History Main / MissingBackblast

* The rocket launcher in ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' uses compressed air to to launch the rocket a safe distance away before the propellant ignites, averting this trope.
** While it averts the backblast problem the RPG is still dangerous in confined spaces, the initial launch will make the rocket jump up a foot or so, if you don't have enough height clearance - Boom.
*** Which, in turn, leads to a bit of FridgeLogic: such a weapon typically won't arm itself until after the rocket motor ignites, meaning that it should be Klunk rather than Boom.

* There's a story circulating in the British Army of the PIRA doing something very similar with an RPG-7 from the back of a Belfast taxi. The troops who reported the incident were manning an observation post in the middle of a roundabout on the outskirts of Belfast when they notice a taxi about to start a second trip around their position. They guessed at once that something was about to happen and were just preparing for action when the taxi's back window open and, after a short delay, the vehicle filled with flames and exploded. Forensic examination revealed that they had been attacked by someone that didn't understand recoilless backblast.
* The WWII British anti-tank weapon called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIAT the PIAT]] may resemble a rocket launcher, but is actually a spigot mortar that uses a small confined explosive charge in the base of the projectile to propel it from the weapon. This system produced no backblast, but resulted in, you guessed it, '''severe''' recoil, even with the presence of a large cocking spring to absorb it. And, according to Ian Hogg (in his book ''Grenades and Mortars'' from the old Ballantine Illustrated History of WWII/The Violent Century series), if you didn't hold onto the PIAT ''really tight'' when it fired, the recoil that was supposed to re-cock the spigot against its powerful spring would instead (a) knock you flat on your backside and (b) fail to shove the spigot back fast and hard enough to re-cock it- which meant you had to re-arm the PIAT by hand, which was emphatically not fun.
** Not fun is putting it mildly. The spring needed over 100 pounds of force (over 50 kg). Many soldiers found it impossible to do solo, and very few could do it while staying behind cover, something important when trying to fight a tank.

** Speaking of the SMAW, its field manual does say you can use the weapon in the prone position. A platoon training with live ammo was curious enough to try it... but knowing that the thing had a massive backblast piled all their [[BulletProofVest flak jackets]] on the volunteer. The end result was the SMAW blew out at least half the flak jackets and then some.[[note]]Those were [[TooDumbToLive probably not the smartest guys]], since any rocket launch system fired from prone is intended to be fired with the weapon at a 90 degree angle from the shooter.[[/note]]

** Bear in mind that the Panzerfaust's backblast is ''comparatively'' milder; the end of the tube still had to be pointed away from the user. Nevertheless, the Germans were aware enough to inscribe a warning at the rear end of the launcher ("Achtung! Feuerstrahl!")[[note]]literally, "Beware! Fire Jet!" in German)[[/note]] to admonish its users. There were numerous cases of soldiers, generally Finns who were issued with Panzerfausts but not trained in their use (since they couldn't read the German warning on the tube) killing themselves by bracing the tube against their shoulder like a regular rifle and firing.

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* There is [[http://spioenkop.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-islamic-state-going-diy-inside-diy.html an infamous headcam video from the Syrian Civil War]] on the Internet, captured from the Islamic State and then shared with Vice Media, showing a failed offensive against entrenched Kurdish fighters from the POV of some of the luckless ISIS participants. Almost everything that can go wrong, does, including an RPG gunner who manages to toast his teammates with the backblast (despite being ''specifically'' warned about this in the video) and the memetically incompetent Abu Hajaar, whose feats include spraying his teammates with hot brass from his machine gun and nearly killing them with ricochets.

* In the Battle of Mogadishu, US troops knew the Somalians knew this trope didn't apply to real life, and they didn't expect Somalis to kill themselves to take a crack at a US helicopter. This, the Americans didn't think the RPG-7s used by the Somalis were in play for taking out helicopters that stayed above the rooftops; anyone trying it would be badly burned by the backblast bouncing off the asphalt. The US troops did not count on the Somalis placing shields to deflect the backblast onto the RPG-7, resulting in a weapon that could be fired up at the helicopters. The result is chronicled, infamously, in Film/BlackHawkDown.

* There is [[http://spioenkop.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-islamic-state-going-diy-inside-diy.html an infamous headcam video from the Syrian Civil War]] on the Internet, captured from the Islamic State and then shared with Vice Media, showing a failed offensive against entrenched Kurdish fighters from the POV of some of the luckless participants. Almost everything that can go wrong, does, including an RPG gunner who manages to toast his teammates with the backblast (despite being ''specifically'' warned about this in the video) and the memetically incompetent Abu Hajaar, whose feats include spraying his teammates with hot brass from his machine gun and nearly killing them with ricochets.

* Col. Volgin in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' was man enough to fire a recoilless ''nuclear warhead'' from a chopper traveling in an aerial convoy. He wasn't the only one in that chopper either. At the very least, both of the chopper's side-doors were open.

* The fatal flaw in Tom Clancy's ''Clear and Present Danger'' (despite his supposed mastery of the techno-thriller). The director of the FBI is assassinated in Colombia when an RPG is fired into his car. The fact that his security escort were explicitly scanning rooftops for threats is negated by the RPG's operator firing the weapon from an upper-story window (with the sun behind the building), in spite of the fact that in so doing, he would likely fry himself because the exhaust gases would fill the room he was in. (Drug cartel thugs are not known for being dedicated to their cause to the point of being suicidal.)

