C5 CATO, Rocket Survives

[sr205347d]

This is a scratch built design, meant to experiment with clustering to help BP E and F motors get off the pad without weathercocking. This flight had a central E12-6 with two C5-3s for boost. The C5 ejection charges vent out the back and do not deploy the parachute.

One of the C5s blew out its nozzle at ignition. Except for a lower apogee than expected, not a disaster.

This is my first time using C5s. Do they do this often? (I would have expected the E12 to be problematic.)

MESS report filed.

 

[cls]

Great photo!

 

[Handeman]

Wow, it looks like three propellant grains burning as they fly upwards. How did a C5 throw out 3 chunks like that?

 

[Art Upton]

Wow, it looks like three propellant grains burning as they fly upwards. How did a C5 throw out 3 chunks like that?

If you zoom to the base of the rocket, it still has 3 thrust flames burning :

 

[Handeman]

If you zoom to the base of the rocket, it still has 3 thrust flames burning :

Even more strange.

 

[BEC]

That's quite the shot.

I've had some old C5-3s blow but none of the ones made after they were reintroduced.

If the one that failed blew out the nozzle at ignition perhaps those burning chunks were bounced off the blast deflector?

 

[Tom Flint]

Back when they used to be produced in the late 80s, C5s were very cato prone to the point I stopped using them and only used C6s. I've had good luck with the new ones but I did see one cato at a launch I attended.