Which is more accurate: OpenRocket or RockSim?

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OpenRocket or RockSim?

  • OpenRocket

  • RockSim

  • Equally good!

  • Neither work as well as experience!


Results are only viewable after voting.

majordude

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One is free, one is $123.60 (a very odd price point)...

Is one better than the other, both about the same, or both suck?
 
Why no Wrasp or Ras Aero?
I use them when I want a better sim for flight profile.
Rocksim gets lost in trying to make everything too real in; the ways of mass of each item.


JD
 
I think both can be reasonable accurate. The garbage-in, garbage-out principal applies to both.

Best results are obtained when you take the time to modify the sim to match your real rocket and launch site/conditions.

Still - these are simulations. Don't be surprised if the on- board altimeter is off +/-10% or more.
 
I like Tim and apogee components a lot. However, I'm not a fan of the copy protection method used for the Mac version of rocksim, so I won't install it. I've played with the pc demo in a vm a bit, but not enough to really Be able to compare it to OpenRocket. OR works well enough for me, although I hope it will one day be able to handle pods and tube fins. (I'd contribute, but my programming "skills" (ha-ha...skills...right) are not up to the task.

The sims are only as accurate as your model, and OR for me tends to be a little optimistic. (of course I was trying to sim a tube fin model)
 
I use Open Rocket primarily because it's free and the only problem I have with it is the simulations for short, stubby rockets. Doesn't do real well. Have heard the same with Rocksim but no experience. Other than that, no complaints since it's free!
 
In special circumstances like this, Operocket does a much better job with fin drag prediction and, therefore, a much better job with altitude prediction:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...R-1-2-altitude-of-Rocksim&p=709474#post709474

Otherwise, I've found them to be virtually the same with apogee and max-v predictions based upon measured values (via Altimeter II). Because of the special way that Rocksim calculates Cp (if you chose that in the settings which I do) that's supposed to be better than the approximations intended for hand calculation used in the Barrowman equations, it seems to be significantly more optimistic about Cp, with a rocket typically being shown as significantly more caliber-stable in Rocksim than in Openrocket.
 
I can't make a comparison, because I have never used Rocksim. But OpenRocket is a pretty amazing free program. I've mostly used it after building a rocket to determine stability and whether nose weight is required, speed off the rod/rail for safe launches, projected altitude, and optimal delay. One field I fly at has a G motor limit and 1,000 foot ceiling. So for some rockets, I've used it to be sure I get close to 1,000 feet but don't go over. And for larger HPR rockets on that field, I've used it to find G motors that will safely lift the rocket and the appropriate delays, which are sometimes surprisingly short.
 
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