Noobie here with a question. I'm just thinking ahead and want to learn more about this. Do fliers often not use a drogue when using a GPS? Would it make sense not to if the rocket is going to around 20,000 ft. or less?
Tim
The recommended descent rate under a main parachute is ~15 fps. A 10 mph wind will move your rocket sideways ~15 fps. If you reached 20 kft and popped a main under such conditions, you could have a 4 mile recovery trek, and that might be conservative since the upper level winds are usually stronger and may well come from a totally different direction than at ground level. Splitting the rocket or deploying a drogue at apogee and deploying a main at 300' will likely reduce the walk by a factor of 4.
To launch a rocket that gets to 20,000 you need to be L3 high power certified, and during the certification process you will need to learn all about this sort of stuff.
Go find you local rocket club and attend some launches and talk to the folks. You can find out where they are at
https://www.nar.org and
https://www.tripoli.org
Also pick up and read the following two books which will explain most of what you need to know.
Handbook of Model Rocketry 7th Edition
2004. By the late G. Harry Stine and Bill Stine. Over 350 pages covering all aspects of model rocketry. If you need to find an answer to your rocketry questions, start here! This volume belongs in the library of every serious rocketeer. The official manual of the NAR. Cover price $22.95
Modern High Power Rocketry-Second Edition
By Mark Canepa. This Second Edition of Modern High-Power Rocketry contains more than 800 black-and-white photographs and illustrations specifically created to introduce the model rocket enthusiast to the exciting world of high-power rocketry. Completely rewritten, photographed, and designed, this book provides tips and simple advice on motor retention, ejection charges, the high-power launch and building your first Level One, Level Two and Level Three rockets.
$17.00 and $28.00 respectively from NARTS
https://blastzone.com/nar/narts/store.asp?groupid=1080035015601
Bob