Estes - MIRV

This is a mini engine powered two stage rocket, with three sustainer engines ignited by one booster motor with a three way plastic splitter. On its' maiden only one sustainer engine lit. Will try again, but I suspect lighting all three motors from one source may be problematic.


Forgot to mention, each sustainer motor powers its' own rocket. So if successful, on second stage ignition there will be three "rockets" arching away. Heh.

I didn’t have any trouble lighting the sustainers. They aren’t great flyers though, so FINDING them was an issue.

Looks nice.

Unfortunately, my worst experience with a kit ever. Also skimpy on decals, should have enough to put a red dot on each side of each fin.

Booster is waaay underpowered, the sustainers aren’t really stable. My first flight weathercocked off the rod (after launch lug broke off twice), found the booster but lost all three sustainers.

If you get this kit, go really light on the paint to keep weight down, fly it on windless day, on a mowed field with four good spotters

Only flown mine once. The sustainer motors got stuck in the tubes and I’ve never been able to get them out. Not for lack of trying. I’m pretty sure I’ve destroyed the sustainers trying to pull the motors out. But they’re still sitting in my pile waiting for me to get the experience and time to get the motors out and fix up my mess.

Fun to watch, but the sustainers are not stable.

Stay tuned. Upscale clone in process. Sustainers almost complete (this design IS stable. These can fly as single stage rockets.)

Sustainers are 18mm. Booster will be 24mm

Stack formation

A nice Roguepink design I do believe.

I made a kit bash version of the Seattle Rocket Works MIRV Gryphon, rather than clustering 4x13mm motors, my booster was just one 18mm and it ignited four 13mm sustainers. I did not get the staging on film, but it was pretty spectacular. My booster also has a dowel that runs through the middle of the sustainers, and each of those has an offset lug near the nose, that is the only way I could keep the nose cones from spreading apart from each other. That dowel broke on landing, so I will need to repair it for another launch, or just leave it off.

GlenP said:

I made a kit bash version of the Seattle Rocket Works MIRV Gryphon, rather than clustering 4x13mm motors, my booster was just one 18mm and it ignited four 13mm sustainers. I did not get the staging on film, but it was pretty spectacular. My booster also has a dowel that runs through the middle of the sustainers, and each of those has an offset lug near the nose, that is the only way I could keep the nose cones from spreading apart from each other. That dowel broke on landing, so I will need to repair it for another launch, or just leave it off.

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I saw that and liked it. A challenge with these is booster recovery. Both power increases and fin area increases are needed to get the multi sustained stack to sufficient velocity and stability ( wish Quest would make a zero delay 18 mm D!). And the dowel addition ( one of @jqavins "fiddledy bits") is another easily broken appliance. My booster is likely going to use a side pod short delay A8-3 cluster to pop a chute.

Were your sustainer truly independently stable? I don't think the original MIRV Gtmeyphomm

GlenP said:

I made a kit bash version of the Seattle Rocket Works MIRV Gryphon, rather than clustering 4x13mm motors, my booster was just one 18mm and it ignited four 13mm sustainers. I did not get the staging on film, but it was pretty spectacular. My booster also has a dowel that runs through the middle of the sustainers, and each of those has an offset lug near the nose, that is the only way I could keep the nose cones from spreading apart from each other. That dowel broke on landing, so I will need to repair it for another launch, or just leave it off.

View attachment 405809

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okay, found your thread

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/mirv-gryphon-inspired.137292/

Someone did a MIRV type with no “ducting”, just stuck three (or four?) sustainers in front of the single booster. It worked. That is what I am going to try for with this one.