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View Full Version : Multi engine - multi stage model rocket


Arkangel
March 19th, 2003, 09:12 PM
<img src="http://www.boomspeed.com/arkangel/soyuz.gif" alt=" - " />

Well this would be my inspiration, or maybe this is more practical

<img src="http://www.boomspeed.com/arkangel/n1model.jpg" alt=" - " />

However, I've never been big on making my rockets particularly smart. In fact the majority of Estes motors that I've fired have just been taped to a stick - I don't really want them back. :D

And along these lines, I'd quite like to make a non-recoverable cheap, fast, multi engined, multi staged rocket.

The design in mind will have 2 main motors - lower power, but long burn - see <a href="http://www.roguesci.org/cgi-bin/ewforum/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000416" target="_blank">here.</a> These would be fastened to the sides of my main rocket body, which would house a 3rd boost engine - effectively the 2nd stage. (in my mind it looks like a Titan IIIc) It would also have some reasonably substantial fins to keep it on course.

The main launch thrust would come in the form of 4 high power/short burn engines, using full length cores and a fast fuel. I'm thinking that these would be mounted on a cradle into which you'd drop the main rocket body and engines. The cradle would be loosely fastened to the main body, and when the booster engines fired, would be forced upwards making the joint more secure.

All of the boosters and both main engines would be fired at launch, simultaneously lit with quickmatch. The vehicle would launch, and at the point of booster burnout, I'd use more quickmatch to do 2 things:

1. Light the final engine in the main body.

2. Fire a couple of charges which split the booster cradle in half and break the joints with the main rocket.

You'd then have the 2 pairs of boosters falling to earth, and hopefully your vehicle continuing upwards.

The burn times would be set so that the 2nd stage engine burnt out at the same time as the 2 main engines, and all 3 would have a serious amount of smoke comp in them. After the smoke was finished in the 2nd stage engine I'd have it ignite a HUGE flash charge inside the rocket body:

a. to simulate a space shuttle re-entry, :D and

b. to make sure there were no large, streamlined pieces of rocket falling to earth from a great height. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

So, Tuatara, when my mini-MLRS is done and I'm bored with it, this is what you can expect to see.