Tom Sanders Owner of Contrail Rockets Level 3 Flight using a 98mm M-1575 Black Gold Hybrid Motor.
This is my Level 3 flight using a hybrid 98mm Contrail Rockets M-1575BG. Winds were at about 14mph. The flight got a nice kick off the pad this is a hybrid motor that has over 600 pounds of initial thrust off the pad. This flight used another innovation, not only was a "vent detector" used, it used the newly designed "on pad hold system". This allowed the motor to be filled at the pad and when the filling stopped so did the venting. This innovation allows for holds due to aircraft or any other events as in a "break in the breeze" that would normally require either a refilling of the motor for any vented NOS or worse case purging the NOS to then again refill the motor. This addition has not only a solenoid valve on the vent but an "expansion chamber" at the fill solenoid valve. Since Contrail Rockets motors have minimal utilage in the motor, any expansion in the hold process could elevate pressures, the expansion chamber coupled with the vent solenoid hold the rocket ready to launch. In this flight the hold time was about five minutes. As long as no one approaches the rocket hold times could be extent well beyond the five minutes seen here. The purge solenoid is not effected by this additional device and no additional control circuits are needed as the fill circuit also operates the on pad hold device. This saves NOS and allows motors to be prefilled at the pad and then put into a hold status awaiting the launch command.
Many thanks to my L3 TAP's at Phoenix Tripoli who understood the delays over the past few years in getting this flight into the air. I also want to thank my Club for creating a hybrid friendly environment. With a 48K waiver in the Arizona desert launching on Saturday and Sunday allows time for flyers to do more than just launch rockets.
I also want to thank my customers who ask for innovations. The internal vent lead to the vent detector which lead to the on pad hold system which lead to the expansion chamber. Each of these innovations was because of a customers request. They directly or indirectly started the wheels of innovation. At Contrail Rockets we continue to make improvements in what we offer customers to enhance the hybrid flying experience.
This flight with 5300cc of NOS or just under 9 pounds at $4 a pound plus the NOS used in filling about 1.5 pounds for a cost of $42. The M-1575BG fuel grain is $259 plus any shipping or tax available at
www.ContrailRockets.com.
This grain is shipped worldwide without any HazMat fees.
For any questions please email me at
[email protected]
Wow that is super expensive. M motor launch for $130 or so is attractive, just can't afford to get started.
It's not a problem at all like most things in life, you just need lots of money to play hard with the big boys.
