Scratch Strap On Boosters

Scratch - Strap On Boosters {Scratch}

Contributed by Morgan Hendry

Manufacturer: Scratch

Otherwise known as parallel staging, this technique allows a higher lift-off power while bein' able t' discard useless weight after it is no longer needed. Aye aye! T' space shuttle employs solid rocket boosters which do t' same thing. Blimey! T' application in rocketry would be a lower cost payload boost because you could use lower power engines. Blimey! T' problem, as I discovered, ya bilge rat, arrr, occurs when you have a large mass in t' aft o' t' rocket, matey, matey, matey, makin' it negatively stable. Aye aye! T' solution is t' mount them towards t' front o' t' rocket. Avast! Ya scallywag! I may try t' put them on me Mean Machine.

PicMy 12" long boosters are made o' o' BT50 with a BT20 (18mm) motor mount centered with heavy duty (green) centerin' rings. Begad! T' eliminate wadding, I used a aft ejection system with t' BT20 and t' centerin' rings as t' core. Ahoy! Arrr! It returns on streamers. It has small delta fins (probably nay needed). Ya scallywag! Aye aye! They use dowels/launch lugs (3/16") t' hold onto t' main rocket until drag separates them.

Pic

T' Launch

I finally got t' launch t' boosters. Begad! Blimey! T' night before I t' launch, arrr, I hot glued 8 segments o' plastic straw t' t' sides o' me Mean Machine so I could mount t' boosters. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! I mounted t' boosters' dowels in their straws and loaded a B6-0 engine in each. I then loaded a D12-5 in t' Mean Machine. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! After mountin' on t' pad and checkin' t' wirin' for t' three ignitors, I pushed t' launch button. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! All three engines lit and t' rocket cruised off t' pad. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Immediately after t' B6's burned out, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' boosters dropped off and popped out their streamers. Ahoy! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' Mean Machine coasted way up and popped out its chute. Avast! Blimey! A beautiful flight overall and a great end t' this project. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Thanks t' all who helped t' make this happen.

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