Red Ariel with Quantum Tube
Aerotech J350 motor in Dr. Rocket 38/720 casing
Click here for .mpg movie of this launch
(1.5 megs, 15 seconds of video)
5 seconds ignition lag, rapid acceleration to maybe 500 feet, early
ejection and subsequent mayhem.
Unfortunately, the rocket was off-screen when ejection occurred.
D-minus on the Level II practical exam.
C required to pass.
Post-mortem:
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Apologies that I did not get good shots of the motor casing and its
components before cleaning them up.
Best guess is that the delay element, which was a bit loose in its
sleeve, somehow let propellant gas blow by.
Or perhaps that the slight gap allowed it to ignite up near the ejection
flash-port.
I also wonder about the long ignition delay, which might have burned
several seconds' worth of delay prior to pressurization.
Long ignition delay may have been from the ignitor falling down from
the head-end to mid-grain prior to ignition. I thought later that
it should have been better-secured.
The fin section and payload/nosecone sections are not severely damaged.
With some replacement tubing and a little work, this Ariel will fly
again.
All comments are welcomed!
Jimmy Yawn
jyawn@sfcc.net