Oxygenates

[Clint Corbin]

At 02:30 AM 8/29/97 -0600, you wrote:
>Well, I wasn't in on the original discussion, but I did just go 
>through the Kansas Cosmosphere, and they had an exhibit on the the
>first rocket powered plane, the Me162 Komet (think I have the model
>right).  It used nearly pure hydrogen peroxide as the oxidizer for the
>rocket motor.  Due to the corrosive nature (and instability) of the
>peroxide this was an extremely dangerous plane to refuel, let alone
>fly.  Seems that pure hydrogen peroxide produces horrible chemical
>burns, in addition to being explosive.
>
>Not A Good Thing in a moving vehicle.


No doubt!  If I recall, that was the plane that managed to DISOLVE 
its pilot after a forced landing with almost full tanks.  One split
open and flooded the cockpit with H202 on landing.  Not a pretty
way to go.  Remember, H202 in the bottle at the drug store is only
4% or so!  Imagine what 100% does.....