Unreinforced Blue Tube rocket pulls 80g's!

[rejma0415]

Hello rocketry enthusiasts!

OK for all you nonbelievers out there..

Robert Synoski, prefect of Tripoli Tampa, showed us how cool it is to lose a rocket at our last launch, he pulled a stunning "dissapearing money trick" by flying his 2.6 inch Blue Tube v1.0 rocket on a 54mm Aerotech J1999 Warp 9 motor. See my website for the write up on the front page for the liftoff photo and video, or click on the YouTube link!

www.alwaysreadyrocketry.com

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HuTKabj04o

Watch the slow motion video and see the metal pad legs bend.

The altitude and location are unknown and a 1/10th slow motion video shows that the rocket clearly handled the thrust and crushed the pad in the process while instantly vanishing from sight. The liftoff photo was taken at 1/2500th of a second with my Nikon DSLR. I'm amazed I got it!

6 pounds, 491 pounds of thrust for 0.45 seconds to an estimated 750mph in the same time. Simulated altitude should have been about 7k but since it went off at an angle, that wouldn't have happened..

The radio tracking transmitter stopped sending beacon signals and Robert was thinking that the acceleration pulled the battery from the electronics.. I don't think we're going to find that one. The big problem is that nobody really had any idea of even where to start to begin to look!

That took a pair folks!

Whew! Try that with any other spiral wound tube. If it was fiberglass, it would have been twice as heavy, if it was carbon fiber, his wife would have him sleeping on the couch for losing that much $$ LOL!

So, again, I ask.. What's YOUR rocket made of?

Randy
[email protected]
1-813-484-1298

 

[cjl]

I'm not surprised that it was fine. I'd also expect PML phenolic and Giant Leap phenolic to take that motor just fine (unreinforced). Heck, I'd even think Quantum Tube would survive. Body tubes typically need a lot less reinforcement than people think.

Impressive flight though. Maybe it's worth using a sturdier pad next time

 

[rejma0415]

Rrrrrrreallly?

No way QT would make it. Not knocking the product but that's not what it's intended use is for. In a lab, axial compression is pretty similar to generic phenolic, but in the real world, we know that's not how it goes down. I've shredded QT on much less impulse because it can't handle the acceleration coupled with any bending or flexing due to imperfectly straight flight. Same with phenolic, take that out of a direct line of impulse and it's going to rain confetti. Especially with how this went off at an angle.. The low modulus of elasticity, which would normally be a detriment actually allows you to get away with more than you normally would be able to because it "gives" when it reaches it's breaking point and when it surpasses it, it isn't going to shatter, it'll just collapse or bend.

Oh thou unbeliever.. Maybe we need to step it up a notch. How about a Mike Fisher 38mm "L" motor in a minimum diameter 38mm Blue Tube rocket to Mach 3, 19k and 175g's? Oh wait, he already did that last year. It ripped a fin off and started to delaminate, but it didn't shred.

https://www.alwaysreadyrocketry.com/projects/projects.html
(scroll down.. Old news but it's still there).

Any takers on doing a 4 inch Blue Tube rocket w/ a 75mm L2200G? Wonder how that would go..

Rrrrandy

P.S. Yeah the pad thing.. Didn't expect that!

 

[cjl]

Rrrrrrreallly?

No way QT would make it. Not knocking the product but that's not what it's intended use is for. In a lab, axial compression is pretty similar to generic phenolic, but in the real world, we know that's not how it goes down. I've shredded QT on much less impulse because it can't handle the acceleration coupled with any bending or flexing due to imperfectly straight flight. Same with phenolic, take that out of a direct line of impulse and it's going to rain confetti. Especially with how this went off at an angle.. The low modulus of elasticity, which would normally be a detriment actually allows you to get away with more than you normally would be able to because it "gives" when it reaches it's breaking point and when it surpasses it, it isn't going to shatter, it'll just collapse or bend.

I've pushed QT pretty hard before, and I wouldn't hesitate to put a J1999 in it. Most people underestimate it because PML includes those ridiculous thin fins that flutter like crazy with most of their kits, but the tubing itself is fine.