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in the German anti-war movie ''Film/{{The Bridge|1959}}''. When one of the boys charged with defending a (tactically actually meaningless) bridge during the last days of WWII fires his Panzerfaust at an American tank from inside a house, ''he'' isn't adversely affected and is even momentarily jubilant about his success. Then he turns back towards the elderly owner of the building who was protesting from behind him only moments ago... In the remake, the old civilian isn't there, but he ''does'' set the house on fire.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDeadSeasonTwo.'' This season takes place when Clementine is only eleven and still pretty small, and in the first episode she's discouraged from picking up a rifle because it would knock her "flat on your ass." Cue her trying to use one in another episode and promptly falling back onto the ground from the recoil.

* Averted in ''/VideoGame/TheWalkingDeadSeasonTwo.'' This season takes place when Clementine is only eleven and still pretty small, and in the first point she's discouraged from picking up a rifle because it would "knock you flat on your ass." Cue her trying to use one in another episode and promptly falling back onto the ground from the recoil.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' partially averts this. A particular heavy missile launcher is specifically stated to inflict damage to not only anyone standing close behind the firer, but the firer themself if they're not wearing armor. In fact, the backblast will destroy the launcher, which is in of itself a disposable weapon.

* In the Battle of Mogadishu, US troops knew the Somalians knew this trope didn't apply to real life, and they didn't expect Somalis to kill themselves to take a crack at a US helicopter. This, the Americans didn't think the RPG-7s used by the Somalis were in play for taking out helicopters that stayed above the rooftops; anyone trying it would be badly burned by the backblast bouncing off the asphalt. The US troops did not count on the Somalis placing shields to deflect the backblast onto the RPG-7, resulting in a weapon that could be fired up at the helicopters. The result is chronicled, infamously, in BlackHawkDown.

* Both ''VideoGame/JediOutcast'' and ''VideoGame/JediAcademy'' in the ''VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga'' features the handheld model of the Merr-Sonn PLX-2M where the backblast is expelled in ''front'' of the player - though it's at right angles to the rocket launcher, so it can't harm the player. The barrel also moves away from the rocket, absorbing some of the recoil. This is actually similar to how most tanks dissipate recoil.

* In the ''VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga'', there's a rocket launcher that has its backblast expelled in ''front'' of the player - though it's at right angles to the rocket launcher, so it can't harm the player. The barrel also moves away from the rocket, absorbing some of the recoil. This is actually similar to how most tanks dissipate recoil.

* In an episode of ''{{Miami Vice}}'', a criminal is seen visibly reacting to recoil from a stinger missile. However, the backblast can be seen from it, and the others present have already moved a safe distance away in preparation for it.

* One of the more extreme examples of "backblast" is the NATO Milan infantry anti-tank guided weapon. Similar in many ways to the American TOW (Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided) anti-tank missile, Milan is delivered as a certified round sealed in its own launching tube. When it is fired, as can be [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmRfe09g9JM seen here]], not only does the missile leave the launcher going toward the target, ''the launch tube is ejected at high speed in the opposite direction''. This makes reloading very rapid, but also demands a certain amount of care in positioning the launcher in, say, a dugout.

** Also parodied in [[http://i.imgur.com/HcUY6.png this depiction]] of the same game's final level.

* [[http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/TU001386.html Here]] is a rather infamous photo of Dan Quayle holding an unloaded RPG-7 launcher for a photo op. Given that he is holding it ''backward'' -- note the trigger guard, which is neatly tucked in against the base of his thumb -- and also in such fashion that the exhaust end is pointing right past the fellow on his left, while the business end appears to be aimed squarely ''through his elbow'' at the fellow on his right, it's really just as well that the launcher doesn't have a rocket mounted.

* Probably ''over''averted in the [=RTS=] ''VideoGame/ActOfWar'', where the player can have infantry occupy buildings for added protection. Attempting this with rocket-armed troops will result in the death of the rocket guy, some or all of any other infantry in the building, and considerable damage to the building itself the instant something hostile comes within range of the garrisoned building and those rocket guys open fire on it.

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in the German anti-war movie ''[[Film/TheBridge Die Brücke]]''. When one of the boys charged with defending a (tactically actually meaningless) bridge during the last days of WWII fires his Panzerfaust at an American tank from inside a house, ''he'' isn't adversely affected and is even momentarily jubilant about his success. Then he turns back towards the elderly owner of the building who was protesting from behind him only moments ago... In the remake, the old civilian isn't there, but he ''does'' set the house on fire.

** Speaking of the SMAW, its field manual does say you can use the weapon in the prone position. A platoon training with live ammo was curious enough to try it... but [[GenreSavvy knowing that the thing had a massive backblast]] piled all their [[BulletProofVest flak jackets]] on the volunteer. The end result was the SMAW blew out at least half the flak jackets and then some.[[note]]Those were [[TooDumbToLive probably not the smartest guys]], since any rocket launch system fired from prone is intended to be fired with the weapon at a 90 degree angle from the shooter.[[/note]]

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in the German anti-war movie ''Die Brücke''. When one of the boys charged with defending a (tactically actually meaningless) bridge during the last days of WWII fires his Panzerfaust at an American tank from inside a house, ''he'' isn't adversely affected and is even momentarily jubilant about his success. Then he turns back towards the elderly owner of the building who was protesting from behind him only moments ago... In the remake, the old civilian isn't there, but he ''does'' set the house on fire.

* Partially averted in ''Film/{{Commando}}''. Cindy attempts to rescue Matrix by firing a M202 Flash rocket launcher. No recoil at all on the first shot then the ''{{Rule of Funny}}'' comes to the rescue of physics with the second shot throwing her backwards into the car.