The Edmonton Rocketry Club returned to Calmar for the second time in a month for another model rocket launch, on September 28th, 2024.
My Romulus rocket had never been flown yet. Since this was the 2nd launch in September, I figured it was time to launch this 2-stage creature. The 1st stage had an Estes A8-0, and the 2nd stage used an Estes B6-4. That’s not very much power, but 2-stage rockets are tricky and I wanted a safe flight on my first attempt.
The rocket reached an altitude of 287 ft. The 1st stage did a “tumble” recovery, while the 2nd stage parachute failed to deploy. Even so, it landed softly and without damage.
Small model rockets usually use plastic parachutes. Fire-resistant wadding is placed between the motor and the parachute to protect it from the ejection gases. In this rocket, I used a small baffle instead of the wadding. The baffle was too small to work properly and the hot gasses melted part of the parachute, sticking it to the inside of the rocket! This is why we do maiden flights on low power…
The Eris II was another rocket that I built a while back but never flew. It featured several parts that I printed on my 3D printer. Flying on an Estes D12-5, it reached an altitude of 985 ft. The baffle in this rocket was also not very effective, burning a hole in the parachute. Still, the chute did deploy and the rocket made a safe landing.