Had a "bad" day

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Post mortem analysis, determination of root cause and corrective action, all can wait a bit. Today, man I'm just so sorry. The remains almost made me cry; I can only imagine how you must feel.
 
Post mortem analysis, determination of root cause and corrective action, all can wait a bit. Today, man I'm just so sorry. The remains almost made me cry; I can only imagine how you must feel.

Unfournatley i own this one. All I can do is post my results for the next person who may take something away from this disaster.

Analysis as to today.

I shortened up the rocket 🚀 and chose to do a few things that caused this.
1-I added some dog barf to the tube prior to loading the motor.
2-I added a chute protector to keep the Kevlar from taking to much of a hit.
3-loaded case with motor and it moved the chute protector i packed the Kevlar with a new peice of rubber to act as a shock cord.
4-I added 20 feet of cord.. packed it all down..with the nose cone shoulder..

The launch did nothing but make sure EVERYTHING GOT SHOVED REARWARD AND CAUSED THE TUBE TO BLOW OUT.

my mistake..

Tom
 
I feel your pain, I have lost a few rockets myself. This was a night flight rocket I added some extra lights to the booster and taped a 9volt batery to the coupler. Turned a 7' rocket into a 24" stubby. The red booster tube went into the payload tube and trashed 2 Ravens, 2 NightBows, 54mm 6G CTI casing and the recovery gear. I hope your comment about a gofund me was a joke. Some hobbies are more expensive than others. I dont belive in asking other people to pay for entertainment. I belive it was a great idea to help people in an emergency situation..
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I hope your comment about a gofund me was a joke. Some hobbies are more expensive than others. I dont belive in asking other people to pay for entertainment. I belive it was a great idea to help people in an emergency situation..

Yes, it was meant in jest!!!

this hobby is nothing but "money to 🔥 burn"

I knew this going in, I'd do it again, the things I've learned... yeah...my brain is cooked..

There have been some hands down wonderful people who offered me some of the surplus of what they have. Im touched..

Have to start over somewhere. Im looking just to buy things to replace what I lost. Not asking for it.. im asking how much..

Simple.

Tom
 
I blew a rocket up once with an ejection charge. Fortunately it was during a ground test. Today I worked on an oddroc, a sci-fi rocket and something I'm calling an Alien probe. Pictures later.
 

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I lost a rocket to a similar mistake, but it wasn't a similar level of disaster. My frame and skin elliptical body tube cluster on 2 D12s. I packed the parachute too darn tight and it never ejected. There was so much volume inside that it didn't blow the tube, just came down intact and ballistic. It gave a new meaning to "smitherenes". It hadn't cost me much money, but a lot of work and pride.
 
Motor ejection,
Jolly Logic chute releases at 800

-Altimeter 1 from Jolly logic (small weighs nothing)
-Flightsketch altimeter another light weight option
-Eagle Tree Altimeter (by far the most accurate that I've found) again weighs nothing..
-RRC3 also for altitude and "along for the ride on the sled that was going inside the rocket.

Oh I bought a big red bee that I also tossed in for good measure so that getting back the rocket would be a definite.

Im in a fog not knowing whats what.. uggh..

Tom
Man, it hurts to see that!:(
 
Bruce Patrick had a bad day at LaBelle. You are not alone!
Tim, what happened to Bruce? Looks like a rear closure failure. That's the same rocket he launched last month on an M research motor. He is probably the most careful builder and flyer I have known. Poor guy, just goes to show it can happen to anyone.

I didn't go Saturday because of the bad weather forecast but I see the rain held off until afternoon. How was the launch otherwise? I hope to go next month and try my Black Panther on a L.

Tommy, sorry to hear of your loss, maybe you should have stayed with us in south Florida.
 
Then in your second photo what are those pieces coming out the rear? Great pics by the way.
Look close and you shall see the entire motor case and maybe some grains. I found the case and only thing missing was the forward closure.
 
Look close and you shall see the entire motor case and maybe some grains. I found the case and only thing missing was the forward closure.
I see the case and grains, just don't understand why a forward closure fail would shoot them out the rear, unless there was a retainer failure. The flight looks normal in your first pic, then we stuff flying out the back in the second. In the third, something appears to be on fire below the fins, not sure what that is, maybe a grain not yet entirely ejected out the rear? The fiery object appears to be separated from the rocket in the final pics, with at least 4 smoke plumes.
 
You had to be there.
Bruce explained it to me. His rocket has a bulkhead above the motor, the forward snap ring failed and the forward closure flew forward until it hit the bulkhead, then the area between the bulkhead and the motor pressurized and blew the motor out the rear. His electronics are undamaged and the rocket is repairable.
 
Bruce explained it to me. His rocket has a bulkhead above the motor, the forward snap ring failed and the forward closure flew forward until it hit the bulkhead, then the area between the bulkhead and the motor pressurized and blew the motor out the rear. His electronics are undamaged and the rocket is repairable.

So it has a built in emergency core dump...nice feature. Glad it is repairable, not many rockets survive motor disassembly under thrust.
 
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