Staging at low altitude is pretty typical, at least for small low power rockets. The booster has to lift a lot of weight! It doesn't lift the rocket very high, but what it does is get the rocket moving. Compared to a single stage rocket, the upper stage may be starting out only 50' higher... but it's also starting out at 40? 60? 100? mph instead of 0.
Correct, compounding airspeed produces greater apogee than compounding altitude.
Remember, when shopping for a kit, that getting a more expensive one is one way to get over the free shipping threshold, but buying two kits is another good way. And some glue. And paint. And don't forget the sand paper. And a sanding block, and a good hobby knife, and replacement blades for it, and some engines, and a piece of aluminum angle, and...
I don't know with Wally Mart, but most retailers will ship to a store for free and you pick it up there. Which is good if you can't get free shipping to your door, but it's good even if you can, because when your item shows up folded in half you can take it directly to the service/returns counter.
The demise of the local hobby shop (LHS) is another thing that hurts pretty much all of us. In or near a city you only might find one, and in the 'burbs they're just about as rare as in the deep wilderness or anywhere in between. My nearest one is over an hour's drive from home.
DANG IT! Why didn't I know about that place when I had two different week-long business trips to Pittsburgh earlier this year?!
I keep them packed as a way to keep the shroud lines and shock cords neat. Of all the dumb-ass things I've done that resulted in rocket-terrain interaction (and there have been plenty) a bunched up 'chute has never been the culprit.
That's typical. Most of the ascent on a regular launch is during the coast phase, and there's no coast phase on the booster engine. But getting the second stage up to speed before it lights sure does make a big difference. And when the booster sseparates at low altitude, it's easy to find.
Darn, why the heck isn't there a C5-0?
You probably went by it four times if you came down I-79. Just north of the intersection with the turnpike. For Pete's sake, man, PM me if you're coming back this way. A PSC guy actually works there, and @John Brohm frequents the place as well. Maybe we could do a lunch, Monte Cello's pizza is some kind of good.
Sheesh, if we could coordinate it, this is starting to sound like a pizza party and boys toys shopping spree!
