Looking for Spot Landing ideas...

[uncle_vanya]

I originally posted this on Rocketry Planet:

What's the best strategy/rocket idea for spot landing? I would think something low and slow and relatively wind stable that can come down on a streamer and survive would be smart. I was thinking about a tube fin due to wind stability - thoughts?

 

[Micromeister]

One of my favorite models for Open spot landing is very unique design developed by one of the old time BTC's Paul Conner. It's almost nothing more then a rear ejecting Nosecone with fins. I've had a blast with both the original BT-60 size model for 1/2A thur C motors and my Micro powered BT-20 cone downscale, Both have palced well with either a Ring "Drag" Chute or Streamer recovery. The Ring chute for the standard PCS is a 10 or 12" chute with a 9" center spill hole

 

[uncle_vanya]

One of my favorite models for Open spot landing is very unique design developed by one of the old time BTC's Paul Conner. It's almost nothing more then a rear ejecting Nosecone with fins. I've had a blast with both the original BT-60 size model for 1/2A thur C motors and my Micro powered BT-20 cone downscale, Both have palced well with either a Ring "Drag" Chute or Streamer recovery. The Ring chute for the standard PCS is a 10 or 12" chute with a 9" center spill hole

Can you show more details on how you accomplish the rear ejection?

 

[uncle_vanya]

Anyone ever flown this one?

https://www.glasseyeproductions.org/rockets/MoonSat/moon-sat.html

 

[Micromeister]

Can you show more details on how you accomplish the rear ejection?

As with most Rear ejection models these have a motor mount/pod that is connected to an aft centering ring and slips into an epoxy lined coupling mounted in the nose (coupling also contains any noseweight needed) The MMT/pod is connected to the nosecoupling by an embedded 100lb or better Kevlar shockline anchor that is about 36" long. this give the pod enough line to eject without completely stopping the forward progress of the model on its way to the flag. the Ring chute or streamer slide in beside the motor tube pod tube. the motors ejection charge kicks the pod out of the coupling and drags everything out the back.

 

[chanstevens]

Anyone ever flown this one?

https://www.glasseyeproductions.org/rockets/MoonSat/moon-sat.html

Yep, many a time, and I had done VERY well in spot landing with it. In fact, at NARAM-47 I was inside a meter and would easily have taken first place except for one little problem--DQ'd by the RSO as unsafe, coming down with a pointy nose pretty fast and sticking into the soft ground. I had called off everyone in the area, it flew exectly where it was supposed to, so posed no danger to people or property, but a safety call can't be appealed. What really smoked me was that the plan was posted on the NAR site, under contest plans, and was the ONLY posted plan for the event. Still is, to this day.

I've since modified it to go with a parabolic nose cone, and no longer have to worry about the potential safety DQ.

In talking with other RSO's at other meets, I would say that pointed-nose design is going to get DQ'd much more often than not, as there's increased concern about the safety, especially if the flyer doesn't have the piles of flight data I had to know what angle and motor combination to use in various wind conditions to nail the pin.