Highest MPR Launch

[JacobTBosarge]

Hey guys, I was just wondering, what is the highest any of you have managed to get in a mid power rocket (G motors or lower)? Please post pictures of your designs along with their apogee altitudes if at all possible! I'm trying to find a good benchmark to set for myself for my MPR scratch build.

 

[Danh]

https://www.tripoli.org/Records/Commercial-G-Records

 

[dhbarr]

Ultra lightweight 24mm MD 3FNC has an upper limit around 10k+. CTI 6GXL.

 

[Mendal]

https://www.tripoli.org/Records/Commercial-G-Records

The record shown there is on a g150 which correct me if I am wrong, but that would be a hpr load.
I believe the op is looking for mid power / G80 or less.

 

[JacobTBosarge]

Yeah, anything L1 or higher is not on the list

 

[DavidMcCann]

The record shown there is on a g150 which correct me if I am wrong, but that would be a hpr load.
I believe the op is looking for mid power / G80 or less.

The trouble is "mid power" doesn't really exist, nor have a clear definition. There's a pile of overlapping legal from several different agencies that define rocketry, and they break it into two basic divisions typically for hobby rocketry. (not counting stuff over O) If you're in an area that the NFPA isn't law you'd likely only be governed by the FAA, which limits you to 125 grams of propellant and 1500 grams total launch weight for a class I rocket.


Also, if he's just looking for a good design benchmark, the G150 rocket is a great place to look, as is the 29mm record holder for H's

Also- any G is just a G in Canada and other places. This sub-80N silliness is a US thing.

 

[samb]

Yeah, anything L1 or higher is not on the list

List ?

 

[JacobTBosarge]

Well by list I mean my list of choices.

And I am in the U.S. so unfortunately that does limit me to 80N average or 160N seconds

 

[DavidMcCann]

aerotech G75 in the 29/180 case or the CTI G54 in the 29 3 G case will be the biggest motors you can put hands on then

sadly both are hazmat shipping.

 

[JacobTBosarge]

sadly both are hazmat shipping.

Haha, yeah. It's hard to get your hands on anything with 80N average without hazmat shipping

 

[DavidMcCann]

Haha, yeah. It's hard to get your hands on anything with 80N average without hazmat shipping

Loki 38/120's man The G80 loki white is no hazmat, no cert. the G69 spitfire is no hazmat.

The G66 Red, G70 Cocktail will be no cert/ no haz, and G94 Ice Blue, will be no hazmat. From what I've seen Teddy From OneBadHawk will have them for sale at URRF3 this weekend which will be the first flights for these motors.

Always options


If limited to 29mm.... get an AT 29/40-120 case. G76 loads are non hazmat. and actually... so are I200W's in the 29/360

But if you can go 38mm, you can get loki 38/480 I405's with no hazmat.

 

[scsager]

Hey guys, I was just wondering, what is the highest any of you have managed to get in a mid power rocket (G motors or lower)? Please post pictures of your designs along with their apogee altitudes if at all possible! I'm trying to find a good benchmark to set for myself for my MPR scratch build.

I've built and flown a lot of "mid-power" rockets that use an E, F, or G motors. For me it's best if they don't go too high. It gets much harder, and more expensive to retrieve a rocket that fly's so high that you can no longer see it. I like to keep my "visual-recovery" rockets under about 3000 feet even on the clearest and calmest days. 3200 feet is the highest I've ever flown and successfully recovered a mid-power rocket without using a tracker or GPS.

Besides, I think it's more fun if you can see the whole flight. "G" power is enough that you can build a 2.6 or 3 inch diameter rocket (easy to see) and it will only fly 1500 feet on a G motor.

If you are really interested in max altitude... For less than $25 bucks you can build the Apogee Aspire. This rocket will go a mile high on an F10 motor.

https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket_Kits/Skill_Level_2_Kits/Aspire_Rocket_Kit

 

[dhbarr]

No love for the CTI g69 moonie? ( which would be an unlikely recovery sans tracker )

 

[retortec]

Here is a picture of three G80 powered rockets that I have flown this year. Design #7 is all wood and paper construction. Speed was Mach 1.26 at 4600ft. #8 Has acrylic fins and piston ejection system. Speed was Mach 1.37 at 5235ft. #9 Very similar to #8 but much smaller to reduce drag. Speed was Mach 1.695 at 5260ft. #9 was going for 6900ft+ but the wind caught it on leaving the tower. It drove up range a good 3/4 mile so I lost a bunch of altitude in the attempt. Each version carried a Perfect Flight pNut and low power FM tracker. Smaller and lighter increases the performance but they become very dependent on launch conditions.

 

[retortec]

I agree with scsager that there is not much to see when I launch one of these. Basically it looks like they vaporize. All that is left is a contrail that you hope goes straight up. The Aspire is a great place to start.