Estes Nike Apache #7254 as 2 Stage with rear eject

[David Daniel]

Has anyone done a 2 stage Nike Apache since Estes brought the model back? Looks fun and challenging. I had the thought as I unboxed the kit and noticed the sustainer body tube is the right size for an A motor. Then I found Tim Van Milligan's Peak of Flight Newsletter covering that exact thing by using motor ejection, which I wouldn't have thought of, and he had great tips to improve on the design.

It looks like Tim staged A to A, I think I'd like to do C to A by getting a long motor tube for the booster and cut two V slots to create a smooth transition to a section of 13mm tube the last few mm's of the sustainer motor will slide into (with vents for the cool gasses to escape)

I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to leave the last centering ring, or even the last 2, solid to ensure that the exhaust gasses push out at least that much of the motor tube out of the back to deploy the streamer? He mentions moving the streamer to the end of the motor mount to give it the best chance of deployment but that has the disadvantage of moving the CG rearward. I'd love to hear what you guys have done with success!

Also, I'd really like to make this my first attempt at a decent scale build. As such, I'd like the Nike booster fins to have that nice beveled shape. I was thinking cardstock with FG for the center, with balsa laminated to each side. Any thoughts on that one?

 

[Bruiser]

I've been working on something very similar. It's the Semroc Nike Tomahawk. My build thread is in the scale forum. My Tomahawk is built and the Nike booster is started. You might find some ideas there.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/semroc-nike-tomahawk.150514/

I got kinda hung up on the booster. Started worrying about safety issues and stuff so I took a break to build something simple that turned out to be more complicated than I ever thought. That rocket is waiting for paint now and I'll be getting back on the Nike Apache pretty soon.

-Bob

 

[OverTheTop]

I did a Nike Apache using a Cosmodrome Rocketry kit. Details here: https://forum.ausrocketry.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3997&p=47149

I have only flown this as a boosted dart so far. I might get enthusiastic and dust it off again sometime.

 

[jqavins]

I'm a year behind on Peak of Flight, but this sounds like almost exactly what I did with a Quest Terrier-Orion; rear eject the booster motor mount at the same time it lights the sustainer. I didn't put in any vent that's normally used for gap staging, instead letting the expanding volume in the booster below it's forward centering ring serve the same purpose. And then I blew it up ground testing. But I'll rebuild some day.