Pem Tech
Notorious Member
As has been stated, not much has changed in BP staging.
Guess I've been lucky with staging, except for the embarrassing Cherokee III incident way back in the 90's.
That was the only staged rocket I had built until the early 2000's. For no particular reason I built the Sea Skimmer and the heinous F-1 Medusa's Cousin. The Sea Skimmer was a spur of the moment military style scratch built D to D gap stager. The booster motor tube extends almost to the 2nd stage motor. No ports, no hooks, no engine blocks, no tape and both motors are friction fit. She has flown without fail for almost 15 years. See images below.
As has been mentioned in previous posts, be mindful of the fit of the stage coupler. It needs to be tight enough to hold the booster in place but loose enough to pop free during staging. Soaking the coupler in CA then sanding to the proper fit is a great idea.
If I remember correctly the F-1 Medusa's Cousin was ill-conceived on a stormy night under the influence of too much cheap vodka, or something like that. It is a hideous kit bash/scratch build using parts of an Estes Double D and whatever was laying around the bench. The horrid thing is gaped staged from 2 D's to a single D over about 5 inches. No special construction, just opened up the transition to allow the exhaust gasses to pass through. Made sure the booster fit was correct and she flew well before being buried in an shallow unmarked grave. Again, no ports, no hooks, no engine blocks, no tape and all motors are friction fit. But with lots of ugly...
I guess the point is that staging isn't difficult and can be accomplished with a minimum of technology, effort and experience.
Guess I've been lucky with staging, except for the embarrassing Cherokee III incident way back in the 90's.
That was the only staged rocket I had built until the early 2000's. For no particular reason I built the Sea Skimmer and the heinous F-1 Medusa's Cousin. The Sea Skimmer was a spur of the moment military style scratch built D to D gap stager. The booster motor tube extends almost to the 2nd stage motor. No ports, no hooks, no engine blocks, no tape and both motors are friction fit. She has flown without fail for almost 15 years. See images below.
As has been mentioned in previous posts, be mindful of the fit of the stage coupler. It needs to be tight enough to hold the booster in place but loose enough to pop free during staging. Soaking the coupler in CA then sanding to the proper fit is a great idea.
If I remember correctly the F-1 Medusa's Cousin was ill-conceived on a stormy night under the influence of too much cheap vodka, or something like that. It is a hideous kit bash/scratch build using parts of an Estes Double D and whatever was laying around the bench. The horrid thing is gaped staged from 2 D's to a single D over about 5 inches. No special construction, just opened up the transition to allow the exhaust gasses to pass through. Made sure the booster fit was correct and she flew well before being buried in an shallow unmarked grave. Again, no ports, no hooks, no engine blocks, no tape and all motors are friction fit. But with lots of ugly...
I guess the point is that staging isn't difficult and can be accomplished with a minimum of technology, effort and experience.