Clustering Apogee Medalist F10 Motors

[bguffer]

Has anyone had successes/failures attempting to cluster Apogee Medalist F10s or E6s, from the ground? (Not looking to do airstarts.)
If success, what type of igniter was used? Anything else used to supplement the igniters, like a black powder flash pan?

The F10's are end burners, with a small nozzle for igniter to pass through. The F10's are packaged with a copperhead like igniter.
I understand the F10s are cast with Blue Thunder propellant formula, and Blue Thunder is easiest of the Aerotech propellants to ignite.

I have a rough Falcon Heavy that is 39" tall and weighs 32oz.
I've successfully launched on single Aerotech G80.
I've successfully launched on a cluster of 3 Estes F15s.
RockSim says this will fly stable with only 2 of 3 F10's lit (but motor ejection would be 3 seconds late).


Bob

 

[bguffer]

Falcon Heavy on cluster of 3 x Apogee Medalist F10s:


Used initiators that came with the motors. Inserted the initiators into motors, while rocket was upside down, added a little ejection powder into motor nozzles, small piece of tape to hold powder in, wrap of tape around motor end to keep that small piece of tape in place, then one piece of tape over that for good measure.

A hour or two earlier, unsuccessfully attempted a cluster of 2x Apogee Medalist E6s in an Estes 36 D Squared. I used Quest Q2G2 initiators (instead of initiators that came with the E6s), no ejection powder, no tape. Only one motor lit.

FWIW: Falcon Heavy is 39" tall, and 32oz. RockSim projected 3000', and i think that was accurate.

Bob

 

[bguffer]

600 FPS video. Falcon 9 on the right.

 

[bguffer]

s

 

[Antares JS]

That’s impressive. As much as I’d like to try the F10’s in something, you can only get them from one place, they aren’t cheap, and they require hazmat shipping, so I don’t know if I ever will.