Save some weight on the sustainer AND improve stability. Use a motor adapter and downsize the sustainer to 18mm motor. A8-5 would be best, A8-3 is likely to be too early.
Most of the “show” in staging flights is the staging itself (separation and watching the IGNITED sustainer get started.)
Especially for a small field, downsizing is win, win, win, win
Lighter sustainer motor = higher velocity off the rod
Better for stability of stack (less tail weight moves CG forward.
Smaller motor means lower altitude at apogee, therefore shorted walk and more likely to stay in field. Latter is PARTICULARLY important for stagers, which are far more prone to weathercocking, at least for low power.
Lower cost per motor.
Ok, I got you. This was just an idea i wanted to do for my Super Big Bertha. Its an old kit, and way to heavy. But it would and has fly on a D12-3, like it is now as Openrocket says 220 feet for apogee and it will work. With the exception of the weight I added in poster board skins(the shipping labels were not big enough), and paint it will fly just like it did 10 years ago but just a little lower apogee. But now it has some newer upgrades on the top end as well now the bottom. But I found that one spool, and thought it would be cool to use it as a booster section for an already built rocket that needs some help going up a little more. So I've been thinking about this for a few weeks and wanted to fly SBB @ SPAAR on a D12-3, just to get it up again. But ran into issues and didn't have time to send it. So I got back home last week and started on the idea. Only thing is all the scratch parts I had laying around, started to look really nice. My goal was to make something with what I have, and nothing more. But as it tunred out I needed centering rings for a BT-80 tube and 29mm ID. I have them for my Alpha H motor upscale which when I started back in this again in May this year(Im 40 and started in a Rocketry Class in 1990), was going to use for my L1 cert flight. But got an old collection back from 2013 and have been working to finish or modify those So I bought a lot again in May(another $1800 or so to tright now) 2023, and added my collection from 2013 to it. It's a lot of stuff to deal with right now, and kind of why I was using Google for answers and it brought me right back here and I caused a little issue opening up old threads which I'm still not sure what I did wrong as most were my old threads from 10 years ago. You can see my post history and gaps... But anyways that spool(its from a nylon twine masonry line like you buy at Coles or Lowes, etc..), is 29mm on the outside. So, once again 100 more ideas ran thru my head. And just thought why not make a 29mm tail section and just swap it? I debated, measured about 10 times, then cut. It couldn't have worked out better. So, I'm not going to fly anything crazy in it, but like my Quest Big Dog. I said the heck with it and after 10 years and the crappy motor adapter the ygive you, and just put a 99 cent 3D printed 29mm motor retainer on it. Now, I have a wide variety of motors I can fly from literally a C6-0 with adapters, E9-4(15 years old, non-CATO ones), or I just ordered 200 bux in BP and a mix of Composite motors from eRockets for $14 total shipping! So, the 29mm option I'm doing is to really give me that cheap black powder prices that I can go an get them in person right at Hobby Lobby 15 mins away. Then I can test all this stuff, then go bigger...
But back the Big Daddy. I built this 10 years ago, and didn't think I used a 24mm E hook. Well putting some wadding in the motor tube so the dog barf wouldn't go down in the tube as this rocket eats laundry(I even handmade a chute protector, as well as some others that work great to help it), but that little orange spacer came out. I really wanted to send it on a 24mm-E-BP motor, but didn't get the chance. Twisted my knee @ SPARR last Sat getting this Big Daddy back from another successful D12-3 flight. With the nosecone mods and bulkhead, etc....So after getting back home and cutting Super Big Bertha apart. I thought when I looked at my Big Daddy. I could use that....So, that's where I'm at and I'm still thinking about it...
Started at age 7 in 1990, got back into in 2012 after a career ending injury at UPS. So now im back into it, after almost a very unwated 10 year break. I was working a shard as I could to get these done for that launch, but now i have some time to sit. and type out whats going on with my laptop rather than my phone that justs writes anthing its wants and makes me look like a crackhead with model rockets....So, even getting OpenRocket, and the JL chute release had bee nlife cahgning for me. Im partially diasbled, so dont work right now and have a very difficulkt time doign things. Even if you watch my youtube videos I mis-pronounce or say thigs goofy. I mjsut in a ton of pain and, need to do this. I joined NAR finally lasst week after 33 years of wanting too. I swear it was requirement to join with that model rocketry class at Super Saturdays back in 1990, but cant find the info. But im going fo rmy L1 cert flight hopefully soon. But going to URRG in NY in Sept to check thigns out and maybe fly one or two before LDRS is held there next year. So, after 10 really horrible years, im getting to do wante I wanted then, Probably why I see a little excited some times. Its finally hitting the play button after a very long pause, and fast forward to now, with all the stuff I got 10 years go. Its amazing right now, I finally got fins and centering rings for my Mega Der Red Max in 38mm from RocketryWorks right before he sent that heartbreaking email out about him closing. I'm a grown man and it almost brought a tear to my eye. I'm like on man here we go back 10 years and all this bad luck stuff is gonna happen again. But, lol, I'm getting laser engraver for metal, and its cuts plywood up to half inch. Which I'm just using this for rocketry so it will be fine, soon. But I even went to Walmart last night and got a new scale. So, I'm jolting my memory and implying some new build techniques. Like kevlar shock cord to the motor tube on all rockets even low power, chute spill holes in the cheap plastic chutes, handmade chute protectors, etc.. I'm slowly catching up. And I've spent a half hour typing(another thing my injures have taken from me, the abilty to type for along period of time or even hold a pencil), so I'm going to get back to building. I appreciate the feedback, and I mall about safety too. I don't go crazy like this with all my builds, but some need a little help....