HyperSpeed
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2009
- Messages
- 117
- Reaction score
- 8
I have had this idea for months, and I cannot resist any longer from discussing it here.
When I imagine a rocket that helps itself in the recovery stage quite well, I imagine a rocket-drone. My idea of a rocket-drone would use an air frame with 4 recessed areas designed radially around the body tube, where 4 carbon tubes + blades + motors would fold into and clear (for aerodynamics). At apogee it would still deploy a drogue or chute, but the second recovery stage is where it would get interesting. The 4 rotor arms would deploy and flip out, the apogee chute would detach, and the motors would crank up to speed to bring everything to a hover. Just like a 'return to home' on any drone, the rocket would GPS its way back to the launch area, hovering with the forward end now aiming at the ground. Because the rocket will be setting itself down so easily, there would likely be little evidence that the flight even occurred (assuming all went well structurally during flight).
Well, what do you guys think about that sort of idea? Would that be possible to actually build and launch legally? This type of thing would allow a club with a 100x100' launch area to fly L3 beyond 10K feet altitude while surrounded by lakes and heavy forest, but not have to worry about recovery. I don't know that I would actually have a chute that detaches, but I was trying to keep the idea of a chute somewhere in the picture since I know how much you guys would cringe with no chute on-board.
I've lost some of my favorite builds to tracking and wind, and had I had a rocket-drone each time I might not have to miss them! :wink:
When I imagine a rocket that helps itself in the recovery stage quite well, I imagine a rocket-drone. My idea of a rocket-drone would use an air frame with 4 recessed areas designed radially around the body tube, where 4 carbon tubes + blades + motors would fold into and clear (for aerodynamics). At apogee it would still deploy a drogue or chute, but the second recovery stage is where it would get interesting. The 4 rotor arms would deploy and flip out, the apogee chute would detach, and the motors would crank up to speed to bring everything to a hover. Just like a 'return to home' on any drone, the rocket would GPS its way back to the launch area, hovering with the forward end now aiming at the ground. Because the rocket will be setting itself down so easily, there would likely be little evidence that the flight even occurred (assuming all went well structurally during flight).
Well, what do you guys think about that sort of idea? Would that be possible to actually build and launch legally? This type of thing would allow a club with a 100x100' launch area to fly L3 beyond 10K feet altitude while surrounded by lakes and heavy forest, but not have to worry about recovery. I don't know that I would actually have a chute that detaches, but I was trying to keep the idea of a chute somewhere in the picture since I know how much you guys would cringe with no chute on-board.
I've lost some of my favorite builds to tracking and wind, and had I had a rocket-drone each time I might not have to miss them! :wink: