Prepping the Square in the Air for Launch Using Old-School Nichrome Wire as Igniter

[brockrwood]

We will send the Square in the Air on its maiden flight using a C6-3 and some old school-nichrome wire as an igniter!

 

[brockrwood]

Square in the air flew perfectly! Just not very high. Not even on C6.

 

[astronwolf]

I occasionally take used Estes igniters and bend them into an igniter right at the pads, just to see if I can still do it. It works. No big trick.

 

[grapetang]

Nice! How do you prevent the loop from shorting? No nitrocellulose nail polish or Duco cement?

 

[astronwolf]

Nice! How do you prevent the loop from shorting? No nitrocellulose nail polish or Duco cement?

No loop. I just pick a piece of nichrome wire out of trash bucket we keep next to the pads, put a sharp bend in it, and stick the sharp bend up the nozzle, and secure it with a used plug. It usually works. The pieces of nichrome wire are often times too short, but it's a fun stunt to be able to pull off. Brockrwood is right on - all you really need is just the wire.

 

[brockrwood]

Nice! How do you prevent the loop from shorting? No nitrocellulose nail polish or Duco cement?

Well, I have a 12 volt lead acid battery (9 amp-hours) feeding current to the nichrome wire. The spitball of recovery wadding keeps the leads separated. Still, the whole wire gets white hot, so it still ignites the black powder quickly.

Having a 12 volt, high current battery makes the nail polish unnecssary. I have tried the same homemade igniter with the nail polish on the loop and without. I get the same fast ignition with or without the nail polish, so I have started omitting the nail polish.

I did not know about the Duco cement idea! A solvent-based glue like Duco ought to do the trick!