I'm just getting back into model rocketry again after about 20 years and am looking to use some of my engineering and physics education to do something big. Since I'm just starting out at the bottom I have a long way to go (hoping to get my level 1 cert next weekend on a PML 1/4 scale patriot) but I have a few questions about areas where it seems things could be improved.
My ultimate goal is to go for high altitude attempts. In reading quite a few threads on here I notice the N5800 motor seems to be a difficult motor to tame. Quite a few of these threads seem to focus on issues with the nose cone not being able to withstand the heat due to mach 3+ flights.
My question is why use the Von Karman nose cone with most of these? It's designed to minimize drag, why not go for something that would create a bow shock farther from the nose cone and avoid some of the heating effects? (See https://history.nasa.gov/SP-440/ch6-2.htm for a little more info) You wouldn't go as high or as fast, but would have a much better chance at the rocket making it I'd think.
If somebody has links to people that have tried this I'd love to see. Most of what I find for high power altitude and speed attempts seem to be doing the same thing and just trying to reinforce more and more so I'm wondering if I'm missing something obvious here.
Thanks in advance for any insights... hope this generates some good discussion.
My ultimate goal is to go for high altitude attempts. In reading quite a few threads on here I notice the N5800 motor seems to be a difficult motor to tame. Quite a few of these threads seem to focus on issues with the nose cone not being able to withstand the heat due to mach 3+ flights.
My question is why use the Von Karman nose cone with most of these? It's designed to minimize drag, why not go for something that would create a bow shock farther from the nose cone and avoid some of the heating effects? (See https://history.nasa.gov/SP-440/ch6-2.htm for a little more info) You wouldn't go as high or as fast, but would have a much better chance at the rocket making it I'd think.
If somebody has links to people that have tried this I'd love to see. Most of what I find for high power altitude and speed attempts seem to be doing the same thing and just trying to reinforce more and more so I'm wondering if I'm missing something obvious here.
Thanks in advance for any insights... hope this generates some good discussion.