New sub forum - Staging & Airstarts

[tim cubbedge]

As many of you are aware, there has been recent interest in creating a new sub-forum for staging & airstarts. So here it is. I have moved several threads involving 2 stage projects that have either showed much interest or had high post count. It's only a start. If anyone feels there are specific threads they would also like to see moved into this new sub-forum, please PM myself or any other moderator. Last count, there were at least 200 threads relating to 2 stage rockets. I haven't even looked searched airstart threads. Give it time.
For those using the Rocketry Forum App, I found that I had to uninstall the App & reinstall it for this new sub-forum to appear on my mobile device.

 

[rharshberger]

Thank you!

 

[watheyak]

Excellent, thanks!

 

[Banzai88]

Greatly appreciated, especially since I have a Wildman Shapeshifter 2 stage inbound!

 

[Estesbasher]

I've been wanting to build some midpower two stage rockets for a long time.
Thank you.

 

[Charles_McG]

In the iOS app, from the Browse tab, I swiped down to force an update and it appeared.

 

[MaxQ]

BRAVO!

 

[BDB]

I've been wanting to build some midpower two stage rockets for a long time.
Thank you.

Charles_McG, rharshberger, and I have been independently trying MPR staging this year. You can read here about our few successes and many failures here. But don’t let that discourage you—it’s a fun challenge.

 

[rharshberger]

Charles_McG, rharshberger, and I have been independently trying MPR staging this year. You can read here about our few successes and many failures here. But don’t let that discourage you—it’s a fun challenge.

I've been wanting to build some midpower two stage rockets for a long time.
Thank you.

As BDB said Charles and I have both been working with the Eggtimer Quantum and MPR staging, some successful and some not ( mostly not at this point, though we did have some successful flights) mind was the Nike-Cajun and Charles McG was with a Nike-Apache model iirc. Both threads are worth reading imo as we have some conclusions as to why we had failures of various types. The Quantum is an excellent device for airstart/staging but it defi itely requires good sims and understanding how it works.

 

[Charles_McG]

As BDB said Charles and I have both been working with the Eggtimer Quantum and MPR staging, some successful and some not ( mostly not at this point, though we did have some successful flights) mind was the Nike-Cajun and Charles McG was with a Nike-Apache model iirc. Both threads are worth reading imo as we have some conclusions as to why we had failures of various types. The Quantum is an excellent device for airstart/staging but it defi itely requires good sims and understanding how it works.

Agreed. I found my ‘pro series’ Nike Apache with middling motors pushed the -lower- boundary of the Quantum settings. Easy to use and configure- but a G-G is close to minimum for using the altitude and velocity safety limits.

 

[rharshberger]

Agreed. I found my ‘pro series’ Nike Apache with middling motors pushed the -lower- boundary of the Quantum settings. Easy to use and configure- but a G-G is close to minimum for using the altitude and velocity safety limits.

Same here, mine were F's to C's iirc and failed to achieve the safety velocity check until AFTER the booster reached apogee, the successful flight had the velocity and altitude checks disabled. Next attempt will use altitude check only.

 

[Charles_McG]

Same here, mine were F's to C's iirc and failed to achieve the safety velocity check until AFTER the booster reached apogee, the successful flight had the velocity and altitude checks disabled. Next attempt will use altitude check only.

Watch the altitude check - I have been unable to set it under 300’ or turn it off. It resets to 300’ on the main air start, no matter what I do. I’ve told Cris, but he’s been busy.

 

[rharshberger]

Noted, thanks.

 

[Estesbasher]

I will check both of them out, Thank you guys.

 

[BDB]

Watch the altitude check - I have been unable to set it under 300’ or turn it off. It resets to 300’ on the main air start, no matter what I do. I’ve told Cris, but he’s been busy.

The time that I had success staging (but then screwed up recovery), I used only the velocity lock-out on the Quantum. Like Charles, I couldn’t get the altitude lock-out below 300’. That’s not a problem for HPR staging, but I was trying to stage F to C, and I wanted everything to be low enough to watch.

 

[Dave A]

Is this a section to discuss high powered clusters off the pad? I've seen some simple mistakes in the past few years that could been disastrous.

 

[tim cubbedge]

Is this a section to discuss high powered clusters off the pad? I've seen some simple mistakes in the past few years that could been disastrous.

Yep. For now have at it. There may be a sub forum in future days but for now this is the place.

 

[markg]

The time that I had success staging (but then screwed up recovery), I used only the velocity lock-out on the Quantum. Like Charles, I couldn’t get the altitude lock-out below 300’. That’s not a problem for HPR staging, but I was trying to stage F to C, and I wanted everything to be low enough to watch.

I think you can get rid of the altitude lock-out by switching it from airstart to normal and back. It defaults to not having an altitude lock-out, so it'll be blank until you set it, then it gets stuck at 300. I can't check now as all my stuff is packed up for MWP, but I'm pretty sure that worked. If that's not it, then it was upgrading firmware (you could also just upgrade to the same version) that reset it to off.

cheers - mark

 

[Charles_McG]

I think you can get rid of the altitude lock-out by switching it from airstart to normal and back. It defaults to not having an altitude lock-out, so it'll be blank until you set it, then it gets stuck at 300. I can't check now as all my stuff is packed up for MWP, but I'm pretty sure that worked. If that's not it, then it was upgrading firmware (you could also just upgrade to the same version) that reset it to off.

cheers - mark

Thanks for the tip. I’m on the road now, but will try it when I get home.

I did update the firmware, to no avail.

 

[BDB]

I just meant to say that there isn't a value for altitude lock-out below 300'. That was too close to the altitude where I wanted staging to occur, so I couldn't use altitude as the lock-out parameter for the F to C staging attempt.

 

[Charles_McG]

My problem was that even when I tried to turn it off, it turns back to 300’ as soon as I press ‘submit’. I wasn’t able to turn it off.