What is your largest cluster rocket?

[Daddyisabar]

Largest staged cluster I have done, 4 stacks of three in Sharknado.

 

[CoyoteNumber2]

Displaying all the hallmarks of poor rocket design

Those are the most fun!

 

[Daddyisabar]

Those are the most fun!

Talking with a head designer at a recent launch it really gets fun with four very questionable design elements and one code violation!

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Fat Boy. C6-7 x 6

 

[Rocketjunkie]

Fat Boy, 12 13 mm mounts. Originally built it for my RX 13 mm motors, C20 and D40. It will fly on 12 A10-3 or A3-4.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

Motoreater series. Standard, 5.5" with 54 mm center, 8 29 mm outboards. Still flying after 73 flights. Big Motoreater 7.5" with a 98 mm center and 8 38 mm outboards. Died by cato. Deluxe, 11.5" with 98 mm center and 8 54 mm outboards. Needs some repair after N2000 flight.
5.5" 7.5" 11.5"

 

[CoyoteNumber2]

View attachment 471026

I dig the drill chuck rod holder.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

I dig the drill chuck rod holder.

It's a keyless Jacob's chuck stuck onto a 5/16ths fine thread bolt with the head cut off. The stand is a folding music stand from Musician's Friend. Originally, I used the music stands for target holders. Normally, I have an empty tin can with a hole poked in the bottom to cover the chuck, but forgot to pack it.

 

[rkoenn]

My largest which flew only two or three times was a Centuri, it was back in the late '70s, Saturn 5. I wanted a special Saturn 5 and figured I could cut up the vacuformed nozzles to insert C engines in it while retaining a realistic appearance. Two times it flew on the Kennedy Space Center, once off the crawlerway at the NE end of the VAB during a contest in 1976 and then in 1979 at a contest behind the KSC HQ building after I had started working at KSC. Also around 1977 it flew at the visitor's center during an Orange Rocketeers contest. All the flights I got all the engines to ignite but destroyed the flimsy clip whips I made up from Radio Shack mini-alligator clip jumpers. I used flashbulb ignition on all the flights.

 

[75Grandville]

Largest (physically/impulse) is "El Monstruo". LOC 5.5" components with 1 x 54 and 8 x 29. Has flown on 8 x G 80. Planning to fly at LDRS with a central K, 4 x G, and 4 X H, air-starting the H motors. Complex L = most I can do with an L2

For most motors: If I can get it finished for LDRS - "Thunder Road" - LOC 5.5" with 19 x E9 motors (I impulse with 19 motors -> I-19 -> Interstate 19 -> Thunder Road) Same A/V bay as the above.

 

[Chas.alpha1]

Not large, but my favorite bash of an Estes V2. 4 C's and an F.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Not large, but my favorite bash of an Estes V2. 4 C's and an F.View attachment 471186

Love those power pods!

 

[Runcoach]

Launched a Rocketarium 29mm with 3-F or G motors.

Built a LOC Magnum with a 54mm center and 6-29mm holes. It is still waiting for the right day.

Did you ever launch it? Just painting mine now. Did you air-start of go full cluster all at once?

 

[Five]

Largest by number of motors: 7x24. It's flown on everything from 7x D12 to G127 + 6x F30.

Largest by total impulse: 4x29. A LOC 4-29ss. Flew on four I205s to around 9,000 feet.
First flight on four G80-FWLs, presented in glorious VHS-C definition:

I had a 29ss with four H115 DM. I couldn’t get all four to ignite. I tried buying the electric matches from mjg and that didnt work. Then I tried dipping em in nail polish and that didn’t work either. Oh well

 

[Runcoach]

Largest (physically/impulse) is "El Monstruo". LOC 5.5" components with 1 x 54 and 8 x 29. Has flown on 8 x G 80. Planning to fly at LDRS with a central K, 4 x G, and 4 X H, air-starting the H motors. Complex L = most I can do with an L2

For most motors: If I can get it finished for LDRS - "Thunder Road" - LOC 5.5" with 19 x E9 motors (I impulse with 19 motors -> I-19 -> Interstate 19 -> Thunder Road) Same A/V bay as the above.

Were you able to fire the K motor with the 4 Gs simultaneously? How? Isn't there a difference in ignition time?

 

[FurqWerx]

Custom build.
The motor mounts are through the main tube. Flew like a champ.

 

[georgegassaway]

Most of this model was built in the early 1980's as a "simple", reliable, and robust F Superroc Duration model, powered by four D12's.

In 2007, I added some more tubes to make it about 13 feet tall. Tubing was Estes BT-80 type, NOT thick walled heavy HPR 2.6" tubes. Flew nice on four D12's.

Then I later flew it with four E9's , with four D12-0 boosters. Each D12-0, taped to an E9 to ignite like a normal staged rocket. Technically, HPR due to the propellant mass. Don't know how high, but it was really impressive with all that burn time.

 

[Neutronium95]

Most of this model was built in the early 1980's as a "simple", reliable, and robust F Superroc Duration model, powered by four D12's.

In 2007, I added some more tubes to make it about 13 feet tall. Tubing was Estes BT-80 type, NOT thick walled heavy HPR 2.6" tubes. Flew nice on four D12's.

Then I later flew it with four E9's , with four D12-0 boosters. Each D12-0, taped to an E9 to ignite like a normal staged rocket. Technically, HPR due to the propellant mass. Don't know how high, but it was really impressive with all that burn time.

