I recently flew a scratch built cluster rocket at a local park launch with friends. The model rocket had a sustainer engine in the main body tube and two “strap on” booster tubes glued onto each side of the sustainer tube. Each booster tube had its own engine and its own shock cord and parachute.
Upon deployment, one booster tube parachute was lost when the shock cord broke in half. The other booster tube parachute deployed as did the sustainer parachute. The rocket landed safely on both parachutes.
This made me think: I have seen a lot of rockets crash or have hard landings because of a parachute coming out as a “para-wad” and not opening up. Maybe it makes sense to pack TWO, slightly smaller, parachutes into the body tube? If one paracute ends up being a “para-wad” upon ejection, maybe the other one still opens up and the rocket is saved?
Anything we can do to improve the chances of getting a rocket back in one piece is worth doing, it seems to me. This is especially true for any rocket we have diligently spent days building and painting and making look really nice.
This might not work on BT-20 or BT-50 sized rockets, because of space limitations in the tube. It should work on BT-55 and up sized rockets.
Using thin dry cleaner bags for the parachutes will help fit two of them into the body tube, I would think. Two dry cleaner bag parachutes ought to fit into a tube as small as a BT-50, if you use button thread for the shroud lines.
Any thoughts?
Upon deployment, one booster tube parachute was lost when the shock cord broke in half. The other booster tube parachute deployed as did the sustainer parachute. The rocket landed safely on both parachutes.
This made me think: I have seen a lot of rockets crash or have hard landings because of a parachute coming out as a “para-wad” and not opening up. Maybe it makes sense to pack TWO, slightly smaller, parachutes into the body tube? If one paracute ends up being a “para-wad” upon ejection, maybe the other one still opens up and the rocket is saved?
Anything we can do to improve the chances of getting a rocket back in one piece is worth doing, it seems to me. This is especially true for any rocket we have diligently spent days building and painting and making look really nice.
This might not work on BT-20 or BT-50 sized rockets, because of space limitations in the tube. It should work on BT-55 and up sized rockets.
Using thin dry cleaner bags for the parachutes will help fit two of them into the body tube, I would think. Two dry cleaner bag parachutes ought to fit into a tube as small as a BT-50, if you use button thread for the shroud lines.
Any thoughts?