AT 29mm SU ejection charge

welp, being a reBAR( i like that!!), a lots comin back to me from flying back in the late 90's, one being that i was able to peel the paper back on the forward end of the 29mm single use motors and add a little more BP to up the pressure of the ejection charge. that really helped on my mirage and longer and bigger bt rockets-popped the top/payload section off and the chutes to come out better.
i notice the motors im getting have a new/different forward closure. i was wondering if its possible to somehow add BP to the new design. i launched my mirage last month on a g80 and there wasnt enough oomph to get both chutes out, so the sustainer came in ballistic, which lead to rebuilding it from the fins up,which i dont want to do again.

Dont peel anything. Just put a tape ring on the forward end ,add BP and pinch closed. Viola!!!

Hi, and welcome to the forums!

I am not going to address how to add BP, since Jim did that. But I wanted to question why the default charge is not enough for you. Most AT SU motors have a more energetic charge than I use in my larger rockets. So, I'm surprised that it isn't enough.

When the laundry won't come out, there are two possibilities: either the cone and laundry are packed too loosely, in which case the charge blows by the chute and NC and escapes, or else it is packed too tightly in which case the charge isn't energetic enough.

Have you noticed either extreme when you are packing your recovery gear?

Bat-mite said:

Hi, and welcome to the forums!

I am not going to address how to add BP, since Jim did that. But I wanted to question why the default charge is not enough for you. Most AT SU motors have a more energetic charge than I use in my larger rockets. So, I'm surprised that it isn't enough.

When the laundry won't come out, there are two possibilities: either the cone and laundry are packed too loosely, in which case the charge blows by the chute and NC and escapes, or else it is packed too tightly in which case the charge isn't energetic enough.

Have you noticed either extreme when you are packing your recovery gear?

Click to expand...

good questions, bat-mite. its been quite a fea years since i launched(i think the last one proir to this was 2000). what i remeber is have the nose cone on just snug enough so when i pick up the rocket by the NC with the motor in it, the NC should just start trying to come out.
BUT, i might have packed the laundry too loose. it definately wasnt too tight.


jim, with the new(to me anyways) forward closures(looks like a plastic plug holding the BP in there) im not sure how it could light. ill try and get a little picture savvy ish here to maybe show what im trying to explain.
but that is actually how i did it on the old style motors.

ok, lets see iffen this pic of the forward of an e20 and f23
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You can pry the little plastic caps out with a jeweler's screw driver. Add more powder, top with dog barf, and tape closed.

AlfaBrewer said:

You can pry the little plastic caps out with a jeweler's screw driver. Add more powder, top with dog barf, and tape closed.

Click to expand...

thank you much,alfa!
plus, ya gave me a reason to hit the BORG or big blue. i need some dog barf.
and might find "stuff" that belongs in my shop!