Hey guys! I've been reading this forum for a couple years, just haven't signed up before. We spent a lot of time, about $10,000 and a grand total of about 12 solid months of researching, building, testing, and redesigning to create the only full military power flamethrower that anyone is producing right now. The guys behind the X15 flamethrower actually bought a previous prototype of ours a few years ago and then copied a lot of the design and have sold $3 million dollars worth... Though theirs has the power of a toy basically, and ours matches and even exceeds the power of the M2 and M9 from the US military. We were pretty surprised to find out we triggered an industry, or that there was anyone else who would want a flamethrower hahaha.
My question is this – right now we only have one after selling the second on Gunbroker. Would anyone want one? (This is a question for feedback, we don't have any to sell!) We created a couple videos and made up a name (Apache Fluidics M2 M9 flamethrower) and web page that's not actually 'live', but we're not a company, we're just engineers and guys that think what we made is cool. The web page right now is just copied over from our current business, etc. We've only made two of these, plus several previous prototypes in all kinds of variations. We'd love for more people to get to try out the real deal if anyone would want us to make them - but I don't want to go broke if no one cares/everyone thinks it's stupid. It's a serious item, they don't make valves that handle over 200 psi and also flow over 15 gallons per minute. Nor do they make fittings for high pressure tanks with large orifices. Plus rotary unions are expensive, etc. So we spend about $3000 in parts and machining to make one- there's no joke in getting 45 gallons per minute at up to 750 psi. I'm an aerospace engineer, and this shares a ton in common with the liquid rocket engines we make (the flow rates and pressures are fully in that realm). That's why you won't see any else like this on YouTube unless they're a ($12,000) refurbished genuine M2 or M9 (which also have questionably corroded steel tanks). I think DeGroat or someone like that made a couple years back? I think I heard he sold them for like $8000? Anyway, here's one video we made on it:
(Obviously it's like sky diving, it will never be totally 'safe', so put that part aside. It's not for everyone, and you need a good, safe place to shoot it and safety gear. We've done everything to use very safe tanks, valves, pressure systems, etc. Which does make it heavy). Here's a pic:
So whatdya guys think? We could see them used for reenactments (painted, maybe with sparklers for ignition to take off the torch), for machine gun shoots and rentals, for fun, for attractions at cool events (like auto racing etc), for movies/props. Gun store owners could sell them in their shops and I'm sure people would come in just to stare at it. We came up with a less expensive one tank version too. Anyone who would actually buy one if we made them? We could make more, make some really cool videos (flamethrower skeet shooting and all kinds of interesting and entertaining stuff), but I don't want to go to the trouble and expense if no one would be interested. Is it too powerful and people just want a toy, more like the X15? Something that's more backyard friendly? It's alright if you hate it too, just please say why!
Just looking for opinions, we don't have any to sell (the website is just us jacking around)- don't want to try offering them if people think it's useless/ridiculous
(And again, first time poster, I get it – but just respectfully asking for feedback from a couple forums we trust and appreciate on a cool thing we made, NOT selling anything. Thanks for any opinions!)
My question is this – right now we only have one after selling the second on Gunbroker. Would anyone want one? (This is a question for feedback, we don't have any to sell!) We created a couple videos and made up a name (Apache Fluidics M2 M9 flamethrower) and web page that's not actually 'live', but we're not a company, we're just engineers and guys that think what we made is cool. The web page right now is just copied over from our current business, etc. We've only made two of these, plus several previous prototypes in all kinds of variations. We'd love for more people to get to try out the real deal if anyone would want us to make them - but I don't want to go broke if no one cares/everyone thinks it's stupid. It's a serious item, they don't make valves that handle over 200 psi and also flow over 15 gallons per minute. Nor do they make fittings for high pressure tanks with large orifices. Plus rotary unions are expensive, etc. So we spend about $3000 in parts and machining to make one- there's no joke in getting 45 gallons per minute at up to 750 psi. I'm an aerospace engineer, and this shares a ton in common with the liquid rocket engines we make (the flow rates and pressures are fully in that realm). That's why you won't see any else like this on YouTube unless they're a ($12,000) refurbished genuine M2 or M9 (which also have questionably corroded steel tanks). I think DeGroat or someone like that made a couple years back? I think I heard he sold them for like $8000? Anyway, here's one video we made on it:
(Obviously it's like sky diving, it will never be totally 'safe', so put that part aside. It's not for everyone, and you need a good, safe place to shoot it and safety gear. We've done everything to use very safe tanks, valves, pressure systems, etc. Which does make it heavy). Here's a pic:
So whatdya guys think? We could see them used for reenactments (painted, maybe with sparklers for ignition to take off the torch), for machine gun shoots and rentals, for fun, for attractions at cool events (like auto racing etc), for movies/props. Gun store owners could sell them in their shops and I'm sure people would come in just to stare at it. We came up with a less expensive one tank version too. Anyone who would actually buy one if we made them? We could make more, make some really cool videos (flamethrower skeet shooting and all kinds of interesting and entertaining stuff), but I don't want to go to the trouble and expense if no one would be interested. Is it too powerful and people just want a toy, more like the X15? Something that's more backyard friendly? It's alright if you hate it too, just please say why!
Just looking for opinions, we don't have any to sell (the website is just us jacking around)- don't want to try offering them if people think it's useless/ridiculous
(And again, first time poster, I get it – but just respectfully asking for feedback from a couple forums we trust and appreciate on a cool thing we made, NOT selling anything. Thanks for any opinions!)
