Single engine booster as "igniter" for three engine cluster shown in Estes TR-6

[brockrwood]

Has anyone tried the single engine booster as "igniter" to three engine cluster shown in the 1963 Estes Technical Report, TR-6? It’s pretty wild looking. I did not read the TR when it was published. I was only a few months old at the time.

I may try it. Are there any kits or plans using this scheme?

Link to TR-6.

https://plans.rocketshoppe.com/pubs/Estes/estTR-6/1963_Estes_TR-6.pdf
See figure 6 and figure 7.

 

[Scott_650]

Igniting three motors with a booster motor seemed to work ok on the Estes #2134 MIRV so I don’t see why this wouldn’t work too. Since I enjoy staging as much as clustering if it were my project I’d just build the “igniter module” as a booster but that’s just me

Nifty idea - if you try it report back on the results…

 

[lakeroadster]

Yeah, that visual would be way cool. You get some smoke and noise on the pad and then the main event.

Thanks for posting this @brockrwood

This would also have potential for delayed staging.

 

[tsmith1315]

I did not read the TR when it was published. I was only a few months old at the time

Excuses.

That's interesting, and pretty smart of Vern, too: don't use a flash pan, buy another one of my motors to do that!

 

[KenECoyote]

Igniting three motors with a booster motor seemed to work ok on the Estes #2134 MIRV so I don’t see why this wouldn’t work too. Since I enjoy staging as much as clustering if it were my project I’d just build the “igniter module” as a booster but that’s just me

Nifty idea - if you try it report back on the results…

Yup, I launched a MIRV at my club a month or so ago. I thought it was very cool.
Here's a pic of the portion that vents the booster engine ejection to all three sustainer engines

 

[BEC]

Note that that old TR has you use a 1/4A booster, probably so it’s not too hard to keep it on the launch rod. Right now the lowest total impulse boosters in production are As (A8-0 and A10-0T). However there are 1/2A3-0Ts and 1/2A6-0s ”out there”.

As others have noted, the MIRV uses this principle but lets the first stage fly. All the MIRV flights I’ve seen have worked well. (I know there’s at least one thread on here griping about how it didn’t work for them….)

Granted, even using an A impulse booster to essentially start a model like the Cobra (in the pictures in the TR) if it were allowed to just fly, it’d stage pretty low. I’d be a little worried about rod speed in that situation, though .

Note also that that TR has the 1/4A igniting Series II motors. Those old B3s (then, in Metric, B14s) have really big nozzles…..

 

[BABAR]

Done times 3
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/ho-hum-nuther-3ncb-flight-3-dog-night-post-12.64307/
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/successful-launch-and-staging-cerberus-iii.46235/
And the Estes MIRV (great concept, horrible execution, unless until they come up with C5-0 booster)

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/estes-mirv-sort-of-a-build-thread.138977/

There was a kit called the MIRV-Gryphon.

It’s a great idea. I recommend going with a really good booster, one motor up (at least) from sustainers, I like the D5-0.

I also like big bore sustainers, not sure if proven, but seems like larger bores have more access to the booster flame. I am partial to the A8 motors (A8-5, but an A8-3 with work in a pinch, especially if you use streamers instead of chutes on sustainers, as they will tolerate and early high speed ejection deployment better than a chute.)

 

[GlenP]

These boosters fly with the rocket, so kind of a tangent here.
https://plans.rocketshoppe.com/srw/srwMG/srwMG.htmOriginal design was a staged cluster, each 13mm booster lights it’s own sustainer.

I made a bash of that design to use a single 18mm booster to light the 4 13mm sustainers.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/mirv-gryphon-inspired.137292/

 

[beeblebrox]

Back in the '70's I used a 1/2A3-0T with nozzle facing up in a similar vented holder to ignite EnerJets...

 

[Arnie]

Back in the day, I used a D-12-0 to ignite 4 F-100-8s......perfectly

 

[Alan15578]

I have read of someone igniting zink-sulfer motor using an F100 like a super sqid. I wonder if we could ignite AT motors using an MM motor?

 

[Arnie]

I'm wondering if there are any current BP motors that have the approximate nozzle size of the old B-30/B-14

 

[shockie]

I'm wondering if there are any current BP motors that have the approximate nozzle size of the old B-30/B-14

Nope