For those of you at MDRA Red Glare V, may have seen the first launch of my Fullscale Hellfire Missile (all 60lbs of it) launched on an L-1111 which resulted in a premature separation event prior to apogee.
The full video can be downloaded here which was shot by Bob Utley.
https://www.mdra-archive.org/photos/RedGlare5/BobUtley/Full/DanielMcCauley.wmv
I'm trying to determine the cause of the failure, but can't seem to put my finger on it yet.
Basically, from what i gather and by viewing the events in slow motion. (You can do this in Windows Media by selecting >View>Enhancements>Speed Control)
1. Thrust Phase
2. Coast Phase
3. Explosive Separation between Booster and EBAY (gray plume smoke)
4. Drag separation of nosecone (25lb) and EBAY (due to booster being separated already)
5. Two distinct pops at Apogee which appear to be both altimeters firing the drogue charges
6. One distinct pop during descent which was one of the main charges going off.
Since i can hear two simultaneous pops at apogee, that makes me think that it wasn't one of the drogue separations going off. Plus, if i look at the video, when the BP charges went off, there was white smoke, not dark smoke. The smoke plume present during the premature separation was clearly dark grey, the same color as the exhaust of the motor trail at that point.
If you have a chance, check it out!
BTW, the second day, the rocket flew perfectly on an L-1080.
Thanks
The full video can be downloaded here which was shot by Bob Utley.
https://www.mdra-archive.org/photos/RedGlare5/BobUtley/Full/DanielMcCauley.wmv
I'm trying to determine the cause of the failure, but can't seem to put my finger on it yet.
Basically, from what i gather and by viewing the events in slow motion. (You can do this in Windows Media by selecting >View>Enhancements>Speed Control)
1. Thrust Phase
2. Coast Phase
3. Explosive Separation between Booster and EBAY (gray plume smoke)
4. Drag separation of nosecone (25lb) and EBAY (due to booster being separated already)
5. Two distinct pops at Apogee which appear to be both altimeters firing the drogue charges
6. One distinct pop during descent which was one of the main charges going off.
Since i can hear two simultaneous pops at apogee, that makes me think that it wasn't one of the drogue separations going off. Plus, if i look at the video, when the BP charges went off, there was white smoke, not dark smoke. The smoke plume present during the premature separation was clearly dark grey, the same color as the exhaust of the motor trail at that point.
If you have a chance, check it out!
BTW, the second day, the rocket flew perfectly on an L-1080.
Thanks