LPR Technique: Wrap One Sheet of Recovery Wadding Around the Folded Parachute Before Putting the Folded Parachute into the Body Tube

[brockrwood]

I learned this trick from a friendly rocketeer I met at a launch on April 18, 2022. To prevent burn holes and scorching on your parachute, wrap the folded parachute in one sheet of Estes recovery wadding before inserting the folded parachute into the body tube. The recovery wadding sheet creates a little flame-proof bag around the parachute. Even when using ample amounts of Estes recovery wadding (or dog barf), or a nomex blanket, hot ejection gasses still seemed to get to my parachutes and scorch them. This trick worked like a charm! No burn holes on the launch of April 18, 2022!

 

[modeltrains]

Will remember this even though when or even if I go fly again is an open question.

 

[waltr]

I also do this. Actually use the Quest wadding since it is larger and stiffer. I came up with this idea when preping a small rocket after preping a large rocket with a Nomex blanket around the chute. Seemed like a simular idea at the time.
Worked well with no damage to the plastic chute.

 

[SharkWhisperer]

Thought everybody did this...

 

[kalsow]

FYI, Estes wadding is not allowed at all launch sites. It doe not decompose quickly enough for some landowners. Our site, a sod farm outside North Branch, MN, requires cellulose insulation (rocket barf).

 

[brockrwood]

FYI, Estes wadding is not allowed at all launch sites. It doe not decompose quickly enough for some landowners. Our site, a sod farm outside North Branch, MN, requires cellulose insulation (rocket barf).

Not even one little sheet to go around the the parachute?

 

[hcmbanjo]

From a Blog Post from 2013 -
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2014/11/wadding-wrap-tip.html
I wrap a square of wadding around the low end of a rolled parachute before sliding it into the body tube.
This was just extra protection from the ejection charge.

I wanted to clarify that I use a smaller square of wadding, maybe 3 inches square.
The smaller sized square allows the parachute to open easier.
If the wadding were close to or over the top of the parachute it might prevent it from opening up!
The wadding on the bottom should peel off when the parachute is ejected.

 

[kalsow]

Not even one little sheet to go around the the parachute?

Nope. A hundred people each flying 3 rockets is 300 little sheets blowing over the fields.

 

[brockrwood]

Nope. A hundred people each flying 3 rockets is 300 little sheets blowing over the fields.

I try to pick up the recovery wadding I find on the flying field. Of course a lot does not get picked up. Hmm. Ok, maybe I can just use a nomex blanket in each rocket with the parachute wrapped in the blanket. And a little dog barf. Hard to use a nomex blanket on anything smaller than BT-55.

 

[brockrwood]

From a Blog Post from 2013 -
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2014/11/wadding-wrap-tip.html
I wrap a square of wadding around the low end of a rolled parachute before sliding it into the body tube.
This was just extra protection from the ejection charge.

I wanted to clarify that I use a smaller square of wadding, maybe 3 inches square.
The smaller sized square allows the parachute to open easier.
If the wadding were close to or over the top of the parachute it might prevent it from opening up!
The wadding on the bottom should peel off when the parachute is ejected.

View attachment 515149

That’s how I did it on Monday. One sheet of Estes wadding only covered the bottom half of my plastic chute (12 inch ‘chute).
Just for the record, I tried the flame retardent crepe paper as wadding but eventually went back to the Estes flame resistant “toilet paper”. The crepe paper seemed stiff and hard to work with.