Rebuilt Viagara, better flight

[BABAR]

Re-Did my Viagra rocket as previously advised, extended the shock cord between the segments.
Got a good and interesting flight, hard to see on the video but the sharper eyed will see the rocket descending around 42 seconds into video, mid screen a little bit to the left.

The tail end of the rocket (which includes the body tube and the dowl stiffener) went into a backward (tail first) glide, trailing the segments and nose cone like a streamer. Fortunately landed in the grass, with no damage.

Overall, proved the concept of a centrally rigid skeleton works with a segmented rocket. As on previous post on this, the reason for the central skeleton was that, with the Break Away rocket after a few flights there was enough curve or flex in the rocket that it was no longer "straight" enough for a stable flight.

 

[kuririn]

Great flight! I have an Odd'l Breakaway I haven't flown yet. This gives me a motivation to fly it at the next launch. Cheers.

 

[Rktman]

Bravo, nicely done! Interestingly it seems to be displaying the same kind of behavior as a Backslider glider. The Alway brothers did a whole NAR R&D study on the tendency for long thin rockets like the kind used in Super-Roc contests to literally "glide" backward. Out of curiosity I built one and the darned things actually work (though they descend pretty fast tail-first but definitely horizontally). Your body segments actually made it descend slower than a Backslider because of the drag. Hmmm...now you've got me thinking about a hybrid combining the best qualities of a Backslider and Segmented Rocket.

 

[BABAR]

Bravo, nicely done! Interestingly it seems to be displaying the same kind of behavior as a Backslider glider. The Alway brothers did a whole NAR R&D study on the tendency for long thin rockets like the kind used in Super-Roc contests to literally "glide" backward. Out of curiosity I built one and the darned things actually work (though they descend pretty fast tail-first but definitely horizontally). Your body segments actually made it descend slower than a Backslider because of the drag. Hmmm...now you've got me thinking about a hybrid combining the best qualities of a Backslider and Segmented Rocket.

I did think about the backslider when I saw the recovery, in my case just dumb luck.

For those building a Break Away or Wacky Wiggler, wondering if more practical ways of maintaining a straight linear alignment may include

Do not TRANSPORT the rocket in launch configuration, or at least if you do, keep it supported in alignment. I think casually having the rocket put together but sitting sideways in the car may leave a tendency to flex.

Same thing for storage, either put it together and make sure it is upright (may be a challenge as I think the engine hook may keep it from sitting straight on its fins, unless you have it on a stand) or store it in segments config.

Also may not hurt to put some CA on the couplers to firm them up.

Also painting tip, don’t connect the segments before painting. You can prime it all in one piece, then take segments apart and paint each separately. THEN put it back together.

 

[Pepe Le Pew]

I love it, great build!