As for the low modulus of elasticity? That's a terrible thing during boost. The more the rocket flexes, the greater the lever arm to cause even more flex, and it also increases the aerodynamic side load. It is (arguably) a good thing during landing, but for boost, stiffer is basically always better. I guarantee you that PML phenolic wouldn't rain confetti (and I'm pretty sure about the QT).

Oh thou unbeliever.. Maybe we need to step it up a notch. How about a Mike Fisher 38mm "L" motor in a minimum diameter 38mm Blue Tube rocket to Mach 3, 19k and 175g's? Oh wait, he already did that last year. It ripped a fin off and started to delaminate, but it didn't shred.

I have no doubt that Blue Tube is good stuff, and I'm considering it for a new project that I'm doing. I just think that most people underestimate the ability of fairly standard tubing to take fairly extreme flights. I've pushed unglassed PML phenolic to mach 1.7 for example, and it did just fine (and I've no doubt that it could take a lot more).

https://www.alwaysreadyrocketry.com/projects/projects.html
(scroll down.. Old news but it's still there).

Any takers on doing a 4 inch Blue Tube rocket w/ a 75mm L2200G? Wonder how that would go..

Rrrrandy

P.S. Yeah the pad thing.. Didn't expect that!

That would be pretty awesome. The L2200 is a great motor, and it really gets a 4" moving. It took my 4 inch AMRAAM (35lbs pad weight) to 12k last spring.

 

[Rocketman248]

Hmmm...This is giving me an idea for a sweet project. Build three rockets with identical dimensions and build techniques. The only difference would be the body tubes. One Blue Tube, one phenolic, and one Quantum Tube. Launch 'em on J1299's or J1999's, and see what happens.

 

[H_Rocket]

I fly Warp 9 on QT all the time. I even tried it on a 4" QT Endeavor at LDRS with the J1999. The flight was a failure as the motor blew out the aft closure, however it showed no signs of flight strees induced failure. My Small Endeavor has been spanked with the I1299 twice with no problem.

My dream shot for Warp9 would be to have a central 54mm K555 sparky and air start three H999N at burnout.

 

[ScrapDaddy]

Woah, clustering Warp-9 and airstarting them? The have to light simaltainiously, as ear only burns for .33 seconds but puts out 350+LB during that time, let me go look at the info on the H999

 

[cjl]

Clustering Warp 9 wouldn't be too hard - it's extremely easy to light.

 

[H_Rocket]

You mean I won't need thermite?


I also think it would make a way cool sustainer.

 

[cjl]

I'd be pretty hesitant to use thermite in a w9 motor, honestly. Besides, they seem to light almost instantly with a standard igniter anyways.

(The same goes for CTI Vmax - I'll be flying an M4770 at LDRS, and I won't use thermite there either)

 

[H_Rocket]

Forgot the

 

[rejma0415]

After reading all these replies, it definetly sounds like we need to take it up a notch.. I have no ability to duplicate or take away at all with what Mike did last year (amazing by the way), but it'd be nice to see a more practical application that you might find at a regular launch with the same average impulse but for longer for more continued stress.. We're trying to position Blue Tube as an affordable midrange product that you can do high performance things to w/o having to deal w/ the mess, expense and hassle of glassing or forking out big $ for CF. Ready out of the box, etc.. I want to see something not minimum diameter, because the motor tube can act as part of the structural integrity of the rocket..

Hence the 2.6 airframe to 54mm mmt and my Predator 10k kit.

but it sounds like we need bigger and more dramatic flights to see what we can get away with! 4 inch to 75mm, 5.5 inch to 98mm?

What do you guys think? I mean, do I know what would happen? Nope, but it'd be fun to find out! I know it won't shred, it might collapse, but it won't break into pieces.. Axial crush tests in a lab are nice, but we really haven't found out what we CAN'T do yet...

I'm going to be shooting a video this weekend or next where I jack up all 4 wheels of my SUV off the ground with Blue Tube couplers so that should be fun.. (No idea what is going to happen).

Regarding the modulus comment earlier, it's not THAT flexible.. I was just making the point that it's not "brittle"..

It's nice that I have more time to blog now that I've brought on some hired help to run ARR.. The company is growing like a weed. I shoud have some more time to build and fly more too, so I'm looking forward to that!

Randy