Hi TRF colleagues,
Consider the LOC/Precision LOC-VII as an example. Probably other examples exist.
Below the nose cone, this rocket has three body tubes -- an upper, middle, and lower body tube. So, why does it have so many body tubes? Why not just two body tubes, or even one? I understand, of course, that a multistage rocket needs to have multiple body tubes. But the LOC-VII is a single-stage rocket. What do the other body tubes contribute? They certainly add to the complexity of constructing the rocket, because now we need tube couplers.
I can see reasons for having two body tubes:
> A very long body tube is inconvenient to work with.
> A very long tube makes attaching a recovery harness to the forward side of the forward centering ring difficult.
> If you wanted to employ electronic dual deployment, then you would place the DD device in the upper body tube.
Fine. But I don't understand the reason for having three body tubes.
Could any of my TRF colleagues please weigh in here.
Thank you.
Stanley
Consider the LOC/Precision LOC-VII as an example. Probably other examples exist.
Below the nose cone, this rocket has three body tubes -- an upper, middle, and lower body tube. So, why does it have so many body tubes? Why not just two body tubes, or even one? I understand, of course, that a multistage rocket needs to have multiple body tubes. But the LOC-VII is a single-stage rocket. What do the other body tubes contribute? They certainly add to the complexity of constructing the rocket, because now we need tube couplers.
I can see reasons for having two body tubes:
> A very long body tube is inconvenient to work with.
> A very long tube makes attaching a recovery harness to the forward side of the forward centering ring difficult.
> If you wanted to employ electronic dual deployment, then you would place the DD device in the upper body tube.
Fine. But I don't understand the reason for having three body tubes.
Could any of my TRF colleagues please weigh in here.
Thank you.
Stanley