Jolly Logic Chute Release Test Flight Video

It looks like John is sitting on a good windfall of income. Now it's just a matter of time. Once this thing is released, it's going to be a race to see who actually gets them. I think John is going to need to implement a limit per household on the initial release. Otherwise, a few guys are going to buy them all. My wife wants DD badly but she doesn't feel she is ready for the traditional path. This solves her issue and we won't have to mod her built rockets.

cool Beans! (HA!)

Just take my money! This is awesome! I've been thinking about what it would take to start getting into dual-deploy, but this looks to be much, much simpler (& reliable, once all the kinks have been found and worked out).

Christmas can't come too soon...I feel like I'm 8 years old again.

Kruegon said:

It looks like John is sitting on a good windfall of income. Now it's just a matter of time. Once this thing is released, it's going to be a race to see who actually gets them. I think John is going to need to implement a limit per household on the initial release. Otherwise, a few guys are going to buy them all. My wife wants DD badly but she doesn't feel she is ready for the traditional path. This solves her issue and we won't have to mod her built rockets.

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I wouldn't be too sure about that. The hobby rocket market is small. The only ones that may have the disposable income are the BAR's. Given development and production costs he's likely to get a return but not something to quit the day job over. Kurt Savegnago

ksaves2 said:

I wouldn't be too sure about that. The hobby rocket market is small. The only ones that may have the disposable income are the BAR's. Given development and production costs he's likely to get a return but not something to quit the day job over. Kurt Savegnago

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Agreed, I think this will be quite popular, but, the total sales numbers are going to be tiny. I don't think anybody who wanted to be rich thought first about doing something in the model rocket biz, that's for sure. Look at all the companies that have come and gone over the years.

ksaves2 said:

A pyrotechnic device like the Archtype rocketry cutter can cinch the zip tie down very tightly so one could have a drogue at the apex of the main chute that extends out of the burrito bag. The tight cinch holds the main in place even with the pull on the drogue. Once the cutter fires, the "drogue" can act as a pilot chute that assists in pulling the main out of the burrito.

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You make good points.

It is important to appreciate a few of things when rigging Chute Release:

1. The job of chute release is to hold the chute closed as it flaps around on the way down
2. The only load that should be on the band is holding the parachute together
3. The only load on the tether should be the weight of Chute Release

Chute Release is NOT in the load chain of your parachute <-> rocket.

If you mount a drogue (not that I think it's necessary), my current advice is tie it to the shock cord below the parachute. I have not experimented with a drogue tied to the top of the parachute. That configuration would "load" the parachute that Chute Release is trying to hold closed.

I'm not an uber-expert on parachutes (let me be the first to admit). My first day with Chute Release at a LUNAR launch at Moffitt Field a couple of weekends ago, both of my chutes got stuck in my rockets, and I ruined the first two Chute Release prototypes on concrete lawn darts.

But what I've seen on my flights here the last week are that if you roll a nice tight chute with the cords inside, Chute Release will hold it rolled up nicely (no need to wrap the cords to make a nice bundle, CR will do that). In that way, you've got a nice tight bundle that if mounted close to the nosecone will always get dragged out when the nosecone pops out. And it tumbles cleanly, and releases nicely, and inflates within about 50 feet of your set altitude.

It's really pretty fun to watch, I must say.

P.S. Here's a rigging video, including ground test.

[video=youtube;G9jlOs5R13g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9jlOs5R13g[/video]

John Beans said:

You make good points.

It is important to appreciate a few of things when rigging Chute Release:

1. The job of chute release is to hold the chute closed as it flaps around on the way down
2. The only load that should be on the band is holding the parachute together
3. The only load on the tether should be the weight of Chute Release

Chute Release is NOT in the load chain of your parachute <-> rocket.

If you mount a drogue (not that I think it's necessary, my current advice is tie it to the shock cord below the parachute. I have not experimented with a drogue tied to the top of the parachute. That configuration would "load" the parachute that Chute Release is trying to hold closed.

I'm not an uber-expert on parachutes (let me be the first to admit). My first day with Chute Release at a LUNAR launch at Moffitt Field a couple of weekends ago, both of my chutes got stuck in my rockets, and I ruined the first two Chute Release prototypes on concrete lawn darts.

But what I've seen on my flights here the last week are that if you roll a nice tight chute with the cords inside, Chute Release will hold it rolled up nicely (no need to wrap the cords to make a nice bundle, CR will do that). In that way, you've got a nice tight bundle that if mounted close to the nosecone will always get dragged out when the nosecone pops out. And it tumbles cleanly, and releases nicely, and inflates within about 50 feet of your set altitude.

Click to expand...

I agree with you that a drogue at the apex of the main chute is not advisable. Using a cutter with the chute rolled up tightly in nomex, the chute can hang in the nomex and give a Hail Mary deployment scheme.
The drogue at the apex can help pull it out of the nomex burrito.

Since your chute release doesn't "need" to have nomex protection once the motor ejection charge has pushed everything out in the open, your chute release can work unencumbered by nomex as the whole assembly has likely worked itself
out of the nomex by the time it gets to deployment altitude. I would NOT wrap the elastic around a chute already packed in a nomex protector. The parachute needs to be packed and secured with your chute release and then the nomex rolled around the assembly. It would also be best to place the protector that it will pull free off the parachute/chute release device with shockcord extension.

I think with care, one can get near 100% perfect deployments. As long as the ejection charge gets the nosecone off and the parachute/chute release assembly out in the breeze and the battery in the device doesn't croak in mid-flight,:shock: one should get a nice deployment like the video shows. Kurt Savegnago

Here's a short flight video. I still haven't upgraded to a real video camera with zoom yet, so it's just a cell phone video. The rocket seems to just suddenly appear when the parachute opens.
But for what it's worth:

[video=youtube;e2_GJTuBG-k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2_GJTuBG-k[/video]

Ok,

Pick a fabricator and send in the order for production.:wink: Kurt Savegnago

John,
In all seriousness, how does one get on a pre-order list?

mad4hws said:

John,
In all seriousness, how does one get on a pre-order list?

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Seriously, I really appreciate the interest.

How about if I just promise to try and make plenty?

We did underestimate demand for the original AltimeterOne, we got a little better for AltimeterTwo, but we have had no problems with supply of any products since AltimeterThree has come out.
The latest altimeter design is very "manufacturable," as will be Chute Release. I don't anticipate problems with manufacturing Chute Release, but until we get the flight tests further along, I wouldn't be comfortable with a line forming just yet.

Like all of our products, some folks will find them to be a bit pricey, and like I said, we plan to make plenty. So you may not have the difficulty I think you're anticipating in getting hold of one.

Probably.

mad4hws said:

John,
In all seriousness, how does one get on a pre-order list?

Click to expand...

Based on past experience, I find it best to wait and allow the release to happen when the purveyor is good and ready.
There are issues with obtaining a fabricator and picking the "initial" production number. One wants enough to service the demand and possible near future needs but not so much if demand peters out, there is a lot left sitting on the stock shelf gathering dust.

Kurt Savegnago

My first thought was, why didn't I think of that?" Awesome idea. I'll have to get one when they become available.