A video has surfaced on Russian unofficial channels showcasing the field testing of a portable launcher for aviation unguided rockets, the S-8. It appears to be the work of some "handyman" who had access to the S-8 itself, a water pipe, and plywood.
The "recipe" for creating this device is quite straightforward: insert an 80-mm rocket into the pipe, connect an electric igniter, construct a shield for the shooter from wooden planks, ensuring to include a viewing hole, and attach handles for stability. However, it might have been more challenging to find someone willing to fire it.
The video would not be complete without its original audio accompaniment. Here, the "designer" claims that the installation is "absolutely safe." However, he adds that currently, it is just about proving the feasibility of firing the S-8 from the shoulder, although "in principle, everything is ready," and there may only be "some refinements."
What follows is a rather logical sequence of events. After the rocket launches from the pipe using its solid-fuel engine, the superheated gases hit the wooden shield, which then strikes the face of the test shooter, sending him flying off-screen.
In light of this, one can only marvel at the reaction of the operator and the creator of this device, who silently watches the rocket's flight being filmed. This suggests that the result of the launch was anticipated by everyone except the test subject.
It is worth noting that the S-8, in its most common version S-8KOM, has a launch weight of 11.2 kg and features a cumulative-fragmentation warhead weighing 3.6 kg. Besides being used from aircraft and helicopters, these 80-mm rockets are also actively utilized from ground launchers as mini-MRLs. However, Russia has become the first country where an attempt to launch it from the shoulder has been documented, something that has not even been attempted in some distant African nations.