Hello Everyone, Posting my first thread here. I picked up a US Rockets Two The Limit kit a while ago and was planning on flying it direct staged with BP motors but after doing a bit more research and some simulations it looks like the kit without payload section is going to be at the upper end of acceptable weight for a stable takeoff.
So here is where my heads at would love your thoughts on any or all of the below points:
1. Regardless of configuration I plan on using rail buttons instead of launch lugs to fly off a rail and get this thing up to speed before it leaves the pad.
2. Fly it without the payload section on a no wind day - maybe the easy easy out but kinda boring and not really getting the altitude results I want. I've read a little about staging composite to bp but am not interested in going this route because it sounds quite unreliable.
3. Cluster 2 24mm motors in the booster this would probably solve my liftoff weight problem but I am wondering if I stage 2 24mm in the booster to a single 24 or 29mm motor in the sustainer if the offset of the motors in the booster will cause issues with igniting the single motor in the sustainer. I understand this will also change the center of gravity. My other concern with this approach is how the added weight in the booster will effect tumble recovery. Easy solution for the offset issue would be to cluster 2 24mm motors in the sustainer too.
4. Strap on boosters. This could be cool. But I'm not sure I like the look of it for this project.
5. The direction I am leaning is electronic staging of composite motors. My only hang up here is the separation of the stages. I do not want to rely on drag separation and am leaning towards having the ignition of the sustainer separate the stages. My issue with this method is without any kind of bulkhead between stages will this method just trash the booster and or not separate it? There is limited space forward of the motor mount in the booster. To combat this I am thinking of adding a plywood bulkhead but drilling holes around the perimeter to allow the booster ejection charge to vent without blowing the stage apart. Is this feasible? I would coat the forward part of the bulkhead and coupler with epoxy of JB weld to protect it from heat during sustainer ignition. I have no experience with reloadable motors am I better off just using something like a 1 grain CTI case and a sealed forward closure?
Thoughts on any of the above are much appreciated.
So here is where my heads at would love your thoughts on any or all of the below points:
1. Regardless of configuration I plan on using rail buttons instead of launch lugs to fly off a rail and get this thing up to speed before it leaves the pad.
2. Fly it without the payload section on a no wind day - maybe the easy easy out but kinda boring and not really getting the altitude results I want. I've read a little about staging composite to bp but am not interested in going this route because it sounds quite unreliable.
3. Cluster 2 24mm motors in the booster this would probably solve my liftoff weight problem but I am wondering if I stage 2 24mm in the booster to a single 24 or 29mm motor in the sustainer if the offset of the motors in the booster will cause issues with igniting the single motor in the sustainer. I understand this will also change the center of gravity. My other concern with this approach is how the added weight in the booster will effect tumble recovery. Easy solution for the offset issue would be to cluster 2 24mm motors in the sustainer too.
4. Strap on boosters. This could be cool. But I'm not sure I like the look of it for this project.
5. The direction I am leaning is electronic staging of composite motors. My only hang up here is the separation of the stages. I do not want to rely on drag separation and am leaning towards having the ignition of the sustainer separate the stages. My issue with this method is without any kind of bulkhead between stages will this method just trash the booster and or not separate it? There is limited space forward of the motor mount in the booster. To combat this I am thinking of adding a plywood bulkhead but drilling holes around the perimeter to allow the booster ejection charge to vent without blowing the stage apart. Is this feasible? I would coat the forward part of the bulkhead and coupler with epoxy of JB weld to protect it from heat during sustainer ignition. I have no experience with reloadable motors am I better off just using something like a 1 grain CTI case and a sealed forward closure?
Thoughts on any of the above are much appreciated.
