I posted about this earlier in the "what I did rocket-wise..." thread but figured this deserves its own thread.
I made some progress on my Starstreak build today and yesterday. Still a fair amount of detail I can incorporate in the design (not to mention everything still needs shoulders and other internal parts). Anyway, below is what I have so far - comes in at just about 60cm so just shy of 24". Using BT-80 booster tube and BT-5 sustainer / mini-rocket tubes.
Considering how many fins I should include for sustainers / mini rockets -- likely going with 2 canards and 3 fins on rear of each (pictures / renders seem to show 3 or 4 fins on rear and 2, 3, or 4 on nose -- with mixes of the configurations as far as I can tell). I suppose I will make the canard fins rotate if I can make that work on these tiny airframes and fins (have done that before but always on much bigger models).
One of my big questions is what is the best way to do gap staging. I have done gap staging with a 2-engine cluster feeding a single sustainer motor. However, I have never fed a sustainer cluster (or in this case multiple separate sustainers). The sustainers will be mini engines (A-10s probably) if that matters. I also need to eject the recovery system for the booster so I was thinking some zero delay ##-0 engines (to ignite multiple sustainers) + standard ##-# engine to eject the main recovery system/nose cone.
Do folks have opinions on which would be more viable:
- 3x C6-0 booster cluster w/ Individual BT-20 tubes extending to enclose sustainer mini engines (each tube vented to outside). Central C6-5 could be used to eject nosecone.
- 2x D12-0 engines fed through a funnel into BT-50 tube that extends up to a small chamber right below the 3x mini engines (w/ a vent or two in this chamber). 3rd D12-5 engine ejects recovery for booster / main rocket.
- Something else?
I made some progress on my Starstreak build today and yesterday. Still a fair amount of detail I can incorporate in the design (not to mention everything still needs shoulders and other internal parts). Anyway, below is what I have so far - comes in at just about 60cm so just shy of 24". Using BT-80 booster tube and BT-5 sustainer / mini-rocket tubes.
Considering how many fins I should include for sustainers / mini rockets -- likely going with 2 canards and 3 fins on rear of each (pictures / renders seem to show 3 or 4 fins on rear and 2, 3, or 4 on nose -- with mixes of the configurations as far as I can tell). I suppose I will make the canard fins rotate if I can make that work on these tiny airframes and fins (have done that before but always on much bigger models).
One of my big questions is what is the best way to do gap staging. I have done gap staging with a 2-engine cluster feeding a single sustainer motor. However, I have never fed a sustainer cluster (or in this case multiple separate sustainers). The sustainers will be mini engines (A-10s probably) if that matters. I also need to eject the recovery system for the booster so I was thinking some zero delay ##-0 engines (to ignite multiple sustainers) + standard ##-# engine to eject the main recovery system/nose cone.
Do folks have opinions on which would be more viable:
- 3x C6-0 booster cluster w/ Individual BT-20 tubes extending to enclose sustainer mini engines (each tube vented to outside). Central C6-5 could be used to eject nosecone.
- 2x D12-0 engines fed through a funnel into BT-50 tube that extends up to a small chamber right below the 3x mini engines (w/ a vent or two in this chamber). 3rd D12-5 engine ejects recovery for booster / main rocket.
- Something else?
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