Ok, quick question. As I continue to ponder a tube launch for my finless 50" tall, 3" diameter rocket, it seems like an actuator that moved 1" per second would be too slow to propel the rocket from the tube, yes? Thoughts?
Okay, I have done a search under ”finless” and your TRF handle, coming up with nothing but this post.
Finless Rockets? Challenging but do-able.
Augmented launch? I will take others words for it that it is do-able, sounds at least as challenging as above.
Air Starts? Absolutely do-able but requires some experience. Have you done this before?
combining all the above in a single launch without testing each component individually? That’s challenging cubed (or put another way, probability of success cubed, say each component has an 80% success rate, puts combination at about 50%, essentially a coin toss.)
i am not trying to yellow tinge your cornflakes. I like the concepts, just would like to see each demonstrated reliably before combining them. Nobody likes a ballistic return of a low power rocket, but that kind of failure done out in the middle of no where with no dry grass or brush and only you watching it, likely no harm no foul. But a screwed up air start under the same conditions might hit you personally and cause you significant injury.
i remember reading an article, not sure if it was in peak of flight by apogee, of a school girl and an experienced rocketeer who built a very tall tower powered by a falling weight that got a rocket up to launch speed . tried a search of ApogeeRockets and couldn’t find it. Apparently it DID work. I think the tower was pretty tall, definitely over 10 feet, likely near 20.
i wish you a happy, successful, and safe new year!