"Mi" Is the Big one. Current configuration is an M1590 booster and an L265 sustainer. Simmed altitude is 116K feet at MSL - 135K feet at Black Rock. Top speed, Mac 2.96, I am shooting for BALLS 2019 to do this one.
My personal challenge is to hit 100K feet on M power.
I suggest a new challenge then, hit 125,000 feet with a 3" diameter vehicle. ;-) I really feel there needs to be a new set of "records" if you will, that of vehicle size. K's are no longer limited to 54mm, M's are no longer limited and 75/76mm, N's are no longer limited to 98mm and O's are no longer limited to >98mm. There are becoming a new class of high altitude rockets that are smaller in diameter and longer than those of yesterday, and these new rockets will be achieving much higher altitudes than any previous rockets of the same diameters. Introduce the "Diameter Class" Altitude Record. Just for kicks, somebody sim an L-2050-LW to an L-1040-LR and tell me what you get. That's 8,510Ns total installed impulse.
For the big one, I would suggest investing in the Loki Research 76/8000 hardware and using the Loki Red reload when it becomes available.
Here is a video of a test fire below. ~10,500Ns and a ~6 second burn. I can't give you an availability date, but BALLS 2019 won't be an issue.
For the sustainer I would suggest the 54/2800 with the
L-1040, 3,708Ns and 3.6 seconds. The sustainer lacks the burn time of the L265, but puts out over 1,000Ns more impulse. The booster motors 6 second burn and ~3,000+Ns will put the sustainer up higher into thinner air and I'm confident the overall increased Ns will more than out weigh any drag penalties from going faster. In short, your chances of hitting 100K' would be greatly increasesd. Another bonus is, Loki Research 54mm and 76mm bulkheads are already able to accommodate head end motor ignition.
I can't answer for TRA TMT, but for NAR S&T, he would have to certify the HEI design with a hydrostatic proof test (for casing pressure integrity), and then submit a couple reloads for each casing size to be fired on the S&T test stand (for the purpose to illustrate functionality, and reliability).
I tried to do this with TMT, but was told they would not certify HEI, but only allow it for EX use. Something about insurance and safety, which I thought was umm..... well it didn't make any sense to me at all. They were afraid Joe Rocket would prep his 2-stage and HEI under his EZ-up next to everyone else and have an accident, rather than following the safety code or
the page long safety instructions I wrote out for the correct, safe use of the Loki Research HEI units. They feel it is a safe course of action to let EX'rers go it alone on their own and hope they figure it out right on their own. I thought having a safe plan of action (with directions included) that was laid out and approved for use in one manner only would be the safest way. Turns out I was wrong.
Forgive me if the instructions need a correction or two. They never made it past this point. I have about 5-6 units made up but they do require hazmat shipping. I am open to any good suggestions for edits.
[video=youtube;NU2hxbzxCLs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU2hxbzxCLs[/video]