Gambler Effect

[TWRackers]

Can someone explain to me what the Gambler Effect is?

 

[Fishhead]

Okay, before anyone starts, let's not have any Kenny Rogers jokes here.
Dolly Parton jokes, as always, are encouraged.

 

[Goddard]

Isn't that like when you spend a lot of money to build and fly a (large) rocket... without understanding exactly how everything actually works.
Your gambling on wether or not you get it back safely, and in one piece...???

 

[TWRackers]

Good answer but I don't think that's it. From what I've read, it can be induced by having the launch buttons on a rocket not parallel to the rocket's axis, such that it's flying with an angle of attack when it leaves the rail. It came up in the response to a question I had about designing a rocket to fly in a tight corkscrew pattern like the old Corkscrew kit was designed to do.

 

[Nerull]

Well, I would expect that to cause the rocket to wobble during ascent, as the fins tried to restore the rocket to 0 degrees AOA but swung past. The wobble can happen for various reasons (One of the rockets in the Aerotech Hobby Shop Video begins to rapidly oscillate at the end of the burn, for example), but generally its not good for the rocket. The increased AOA puts more stress on the fins, greatly increasing the risks of a shred.

I don't know if thats what your asking about, its just something I would expect to see with misaligned rail buttons/launch lugs.

 

[Adam Selene]

Originally posted by TWRackers

From what I've read, it can be induced by having the launch buttons on a rocket not parallel to the rocket's axis, such that it's flying with an angle of attack when it leaves the rail.

I thought the launch button was supossed to be on the LCO table?

 

[TWRackers]

You're right, I meant "rail buttons" . Although if the launch buttons are misaligned, then it tends to make LCOs spin around very fast too .

 

[brianc]

Originally posted by TWRackers
Can someone explain to me what the Gambler Effect is?

https://home.comcast.net/~jpr602/john_gamble.jpg

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by brianc
https://home.comcast.net/~jpr602/john_gamble.jpg

Oh man, someone needs to buy that boy an ACME Spitfire... LOL

 

[FredA]

Those photos are indeed of "The Gambler" aka John Gambler.

He "pioneered" the Gambler Effect.
Flights that corkscrew.

This is done by not aligning the railbuttons (or launch lugs) in line with the axis of the rocket.

The net effect is that motor trust is not aligned with the flight line of the rocket as set by the rail....resulting in a corkscrew.

 

[TWRackers]

Originally posted by freda
Those photos are indeed of "The Gambler" aka John Gambler.

He "pioneered" the Gambler Effect.
Flights that corkscrew.

This is done by not aligning the railbuttons (or launch lugs) in line with the axis of the rocket.

The net effect is that motor trust is not aligned with the flight line of the rocket as set by the rail....resulting in a corkscrew.

Oh.

Is that why the rocket in the picture is bent?

Now someone is going to tell me that the "Pumpkin Seed Effect" is named after someone named Johnny Pumpkinseed, with a whole legend of his wanderings attached .