AT Mirage design/mods?

[DynaSoar]

I'm about to start an AT Mirage. Very nice kit, nice looking bird, but a little odd in design. The recovery opens the bird just above the boost can, at the joint between the first and second (of three) body segments. Plus, it comes down in two pieces. That seems like twice the chance for disaster, to me. I'd prefer a single piece. Doing the mod would then hinge on a decision on how to build the upper section differently. Wouldn't be hard to do, I'm just wondering what's the optimal design. Anyone ever seen a Mirage modded for a single piece recovery, up close enough to see where it was changed from the kit instructions?

 

[MarkABrown]

I've never built one myself but I've talked with many Mirage owners and their number one suggestion is to ditch the two parachute idea. It is problematic and leads to more flight failures than anything else. Just use a long shock cord attached to both halves with the parachute somewhere in the middle. I'm sure there are people in here who've made this mod who can give you much better guidance than I have.

 

[lalligood]

Originally posted by MarkABrown
I've never built one myself but I've talked with many Mirage owners and their number one suggestion is to ditch the two parachute idea. It is problematic and leads to more flight failures than anything else. Just use a long shock cord attached to both halves with the parachute somewhere in the middle. I'm sure there are people in here who've made this mod who can give you much better guidance than I have.

I don't own a Mirage but one of the guys in my club has one that I've seen fly several times. It recovers under just one chute. I'm sure it'd be an easy (un)mod to make...

HTH,

 

[Initiator001]

I have built & flown the AeroTech Mirage and Astrobee D kits which use the dual recovery system. I also modified my G Force kit to use dual recovery.

It has several advantages:

1) Less internal volume to pressurize for ejection. Unlike other kits, AeroTech rockets have the parachute(s) PULLED out by the force of the nose cone/upper body ejection. The parachute(s) are not PUSHED out because of the wadding behind them.

2) The fin/motor mount unit of AeroTech kits are somewhat heavy for their size and if it was to impact against the side of a connected body tube, the body tube may sustain damage.

3) If the motor delay is running a little long and/or weather conditions have caused the model to arc over before parachute ejection, when the parachute ejects and opens, it may stretch the shock cord behind the rocket where it may snag on the fins and not open properly.

The most important thing to remember when packing the recovery system on a 'stock' AeroTech kit is READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! Pack the upper section parachute FIRST, then pack the lower/fin can section parachute. REMEMBER: the nose cone/upper body section pulls out the parachute(s)!

 

[Stones]

Along with being a scale model of an actual sounding rocket, the dual recovery system is the other reason I wanted to build the AstrobeeD. Very similar to the Mirage. The dual recovery "complexity" is what makes these rockets that much more interesting. Sure, you can make it single deploy but, as Initiator states, there are drawbacks to that too. To each their own, I guess.