Looking for a replacement to Estes Mongoose

[BABAR]

There is one way in which rocket length does apply here: longer shock cords reduce the chance of the separated pieces banging into one another during initial deployment. This is obviously more likely as the rocket gets longer.
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is this an issue with non-elastic cords?

For elastic, I think length is definitely an issue.

For non-elastic, the answer to “how long is needed” is less clear.

Obviously needs to be long enough to get all the laundry out of the tube.

Beyond this, unless you use tape like high power guys to “bundle” segments, with energy expended in breaking the tape, does the added length really allow the separating segments to “slow down” much before cord gets taut and zippers the tube? Maybe, if the nose cone, or chute or streamer (despite likely minimally opened at this point) cause enough drag.

Having seen a few high power ground ejection tests (mainly on the forum) I guess more length does allow some deceleration.

Concur that proportionality to length isn’t strictly logical, however on “average” rockets length tends to be roughly proportional to mass, which WOULD make sense, heavier rockets (particularly nose cones-which are sometimes packet with clay or BBs or whatever) would justify longer cords.

 

[SolarYellow]

This discussion reminded me of a possible cause and I just confirmed it. The godson recovered his Long Ranger built with one body tube (so, a Short Ranger) after an apparently nominal flight with the front of the airframe hammered pretty good. Going to have to trim it off to be able to insert the NC and fly again. Stock Estes rubber shock cord. Opposing sides are both crushed severely. It didn't hit the ground, and it's not a zipper.

Just found the witness mark scuff on the nose cone that matches up perfectly to the shape of the deformed airframe tube.

ETA: Thought about this more, and I believe it was user error in rocket prep. I'll probably start another thread to discuss that in more detail, so it's more likely to be found by searching later.