The sustainer was undamaged, but the booster apparently didn't tumble (I didn't see it fall). It looks like it hit butt first very hard, the body tube is crumpled in several places. And it did something to the coupler, it's now very tight.
I've run into this with my 2 stage Magnum Loader. My booster does this as well, but the motor sticks out 12mm so it takes the brunt of the landings. I thought it would tumble also, but it comes down in a nice arc and it "lawndarts" too! I believe that when the booster ejects, it's now tail heavy due to the clay nozzle of the engine, and the fins help give the fore end enough drag so it comes down tail down. I think you're running into the same issue.
Same thing with the motors being tighter than hell, but I think that's due to the inner tube being heated up after ejection and it shrinks. I'll bet if you leave the booster alone for a while the motors will go in and out as normal as the inner tube soaks up some moisture from the atmosphere (theory here).
Either that or the winds were much stronger at the altitude and it wind-cocked like a MOFO.
It was an okay boost, but after sustainer ignition and separation, the sustainer kind of turned horizontal. I'm thinking it was a little under powered, and didn't have enough momentum for the sustainer's D12-7. .
I ordered the parts today to make a new booster. It'll have 3/16" balsa fins and fiber centering rings, to hopefully keep it lighter. It will also have three 24mm motor tubes, for D12-0's. I thought about using longer tubes so I could put E9-0's in it, but decided not to for two reasons. One being weight - the extra weight (albeit slight) of the longer motor tubes, longer motor hooks, and the spacers (when I use D12's). The other and more important reason is that D12's have more initial thrust than E9's.
The three motors will be in a circular pattern instead of three abreast. I'm thinking with the gap, they'll ignite the sustainer motor kind of like a flash pan, even though there won't be a booster motor directly underneath the sustainer motor. I thought about making some sort of "funnel" to guide the hot particles into the sustainer motor, but I don't think it'll be necessary. Famous last words. LOL
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