Smallest rocket for altimeter deployment

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Forced_Induction

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I'm planning out my next couple builds and I think I'm also going to venture into altimeter deployment and eventually dual deployment. My next rocket will most likely be a scratch built Estes black diamond. The fins/motor retainer on my son's is pretty deformed after 20 flights now and it would be a fun project for us.

The upper is a bt 55 and has a transition to bt60 on the bottom. Is this too small to get my feet wet with altimeter deployment? It's going to use 18mm motors and I'm looking at using g an eggtimer quark for deployment.

I know that motor deployment would work fine and has for quite a few flights now, but I'd like to experiment. Would this rocket work or should I save it for something a bit bigger?
 
Would you put the altimeter and chute in the upper BT55 section? What will you be using for the charge? Once you add the weight of the altimeter and battery, the rocket may be a little heavy for 18mm BP motors. Unless you're planning on using 18mm AP motors. Why not build an upscale of it?
 
It's never too early to play with altimeter deployment! Just make sure the motor can lift the additional mass of the Quark, battery, av-bay, and dual recovery. A flimsy Estes rocket with wimpy 18mm black powder motors may not cut it. You may need to step up to 24mm midpower designs. In fact, that's what I did. I mastered DD with 24mm and 29mm F and G motors before even thinking about getting Level 1.
 
I'm planning out my next couple builds and I think I'm also going to venture into altimeter deployment and eventually dual deployment. My next rocket will most likely be a scratch built Estes black diamond. The fins/motor retainer on my son's is pretty deformed after 20 flights now and it would be a fun project for us.

The upper is a bt 55 and has a transition to bt60 on the bottom. Is this too small to get my feet wet with altimeter deployment? It's going to use 18mm motors and I'm looking at using g an eggtimer quark for deployment.

I know that motor deployment would work fine and has for quite a few flights now, but I'd like to experiment. Would this rocket work or should I save it for something a bit bigger?

IMHO way too big.....
icon10.png


I fly dual deploy with BT-20 size rockets. And to put the icing on the cake, two stage rockets with Estes mini engines :)

Estes_Astron_Elliptic_II_DD_E-bay.jpg


OK, that is extreme but you did ask for the smallest altimeter deployment :)
 
Actually I have plans for 3 up scales for that rocket. 2.6", 3", and 4" bottom body tubes using 24mm, 29mm, and 38mm motors. I might save the dual deploy for the 24mm rocket. I don't have the Sim in front of me but I remember the 1:1 scale with aerotech 18mm Ap motors hit about 1000ft so the extra weight might be a bit much.

Leo, what do you use for electronics, battery, and deployment charges?
 
I did electronic staging and deployment using an Eggtimer Quantum in a slightly elogated Estes Mongoose (BT50/24mm) when I was developing the Quantum's airstart software. Aerotech D21 to D10... I also had an Eggfinder Mini on board so I could find the dang thing. It's amazing how hard it is to see a 16" long rocket at 2,000'...
 
I did electronic staging and deployment using an Eggtimer Quantum in a slightly elogated Estes Mongoose (BT50/24mm) when I was developing the Quantum's airstart software. Aerotech D21 to D10... I also had an Eggfinder Mini on board so I could find the dang thing. It's amazing how hard it is to see a 16" long rocket at 2,000'...

Do you have pictures of your electronics setup for your Mongoose that you could post? Would be very interested in how you configure booster to separate and wiring for sustainer.
 
Do you have pictures of your electronics setup for your Mongoose that you could post? Would be very interested in how you configure booster to separate and wiring for sustainer.

I should probably do a better job of taking pictures of my test stuff... people are always asking to see them. I added about 3" to the booster along with some coupler stock so that it butted up to the too-short coupler on the bottom of the sustainer. I ran the wire outside from the payload bay to a little slit I cut in the interstage for the igniter wire. Not very pretty, but that wasn't the goal. The Quantum and Mini were just stuffed into the payload bay with some foam, they ran off the same 300 mAH battery. Launched it three or four times, it worked fine every time except the first time, in which the booster lawn-darted since I didn't have a chute. I added one after that, and used motor-eject to pop it out.
 
Do you have pictures of your electronics setup for your Mongoose that you could post? Would be very interested in how you configure booster to separate and wiring for sustainer.

I've been flying electronically ignited staging using an altimeter since 2014. You can see my first test setup in this video:

[video=youtube;PvdqXnt--Z4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvdqXnt--Z4"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvdqXnt--Z4[/video]
 
I should probably do a better job of taking pictures of my test stuff... people are always asking to see them. I added about 3" to the booster along with some coupler stock so that it butted up to the too-short coupler on the bottom of the sustainer. I ran the wire outside from the payload bay to a little slit I cut in the interstage for the igniter wire. Not very pretty, but that wasn't the goal. The Quantum and Mini were just stuffed into the payload bay with some foam, they ran off the same 300 mAH battery. Launched it three or four times, it worked fine every time except the first time, in which the booster lawn-darted since I didn't have a chute. I added one after that, and used motor-eject to pop it out.

I've been flying electronically ignited staging using an altimeter since 2014.




What method did you use to separate the booster from the sustainer? Drag separation?
 
What method did you use to separate the booster from the sustainer? Drag separation?

In my case most of the time separation by pressure when the sustainer lights up, in all other by drag separation.
 
I used the blast method for the little Mongoose, but for larger builds I always use a separation charge in the booster. If it drag separates that may be a bonus;
but you may not want to have it drag separate if the booster is the same diameter as the sustainer, since the extra mass of the booster will net you some extra altitude because the net force due to drag at booster motor burnout will result in lower deceleration. Try simming with Open Rocket and play with the separation times, and you'll see what I mean...
 
I used the blast method for the little Mongoose, but for larger builds I always use a separation charge in the booster.

In my case most of the time separation by pressure when the sustainer lights up, in all other by drag separation.


I have a STM-012 that is destined to be a 29mm booster to 24mm sustainer with a Quantum and Mini. Sounds like blast separation is the way to go.
 
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