No parachute day

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DM1975

Upscalien
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Well, I finally got around to launching my Estes Big Daddy that I modded into a 29mm. I launched it on an F39T-6 in a 24mm adapter for its first flight. Liftoff, and the flight were great. I had only added about 3 oz of nose weight to the build and it really flew great. When the rocket came back into sight all I could see was a nosecone and rocket body floating down, no parachute. It had been ripped completely off. The nose cone and one fin buried in the ground and another fin cracked.

Anyways I do not know if it ejected too early or too late as it was out of sight, but here is the aftermath. Rocksim had it going at just ovver 20mph at 6 sec. and optimal dely being at 7. The last two of these reloads I fired out of this package were all several seconds too late.

The rocket just before this one was my TLP Alarm that I had modded into a Talon. I launched it on the same reload. The flight was great, even with the 10+MPH wind and the snow falling. It reached apogee and just arced over and started to come in ballistic. The nose cone finally blew and its new 18" nylon parachute popped out and just floated along with it down to earth, never opening. I thought for sure this rocket had been destroyed, but to my suprise their was not a single scratch on the rocket.

Last off the rod was my new Estes Crossbow, and you guessed it, parachute came out and didn't open. I recovered it without a scratch as well. My Scimitar was the only rocket that a parachute deployed on, and true to form one of the rear fins popped loose from the body. Go figure...

IMG_1264.jpg
 
with all due resect to areotech, their delays have been mentioned to be notoriously unreliable on several threads , some being of by 4 seconds, however that is why areotech says these are approximations they said if you wanted something more accurate, you should go with electronic timing
 
Yeah, I am probably going to try and employ electronic deployment in as many of my rockets as I can.
 
Since it was an F39 it was probably early deployment that got it I am sure with that motor it was really moving at a good clip.But then again it could have been a longer then normal delay or even shorter then normal.
 
I hear ya, delays can be a *beep*. Last week a delay messed up my rocket, the chute "deployed" at like 5 feet of the ground when it was supposed to deploy at 1500 in (in rocksim that is)..

This was in 2 feet of snow, still a mess.

trasig.jpg
 
Man, that is bad. One lesson I learned from this is to not use Blue Thunder propellant for the Big Daddy anymore :)
 
Having flown the F39 many times something about this doesn't add up. I'm thinking despite RocSim the rocket was still going up fast when it deployed, ripping the chute off. I know I'm guessing here, past experence with the motor just leads me to believe that this is the case and if you try a F39 again use the 9 sec delay.
 
The nose cone finally blew and its new 18" nylon parachute popped out and just floated along with it down to earth, never opening.
Last off the rod was my new Estes Crossbow, and you guessed it, parachute came out and didn't open.

The parachute might have frozen into shape with the cold weather. Were the parachutes packed well before launch ,and did you use talc to dust the parachutes? - still nylon does not normally set - you could have been simly unlucky.
 
Well, I finally got around to launching my Estes Big Daddy that I modded into a 29mm. I launched it on an F39T-6 in a 24mm adapter for its first flight. Liftoff, and the flight were great. I had only added about 3 oz of nose weight to the build and it really flew great. When the rocket came back into sight all I could see was a nosecone and rocket body floating down, no parachute. It had been ripped completely off. The nose cone and one fin buried in the ground and another fin cracked.

Nice paint job!

Ditch the plastic Estes parachute, and go with a nylon one. Top Flite makes some really nice parachutes that are very reasonably priced.

I have a 29mm Big Daddy that has flown numerous times, and I've never had the problem you encountered, and that's on a variety of propellants.

-Kevin
 
Nice paint job!

Ditch the plastic Estes parachute, and go with a nylon one. Top Flite makes some really nice parachutes that are very reasonably priced.

I have a 29mm Big Daddy that has flown numerous times, and I've never had the problem you encountered, and that's on a variety of propellants.

-Kevin

Thanks. I am in the process of switching out all my parachutes to nylon right now. As for talc on the nylon chute I didn't talc it at all but when I picked it up off the ground the chute was fine, it just had not unfurled for whatever reason. When I picked it up it came open no problem. The Crossbow, I should have talced for sure... Live and learn.

I think it was just a bad day all around. As for going with a 9 delay next time I think I might try it, but like I said before, the two I flew before it were wayyyy late. I know that doesn't necesserily mean anything, but that is just my luck :eek:
 
As for talc on the nylon chute I didn't talc it at all but when I picked it up off the ground the chute was fine, it just had not unfurled for whatever reason.

