I don't think I'd characterized the ARSA safety code as being "short on safety". In fact, unlike other "safety" codes, that have many non-safety provisions in them, the ARSA safety code pretty much sticks to safety issues only. :clap:
With regard to motors above J impulse the ARSA Safety Code
allows the use of common sense and individual judgment instead of mandating distances based on a very inconsistent table. Here are the values of minimum separation distances for "non-complex", i.e. single motor rockets, from paragraph 7.5.2. in the
TRA research code.
A-J or 1280 N-s max - 200 feet
K or 2560 N-s max - 250 feet or
25% more than J
L or 5120 N-s max - 300 feet or
16.6% more than K
M or 10,240 N-s max - 500 feet or
40% more than L
N or 20,480 N-s max - 1000 feet or
100% more than M
0 or 40,960 N-s max - 500 feet or
50% more than N
P-
T (up 890,000 N-s, 22xO) - 2000 feet or only
25% more than O :jaw:
Why does the minimum separation distance only double when going from an M to an N (2xM) motor? Why not for all the others. Why such a small (16.7%) change between K & L? When taken all together, this list of distances seems quite arbitrary. It would be difficult to come up with a mathematical formula or an experimental data set that would justify these. :confused2:
Art Applewhite
Amateur Rocketeers of Texas