Staging the Aerobee Hi

[Luv2launch]

Hi all,
This weekend I am going to fianlly luanch my Aerobee Hi and want to double check my timer setup.I am planning on launching it on a G71-4R to an F52-7T and am setting the timer to ignite the sustainer at 1.7 seconds the burn time on the G71 according to thrustcurve is 1.5 seconds does .2 seconds between booster burnout and sustainer ignition sound about right?The F52 is a blue thunder load so I am figuring it should pretty much ignite pretty quickly, but i have n3ever used this load before so I am not sure how long it will take it tom come up to pressure.Any tips would be helpful.
Thanks

 

[DAllen]

The F52 is a blue thunder and provided you have a decent e-match for ignition it should come up to pressure almost instantly. Blue thunder propellant is typically what is used to ignite a lot of large motors because of its quick burning properties.

-Dave

 

[TheAviator]

IMHO, it doesn't hurt to ignite the F52 a touch early. The G71 has a regressive burn, which means that the thrust tails off rather linearly after peak thrust occurs. I think you'd be much better off with the G71 still thrusting a little than to have your sustainer going off sideways. Presuming your rocket weighs about 1.5lbs at staging, the thrust of the G71 will no longer be accelerating the rocket at about the 1.4s mark. I would set your timer to or slightly less than that.

 

[redsox15]

How does your first booster stage pop off before ignition of the second motor? Or does it come off when the second motor is lit?

Matt

 

[Luv2launch]

The Aerobee Hi's flight was picture perfect the G71 lit up and it ripped off the pad I tweaked the timer to ignite the second stage at about 1.5 seconds.After seeing the flight I could have gone with the 1.7 I was gonna do in the first place.Then the Rocketflite Ematch that Delta22 hooked me up with kick the F52 in and off it went by my guess at least 2000 feet but probably more.The down part went alright until it landed in a tree in someones backyard but it was recovered.
Redsox15 the booster seperates on my Aerobee when the sustainer motor starts to come up to pressure and pops it off.That was one the parts of the flight I was worried about I was hoping it wouldn't burn though the coupler and bulkhead that make up the interstage coupler, that and the timer igniting the second motor.

 

[DM1975]

Awesome, did you get any pictures of the flight? This is one of the kits I plan on getting next month. Glad to hear it went well.

 

[Luv2launch]

Awesome, did you get any pictures of the flight? This is one of the kits I plan on getting next month. Glad to hear it went well.

No no pictures I was too nervous to take pictures even though the camera was in the range box next to me it was a pretty stressful flight until that second motor lit.I kinda hope someone else in the club got a shot of it.Mike from Cosmodrome was pretty happy to not be the one stressin out over flying an Aerobee lol.I highly recommend picking one up its a high quality kit just make sure to plan ahead on how you plan on doing your electronics.

 

[cosmodrome]

No no pictures I was too nervous to take pictures even though the camera was in the range box next to me it was a pretty stressful flight until that second motor lit.I kinda hope someone else in the club got a shot of it.Mike from Cosmodrome was pretty happy to not be the one stressin out over flying an Aerobee lol.I highly recommend picking one up its a high quality kit just make sure to plan ahead on how you plan on doing your electronics.

Andy,

Thanks for the good words, I'm glad you like the kit. It was an awsome flight!

 

[cosmodrome]

No no pictures I was too nervous to take pictures even though the camera was in the range box next to me it was a pretty stressful flight until that second motor lit.I kinda hope someone else in the club got a shot of it.Mike from Cosmodrome was pretty happy to not be the one stressin out over flying an Aerobee lol.I highly recommend picking one up its a high quality kit just make sure to plan ahead on how you plan on doing your electronics.

Andy,

Thanks for the good words, I'm glad you like the kit. It was an awsome flight!

 

[MaxQ]

Andy,

Thanks for the good words, I'm glad you like the kit. It was an awsome flight!

I love that kit...every flight has been great...even the one where I forgot to pull the GWiz jumper and ended up drag racing myself.

Love to get another one...or maybe a new nose cone to dress mine up...it has had some wear and tear...