Parachute options for 45# L3 rocket.

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Bat-mite

Bat-mite

Rocketeer in MD
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Trying to see what all the options are for my Formula 200. What I have so far is:

  • SkyAngle Cert3 XL
  • Rocketman 12 foot
  • LOC Angel XL
  • TFR Crossfire CFR-120
  • Giant leap TAC9 (A, B, C?)
  • Fruity Chutes Iris Ultra or L3 Eliptical 120"
  • Spherachutes 144"


Anybody got descent rates for TAC9 from Giant Leap?

Any other options?
 
Last edited:
If you are tight on space, go fruity.

If not, get the cheapest one large and strong enough.
 
Can you recover in 2 parts? Forward section and fin-can as 2 separate parts? Two small drogues at apogee and two mains (one for each section) at main deployment elevation? Could get away with smaller mains, albeit a bit more complicated due to dual main deployment computers (possibly 4 for redundancy? :confused:)
 
jrkennnedy2 said:
Can you recover in 2 parts? Forward section and fin-can as 2 separate parts? Two small drogues at apogee and two mains (one for each section) at main deployment elevation? Could get away with smaller mains, albeit a bit more complicated due to dual main deployment computers (possibly 4 for redundancy? :confused:)
Click to expand...

Probably not the direction I'm going in, but thanks for the ideas.
 
John,,
I just went through this with someone..
12 ft Rocketman........
That's the chute I fly in "SteamPunk"...

Teddy
 
Bat-mite said:
Trying to see what all the options are for my Formula 200. What I have so far is:

  • SkyAngle Cert3 XL
  • Rocketman 12 foot
  • LOC Angel XL
  • TFR Crossfire CFR-120
  • Giant leap TAC9 (A, B, C?)
  • Fruity Chutes Iris Ultra or L3 Eliptical 120"
  • Spherachutes 144"


Anybody got descent rates for TAC9 from Giant Leap?

Any other options?
Click to expand...

I did some figuring a couple years ago and added the Rocketman, Skyangle, and GL chutes to Rocksim. If you download the updated chute database files into Rocksim they should give you good numbers.
 
Our big rocket was 46.1 pounds fully loaded. We used a 16' Rocketman parachute and a 55' 1" tubular nylon harness made for us by Teddy. I am sure the 12' would be fine, but a 14' or 16' wouldn't be too big if you aren't tight for space.
 
RocketFeller said:
Our big rocket was 46.1 pounds fully loaded. We used a 16' Rocketman parachute and a 55' 1" tubular nylon harness made for us by Teddy. I am sure the 12' would be fine, but a 14' or 16' wouldn't be too big if you aren't tight for space.
Click to expand...

I dun know Dan,,
I fly my rocket "SteamPunk" on a 12 ft Rocketman..
It was 36 lbs on the pad with an Aerotech M 1297 W in it..
I think I get a nice decent rate on that rocket...
But be aware...
I like very fast decent rates on drogue..
I like quite slow decent rates on main...
And I love a big beautiful chute in the air,,
I think big chutes have a big presence in the air,, they're beautiful...
This is why I said to you that I'd rather see you on something a bit bigger then my 12 because you're at 46 lbs.......
You're flyin a 16 ft Rocketman...
How do you think your decent rate looks ?? Do you think your decent rate looks a bit too slow ??
Some guy's like fast decent rates on main,, I think the guy's that fly out west and south west in the desert's where it's windier,, no ??
You're in the Northwest,, I'd think where you fly is probably more similar to where I fly near home,, no ??

Teddy
 
onebadhawk said:
I dun know Dan,,
I fly my rocket "SteamPunk" on a 12 ft Rocketman..
It was 36 lbs on the pad with an Aerotech M 1297 W in it..
I think I get a nice decent rate on that rocket...
But be aware...
I like very fast decent rates on drogue..
I like quite slow decent rates on main...
And I love a big beautiful chute in the air,,
I think big chutes have a big presence in the air,, they're beautiful...
This is why I said to you that I'd rather see you on something a bit bigger then my 12 because you're at 46 lbs.......
You're flyin a 16 ft Rocketman...
How do you think your decent rate looks ?? Do you think your decent rate looks a bit too slow ??
Some guy's like fast decent rates on main,, I think the guy's that fly out west and south west in the desert's where it's windier,, no ??
You're in the Northwest,, I'd think where you fly is probably more similar to where I fly near home,, no ??

Teddy
Click to expand...

I liked it, it didn't seem overly slow to me at all. Like you say, the stately descent under a large chute is rather majestic. If you were flying in windy conditions there might be a chance it would drag your rocket, I suppose.

Check out the video of our test flight, it sticks the landing!

[video=youtube;2f0r3-uCXWw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f0r3-uCXWw[/video]
 
Wow,,
Super cool vid Dan..
I sure do love those big chutes..
I think that decent rate was almost identical to mine,, lol...

Teddy
 
I used an 18 ft Rocketman in ours, standard dual deploy. Our on pad weight was about 58 lbs including motor.
 
I used a 15' flare parachute for my 45# rocket. Worked great. Aerocon has one for $136.
 
Ditto on military surplus chutes being great. Haven't had trouble with one yet. That said, I haven't used one of these 15' ones yet.

As far as the TAC9s, the info on their website is in one of the images, and is kinda hard to find.

9a, 20lbs @ 16 ft/s
9b, 42lbs @ 16 ft/s
9c, 70lbs @ 16 ft/s
 
Thanks. I did end up getting the 15' military. My big concern now will be finding a big enough, clean enough space to lay it out and fold it.
 
L3 isn't the time for trying something new. If you go that route, practice on a smaller rocket, or test fly on an L. Personally, I don't think it is necessary to use a deployment bag on your L3, I didn't on mine.
 
Necessary? No. I had a hangup with my 45 pounder even with a d-bag. I'm pretty sure it would've been way worse without it. I do agree that you shouldn't do it on the L3 flight. I would also suggest a shakedown cruise. A K1103X will put 45# to about 850 feet and looks pretty awesome...
 
I do not see any reason not to try new things in a L3 certification flight.

Your main question should be how much force an uncontrolled deployment of the 15ft chute will create and if your recovery harness and the mounting can handle it.
Do you use dual deploy?
Canopy first deployment should be avoided whenever possible.
 
I just ordered a 120" Fruity Chutes Iris Ultra chute. Gene at Fruity Chutes says that the 120" L3 Elliptical chute is no longer available and that "Iris Ultra parachutes have for the most part replaced the larger elliptical chutes".
 
I did my L-3 without a deployment bag, and that bird weighed ~60 lbs. Daisy chain the lines to ease the canopy open (controlling the deployment), and you should be fine. It's the same idea as a slider, but free! If in doubt beef up your recovery gear. Look at you stuff, and figure out what has the lowest weight rating, and start there. If you know what you are doing with electronics, and have flown dual deploy enough to be comfortable with all that entails, you've got this.
 
Nathan, the iris chutes are much draggier than an elliptical, check your decent rates. You should be able to go a size smaller than you would with the elliptical.
 
Yeah I know, I already have a 72" Iris chute. I want a nice slow descent rate. Wouldn't want to scuff up the paint or anything . . .
 
I don't know how this idea came about that this is my L3 cert flight. I've been L3 since March. This is something I'm building for LDRS next year.
 

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