Non-maths puzzle: multi-motor rocket design

Inspired by our friend snrkl from Down Under, here's one to ponder.

You have a pile of various Estes C6 engines to burn. You must choose exactly seven engines from the pile. Design a rocket to take only those 7 engines. They must be configured in three groups with an equal number of engines. Describe your motor mount configuration.

DO NOT post your answer here in the thread. First to PM me the correct answer wins. I'll post the answer whenever I think we've had enough fun.

I have 2 solutions, PM sent.

Boatgeek had the first correct solution with a "Y" configuration.

There is another solution with the following additional limitation:
...... all 3 aligned groups must at 90 degrees angles from each other. Still must be an equal number of engines. And it must not have off-centered thrust.

Mark Koelsch had a good solution in the shape of an H.

Now for the final variation with an additional requirement....
.... The 3 groups of 3 engines must share a single engine!

This seems like a blatant attempt to outsource rocket design :lol:

Nytrunner said:

This seems like a blatant attempt to outsource rocket design :lol:

Click to expand...

I'm secretly feeding all the interesting PM's to the new Estes management. :wink:

The final solution for 3 rows of 3 engines, all rows at 90 degrees apart, sharing only one engine.... think 3 dimensions!

3-stage core gives one row. Four outboards sharing a center engine gives two more rows 90 deg apart from each other.... and 90 deg from the staged motors.

jsdemar said:

The final solution for 3 rows of 3 engines, all rows at 90 degrees apart, sharing only one engine.... think 3 dimensions!

3-stage core gives one row. Four outboards sharing a center engine gives two more rows 90 deg apart from each other.... and 90 deg from the staged motors.

Click to expand...

I can do 7 motors in 3 rows at 90 degree angles with all motors firing at once...

LithosphereRocketry said:

I can do 7 motors in 3 rows at 90 degree angles with all motors firing at once...

Click to expand...

Sharing a single motor in the three rows?

jsdemar said:

Sharing a single motor in the three rows?

Click to expand...

Yep.

LithosphereRocketry said:

Yep.

Click to expand...

Cool. Review the thread to see if it's there. Then post the solution.

jsdemar said:

Cool. Review the thread to see if it's there. Then post the solution.

Click to expand...

I want to let people think about it a bit... I'll PM you.