That reminds me a ton of a rocket I built as a kid. It was about 9 feet of BT-80 and few on 4 E9s. I called it the SpEEEEar, and it always flew great, although I had to retire it eventually after the tubes started to deteriorate, I believe because of the larger bending loads. I'd like to rebuild it someday with just enough reinforcement to keep the tubes from deteriorating over time.

 

[Cape Byron]

Clusters are a bit like motorcycles: either you get it or you don't.

Unless I'm flying something new, my 'go to' will be a two or three motor bird that puts a huge smile on my face when I get it right.

And that's why I build model rockets. #peaceloveandmungbeans

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Braz, Sayre, OK, 4/24/04.

 

[Donnager]

Did you ever launch it? Just painting mine now. Did you air-start of go full cluster all at once?

I did an attempt at air starting 4-29mm H-115's. I lit two, but I had two Altus Metrum Easytimers set to fire both channels at the same time (should have been 4 motors to start). I did find a firmware problem, and I should have configured it differently. I'll air start 6 next time.

This one lights an I-500, and the additional motors are triggered at launch detect by the accelerometer. They take a little time to turn on.

 

[75Grandville]

Were you able to fire the K motor with the 4 Gs simultaneously? How? Isn't there a difference in ignition time?

Did not fly at LDRS. Combination of timing of motor shipment, other rockets to fly, and of course setting off ejection charges in my face. DISCONNECT YOUR POWER SOURCE before you mess with things.

The idea was to leave long enough leads so that the wires could go up a few feet before disconnecting. G's would probably come up first, then the K would kick it off the pad. It's still hanging out, and will get flown eventually. Too many projects right now!

 

[Rocketjunkie]

I learned HPR in the time of Thermalite. I just fuse the outboards from the center motor for airstarts.
This is my Big Motoreater (98 & 8 38 mounts) on a M1850 with 4 J350s air started.

 

[Wayco]

Tweety bird, in my avatar, is a 7.75" diameter rocket, over 9.5 ft. tall. Uses five 54mm motors for thrust, and has flown three times.

First flight was at LDRS in 2018, flown on a central L640 dual thrust with two I218 W.T. motors and two I140 Skidmarks air-started using a PET-2 timer. It flew twice at that launch and once more at our home field with TRA/PHX on a central LOKI M1378, two J430 W.T. motors and two J250 Skidmarks to 8854 ft.

Somewhat of a pain to prep, four of the igniters had to be wired to terminal blocks on the rear bulkhead.

 

[Jmhepworth]

Tweety bird, in my avatar, is a 7.75" diameter rocket, over 9.5 ft. tall. Uses five 54mm motors for thrust, and has flown three times.View attachment 569158

First flight was at LDRS in 2018, flown on a central L640 dual thrust with two I218 W.T. motors and two I140 Skidmarks air-started using a PET-2 timer. It flew twice at that launch and once more at our home field with TRA/PHX on a central LOKI M1378, two J430 W.T. motors and two J250 Skidmarks to 8854 ft.

Somewhat of a pain to prep, four of the igniters had to be wired to terminal blocks on the rear bulkhead.
View attachment 569165

Wayne, your’re inspiring me to do a cluster.

 

[Wayco]

Jack Garibaldi was my inspiration for Tweety Bird. "What's up hobbies" made the rounds to most of the big launches in the Southwest back then. That picture was taken at ROCstock in 2013, with my L2 rocket "Energizer Bunny" and Jacks CSI tracker receiver.
I really miss that guy, tear up when I look at it.

We were sitting around a campfire there, talking about the one grain 54mm CTI casings I bought in a Wildman sale that came with the SS rear closures (for free). Couldn't figure out what I was going to do with all of them, and Jack went over to one of his storage bins and brought back three centering rings with five holes in them. Gave them to me for free, he was just that kind of guy.
Tweety bird took three years to build, not only because it was a very challenging scratch build, but also because it was hard to get the team together for a build session. Myself, Sharon, Guy Smith, Chris Chang and his wife Joyce built it. It's first flight (in the video) was made at Jacks home field with the Tripoli Central California club.

 

[Donnager]

I learned HPR in the time of Thermalite. I just fuse the outboards from the center motor for airstarts.
This is my Big Motoreater (98 & 8 38 mounts) on a M1850 with 4 J350s air started.

I love it and feel just slightly sorry for it at the same time. Maybe something like this is in my future after level III.

 

[John Kemker]

Did

I learned HPR in the time of Thermalite. I just fuse the outboards from the center motor for airstarts.
This is my Big Motoreater (98 & 8 38 mounts) on a M1850 with 4 J350s air started.

Didn't the original Motor Eater disappear in the wind down in Coffee County, GA when Tim gave you a long-burn K? (K250? K125?)

 

[Rocketjunkie]

Did

Didn't the original Motor Eater disappear in the wind down in Coffee County, GA when Tim gave you a long-burn K? (K250? K125?)

Yes. Then the next one disappeared in 1991 at Spear Range TN on a K400 and 8 H125s. Built another when went to electronics and it has 73 flights on it. I do need to replace the LOC body tubes every 15-20 flights as they get frayed at the separation points. It's 5.5" with a 54 and 8 29 mm mounts. The one in the video (Big Motoreater) is 7.5" with a 98 and 8 38 mm mounts. I also have a Deluxe, 11.5" with a 98 and 8 54 mm mounts.

 

[PhilC]

Nine. It started life as a 3xD12 cluster but it was a bit too tame. I added 6x18mm ‘fillets’ to the three fins. Much more smoke’n’noise and more exciting flights.