Flight #: 9 Date: 31st of March, 2002 Venue: Pete's Rockets, Heckington, Lincolnshire R-DAS Type: R-DAS Compact R-DAS firmware: 3.2 R-DAS Recorded Altitude: 1392 feet (422 metres) Apogee - Charge Firing Delta-t: 0.8 seconds Apogee - Charge Firing Delta-h: 0 feet (0 metres) Descent Rate at Apogee Deployment: 0 feet per second (0 metres per second) R-DAS Flight Mode: Apogee & Main Ejection (breakwire launch detection & smart recovery) Total Time of Flight: 40.5 seconds Apogee - Charge Firing h Variance: 0% Launch Vehicle Diameter: 4 inches Launch Vehicle Length: 7 feet Launch Vehicle Propulsion: Hypertek J-250 Hybrid 440/54-125-J (0.125 injector orifice) Fins: 4 clipped swept deltas (Aerofoiled) Launch System: Rail Launch Finish: Unfinished Ejection Method: Electronic Deployment using apogee charge in SafeEject canister, then main charge in SafeEject canister Ejection Ignition Type: Daveyfire igniters (electric matches) Launch Vehicle Mass: 3.5 kg (vehicle with hybrid motor but no oxidiser loaded) Total Propellant Mass: 405 grams Total Loaded Motor Mass: 1294 grams Total Impulse: 737 Newton seconds
Comments The third flight of this rocket, launched again on the Hypertek J-250 hybrid rocket motor (using a 440cc oxidiser tank). Launched in moderate winds, the rocket fishtailed on the ascent, although the trajectory was reasonably straight. Two stage recovery was used, with a Rocketman R24D Ballistic Drogue deployed at apogee, and a Rocketman R7C ProXP Parachute deployed from a Rocketman deployment bag at 500 feet altitude. The R-DAS used breakwire launch triggering with smart recovery. This option was again chosen because the oscillation in Hypertek motor combustion has been known to result in irregular launch triggering of the R-DAS. The breakwire and smart recovery option worked perfectly, and both ejection channels fired on cue. The descent and landing was gentle.
Thrust Section of Flight