15' Flare Parachute

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Tonimus

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So, I've had two sub-optimal recoveries of a 50 pound bird with the 15' flare parachute. I'm to the point where I'm wondering if I just need to find a new 'chute... Suggestions for either getting this thing to deploy right, or options for a budget parachute for a 50 pound rocket?
 
Budget is a relative term. Big rockets need big chutes. A quick glance identifies a B2 Cert 3 Extra Large for $189 from Wildman.
 
Do you have any more info on what "sub-optimal recoveries" means. Did you not deploy right, tangles chute/cord, too fast of decent rate?

If the problem wasn't too fast of decent rate, I don't see why you would need a new chute.
 
I have used them. They usually come with a bag and drogue and will deploy nicely.
The material these chutes are made from has no UV blockers, the intention is to decompose in sunlight. So unless in us store in an opaque container.

M
 
You spotty success is probably because your rockets are too light. I found that out the hard way.
 
I've been using a d-bag with elastic stows. Seems to never open properly. Just kinda flopped about like a streamer. And the rocket not being heavy enough makes complete sense. When I was testing the thing for rips and to make sure my new shroud lines were good, the thing didn't want to inflate until about 20 mph... I don't know why I didn't make the connection until now.
 
I've been using a d-bag with elastic stows. Seems to never open properly. Just kinda flopped about like a streamer. And the rocket not being heavy enough makes complete sense. When I was testing the thing for rips and to make sure my new shroud lines were good, the thing didn't want to inflate until about 20 mph... I don't know why I didn't make the connection until now.

Is the problem that the bag isn't coming off or the chute not opening?

So what is pulling the d-bag up and the shroud lines out of the elastic stows? If the rocket is falling under drogue, it should be going fast enough to inflate the chute. Are you using a pilot chute and is it large enough?

My rocket is 52 lbs on the pad. I use a 60" pilot on the nose cone and to pull the d-bag up. The main drops the rocket at 17 ft/sec and the pilot drops the nose cone at 13 ft/sec. There is a 150 lb dacron line that connect the d-bag to the top of the main, keeping everything together. The pilot is more then enough to pull the shrouds out of the elastic stows and the main out of the bag. Since most of the rocket is still falling when the d-bag pulls off, the main pops open pretty quick, but with everything lined up vertically, it's not a hard shock.

I don't know if you are doing anything like that or even want to, but it certainly works for me. I just lowered the main deploy from 1000 to 700 because it works so well.
 
That could be part of it, but the last go, even with a 36" pilot, the bag came all the way off, the chute just didn't inflate. I was running a 60" drogue, fearing this might happen. I'd bet the combination of the largish drogue and the chute not wanting to inflate was causing problems. I'll hang onto the chute for larger future projects, but I'll probably get a SkyAngle C3XL for this one.
 
I don't know if it helps, but the small line I have between the d-bag and the top of the main might be helping inflation. I z-fold that line so when the d-bag is pulled off, there is going to be some pull on the top of the main, pulling it into a vertical position and that might be making it open quicker.

You might want to try that.
 
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