Falcon 9 - Has anybody played around with the computer models?

Peartree said:

Reading the threads about the Falcon 9 and the upcoming Falcon Heavy, and then looking at some of the F9 models being built started me wondering, how big would a model have to be to use a cluster of 9, 13mm, 18mm or 24mm motors and would a model that size be too heavy to fly on a cluster of that size?

I don't currently have any of the modeling software running but I know we have a few folk who build models like that for fun.

Have any of you tried this?

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LithosphereRocketry said:

Awhile ago someone was building a 9x24mm F9 cluster in the scratchbuilt section with hand-wrapped FG tubes. There hasn't been much done on the build lately- not sure why.

I don't think weight will actually be much of an issue- multiple motors add up fairly fast in terms of thrust: 9xA3 is a full D20, and fits in a 2" PSII tube. 9xC6 is a full F42, doable for a 3" PSII rocket if you build light. 9xE9 is a 50% H81- would be fine for a lightish paper 4" rocket. If you leave put the motor blocks you can put in G65s... Baby K582, plenty pretty much however you build it.

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dhbarr said:

CTI g65 holding in 8x AT d2.3 in a bt80 (?) or 3in (!) gets my nod.

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LithosphereRocketry said:

If you airstart them and cant them at 45ish degrees you can get a bit of overexpansion plume effect... You need a lot of BT space but it might be doable with smaller motors.

Starting around 1:50:
[video=youtube;r4XJS_oftH8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4XJS_oftH8[/video]

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Steve Shannon said:

Of course, canting them like that costs 30% of the vertical thrust component also.

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LithosphereRocketry said:

True- but D2.3s have barely any thrust anyway...

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markkoelsch said:

Make it big. 9 54mm mounts. Make the out side ring if motors AT i65, and the central motors something higher thrust to get it moving. No motor tubes- just centering rings to cut down in weight.


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dhbarr said:

L2050 you say? :-D

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Nytrunner said:

8 D2.3s? That's a big investment in 18RC hardware!

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Peartree said:

So, at the scale sizes required for various motors, how tall would this model be?

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