Shouldn't need talc on nylon.

One thing about nylon parachutes is that you don't want to wrap the lines around them. Instead, fold the lines up inside the parachute.

I think it was just a bad day all around. As for going with a 9 delay next time I think I might try it, but like I said before, the two I flew before it were wayyyy late. I know that doesn't necesserily mean anything, but that is just my luck :eek:

Yeah, unfortunately we all have those days from time to time.

-Kevin
 
Shouldn't need talc on nylon.

One thing about nylon parachutes is that you don't want to wrap the lines around them. Instead, fold the lines up inside the parachute.

-Kevin

Yeah, I know. I was just commenting on the above post.

Now, I think I see the problem. I wrapped the shroud lines around the chute. :eek:
 
Now, I think I see the problem. I wrapped the shroud lines around the chute. :eek:

That would do it! The lines have this nifty tendency to get caught up on each other under tension, keeping it from unfurling. But when it's down, and you pick up the lines, they magically come undone.

With a nylon parachute, straighten it out like you would with a plastic one, then "flake" the gores (pull them all out straight and flat) so that the lines are on one side and the nylon is on another. Grab the top half of the gores and lift them up. Z-fold the lines in, then set the gores back down on the lines. Fold and roll like you normally would.

-Kevin
 
That would do it! The lines have this nifty tendency to get caught up on each other under tension, keeping it from unfurling. But when it's down, and you pick up the lines, they magically come undone.

With a nylon parachute, straighten it out like you would with a plastic one, then "flake" the gores (pull them all out straight and flat) so that the lines are on one side and the nylon is on another. Grab the top half of the gores and lift them up. Z-fold the lines in, then set the gores back down on the lines. Fold and roll like you normally would.

-Kevin

Thanks for the advise. Hopefully this weekend I can give it another go and do it right this time.
 
Man, that is bad. One lesson I learned from this is to not use Blue Thunder propellant for the Big Daddy anymore :)

C'mon, Blue Thunder is great, and the delay doesn't really have anything to do with the propellant. I've yet to have issue with the F39, it's my favorite 24mm motor. Just be sure to take the usual precautions building the motor, so that you don't have any grease on the delay, igniter is inserted fully, etc.

I've got a rocket about Big Daddy size that I fly a lot on a 3x cluster of F39's. I'm just waiting to see what Cesaroni comes up with in 24mm (like maybe a Pro24 6GXL?):eyepop:

Sorry about the flight damage. Good excuse to build another, though!
-Ken
 
I use the F39 in another one of my rockets and think it is great, but until I can figure out for sure what the delay is doing I think I might opt for something not so fast.

As for building another, I already got this one almost fixed. It is sittin in the rocket hospital mending its wing as we speak ;)
 
The following is a Quote from DM1975'S web page.

https://www.dm1975.com/rockets.htm

I am attempting to form my own rocket club here in Manhattan Kansas and have placed an add in Craigslist about it. Maybe someone will reply.

Sorry, I had to steal this from your home page.
I'm gonna go ahead & reply.
I belong to Tripoli & KLOUDBusters.
Live in Eudora, KS. Which is only 4 miles east from the Cats Arch Enimies!!:roll: AKA The Jayhawks!!:clap:
Heck some friends & I drive all the way to Argonia to fly.
Why not Manhattan?
What would be the limit on altitude, impulse, range, etc?
 
The following is a Quote from DM1975'S web page.

https://www.dm1975.com/rockets.htm

I am attempting to form my own rocket club here in Manhattan Kansas and have placed an add in Craigslist about it. Maybe someone will reply.

Sorry, I had to steal this from your home page.
I'm gonna go ahead & reply.
I belong to Tripoli & KLOUDBusters.
Live in Eudora, KS. Which is only 4 miles east from the Cats Arch Enimies!!:roll: AKA The Jayhawks!!:clap:
Heck some friends & I drive all the way to Argonia to fly.
Why not Manhattan?
What would be the limit on altitude, impulse, range, etc?

Alright... :D I am trying to get enough folks to get an NAR charter here. I have had one reply other than you so far. I have a 300 acre pasture to fly out of right now but need to find something a bit bigger if we do high power. The pasture is real long and narrow and right next to a road that is why I think high power might not go there. I have been launching up to F so far out there with no problem. I think a buddy of mine might have a bigger place for us though. Here is the flyer I have the hobby shop in Junction City passing out.

ETA: The flyer being passed out has an image as the background but it is all too big to upload here

View attachment RocketFlier 2.doc
 
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