LOC Vulcanite vs Estes Partizon build challenge

Mr G said:

After following another rocket descent by mistake, someone pointed us back toward the launch pads. Sure enough, there it was...but with no chute deployed. The first channel of the Adept altimeter had fired at apogee separating the booster from the sustainer but again not the second to release the chute from the cable cutter.

Click to expand...

So was this a new Adept22? (see post #115)

It was a DDC22. It has the same circuitry as the Adept 22 but does not beep out altitude. I went back to see that this unit was only flown three times... in the Vulcanite. All had failure. So it may be that it was defective new from the factory.

After picking up a few Eggtimer Quarks, the urge to ground pressure test altimeters has led to a homemade vacuum setup. After testing the Quarks using christmas tree lights, we set up the Adept 22 and DDC22 and found they both worked for the apogee and set altitude channels! So now there is a quandary - what was keeping the second channel from firing? Could it have been a short of the e-match style igniter against the wall of the aluminum cable cutter tube? Sure want to figure this out so we can use all the altimeters at our disposal.

Couldn't help it and broke down to buy a Jolly Logic Chute Release a few weeks ago. Tried it in a Madcow Squat last weekend at the TCC launch near Fresno on an AT H123W so I could see the whole flight. Set release for 300 feet and watched the parachute unfurl perfectly within easy sight distance. No burn marks, no tangled chute lines, no mess to clean up, no question if it will fire. The Chute Release will now be standard equipment in every reefed chute dual deploy flight.

This new advancement in deployment is giving me faith that the Partizon could see some more high altitude flights and the Vulcanite may get resurrected with a fin repair to fly another day. Its simplicity of operation may also mean more flights per launch as prep time is way down from the more conventional dual reply methods.

Word back from at least two people indicate the CA glue job on the damaged Vulcanite fin should hold (https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?135069-CA-fin-repair-strong-enough). So it's back to launch status. I'll do a G motor shakedown flight with the Chute Release. If that goes well, it may be time to try some larger slow burn 38mm motors - maybe an I59WN. Eight second burn to over 6k!

Success! Nominal Vulcanite launch this weekend on an AT H97J.

Probably didn't hurt to land softly on a newly planted farm field with damp soil with some give to it.

Can't say enough about the Jolly Logic Chute Release. It was a bit tight going into the 2.26 inch booster tube against the chute but not enough to cause worry. With motor eject and drogueless initial descent there is little force on the components so no zippering or losing parts from high G forces. Without a sound or complicated electronics/wiring/charges the chute just unfurls at the designated altitude - sweetness every time.

Wiped the dust off the Vulcanite, set it up for single deploy via motor eject with a G67 in a 38/120 case and launched it at last weekend's LUNAR launch. It was a little nerve-racking having the RSO aggressively push on the reset broken fin but the epoxy held. Flight was nominal but the photos came out all fuzzy.

Dusting off my Partizon now.... just read the whole thread. A Magnum Opus if there ever was one.