and floor and the basement ceiling were caused by a meteorite which detonated milliseconds before impacting the basement floor -- which is why it's scorched and not cratered. Ummmm -- you're familiar with the Tunguska Event, right? Sooooo, that's my theory, anyway..."

Oh, yeah -- almost forgot about that little hole in the sleeve. That's a dual-function hole: it allows you to touch the fins with a grounding rod *and* (if it's aligned properly) it simplifies loading the rocket into the launcher to guarantee the igniter arm makes proper contact with the motor.

Nice guesses, guys (ummmm -- a *bracelet*, ma'am? Heh!) Just to keep you on your toes, here's a heads'-up: I've got one of the EMI testing receivers, too (no, it isn't a bag of microwaveable popcorn. But it'd have been interesting if I'd stuck one inside the cockpit while we were doing the flights, just to see if the EMI was frying *us* along with the simulated ordnance).

I'll just wait 'til John's short term memory does its thing before I stick *that* little jewel here...

UPDATE: Geez, speaking of short-term memory -- the orange stripe is actually a strip of reinforced tape with "How To" illustrations. John was thinking standard ordnance colors (yellow, olive drab, blue, etc.), but us Aviation types usually rearmed in the weeds and, if the sleeve was dropped around the aircraft (where do you think I got my collection?), the orange made it easy to spot and retrieve before the thing could be turned into a rotorwash-launched missile. And HomefrontSix did rather well, considering she's married to a tandem-rotored truck driver -- she'd have been more familiar with things that went *bang* if these guys were still around.