Flight #: 6 Date: 30th of September, 2001 Venue: K-Lob, Pete's Farm, Heckington, Lincolnshire R-DAS Type: R-DAS Classic R-DAS firmware: 3.0 R-DAS Recorded Altitude: 804 feet (244 metres) Apogee - Charge Firing Delta-t: 2.1 seconds Apogee - Charge Firing Delta-h: 50 feet (15.2 metres) Descent Rate at Apogee Deployment: 24 feet per second (7.2 metres per second) R-DAS Flight Mode: Apogee & Main Ejection Launch Vehicle Diameter: 2.6 inches Launch Vehicle Length: 6 feet Launch Vehicle Propulsion: R.A.T.T.Works I-80H Hybrid Fins: 4 clipped swept deltas (Aerofoiled) Launch System: Rail Launch Finish: Painted Ejection Method: Electronic Deployment using apogee charge in SafeEject canister, then main charge in SafeEject canister as backup Ejection Ignition Type: Daveyfire igniters (electric matches)
Comments The third flight of the Hytest-1 rocket was launched in higher winds than the previous launch, causing the rocket to weathercock considerably. Coupled with the fact that the rocket has 4 large fins, this meant the rocket reached a considerably lower apogee altitude. Again, the 2-stage recovery system had been dispensed in favour of a single stage deployment system. The R-DAS igniter jumpers were shorted out on this flight, to disable the output current limiters. Previously, the main channel had not fired (with DaveyFire igniters), so it was felt that this method should be tried. It worked perfectly, and both igniters in the SafeEject ejection canisters fired.
Thrust Section of Flight