Any suggestions for the best way to support the igniter portion inside the motor to prevent setback due to Gs without raising the chance of a nozzle obstruction and CATO?
Head end ignition is best.
Many use a small wooden dowel to hold the igniter. Allows it to be easily inserted at the pad.
I like to put the igniter while assembling the motor, I glue a piece of nylon string to the forward insulator to hold the igniter in place. I use Aerotech and Ex motors. This is secure, no dowel parts to clog the nozzle but more time and work at the pad.
M
Hmmm.. Would superglueing the ignitor head to the top grain work?
I could be mistaken, but I don't think all CTI loads have the BP pellet.
I'm not sure on AT, but at a guess, in descending order of easy-light:
Blue
Black/Fast Jack
White
Red
Green
( I look forward to being corrected )
Head end ignition is best.
Many use a small wooden dowel to hold the igniter. Allows it to be easily inserted at the pad.
I like to put the igniter while assembling the motor, I glue a piece of nylon string to the forward insulator to hold the igniter in place. I use Aerotech and Ex motors. This is secure, no dowel parts to clog the nozzle but more time and work at the pad.
M
I think it is against the safety rules putting an igniter into the motor when your not loaded on the pad yet.
There's some room in the rules for airstarts, obviously the igniter needs to be suitably inert... disconnected and/or shorted. Like any other flight, the RSO has the final say on this.
That won't work for airstarts... the sustainer's igniter pretty much HAS to be installed before the rocket is on the pad, particularly if you're using a separation charge and shear pins to keep the stack together. If the igniter is disconnected from power and shorted, it's as safe as if it were not there... have you ever heard of an igniter firing spontaneously with no power?
Any suggestions for the best way to support the igniter portion inside the motor to prevent setback due to Gs without raising the chance of a nozzle obstruction and CATO?
You can have the separation charges all hooked up just have to have the altimeter off. What I am saying is do not have the igniter even in the rocket. If the igniter is in the rocket hooked up to the altimeter at the sustainer and something happens it could be bad.
So ok to have separation charge igniter hooked up to off altimeter but not ok to have motor igniter hooked up to off altimeter.
What are your thoughts about having sustainer motor igniter hooked to electronics but not inserted into motor? Just leaving hang outside the motor. Then follow your procedure but all you have to do before attaching sustainer to booster is insert igniter into motor?
I'm getting ready to build my first hope two-stage and trying to learn from everyone here and at my launches.
What are your thoughts about having sustainer motor igniter hooked to electronics but not inserted into motor? Just leaving hang outside the motor. Then follow your procedure but all you have to do before attaching sustainer to booster is insert igniter into motor?
I'm getting ready to build my first hope two-stage and trying to learn from everyone here and at my launches.
I believe the TRA rules say "at the pad", not "on the pad".
I think it is against the safety rules putting an igniter into the motor when your not loaded on the pad yet.