Flight Log - 2012-11-23 - Rich DeAngelis's Bullpup Iris

This is the standard Estes Bullpup 12D kit, modified with a small payload bay between the forward fins and the nose cone, and a engine mount pulled slightly rearward to allow for a metal spring-clip for the motor.  It is internally modified with a Kevlar shock cord mount and a much longer shock cord.

Flight Date: 2012-11-23
Rocket Name: Bullpup Iris
Kit Name: Estes - Bullpup 12D {Kit} (007000) [1996-]
Flyer's Name: Rich DeAngelis
Motors: B6-2
Expected Altitude: 140.00 Feet
Wind Speed: 10.00 mph
Launch Site: Penn Manor School Lancaster PA
Actual Altitude: 102.00 Feet

Now that I know it is safely able to fly with the C6, I wanted to try the B6 this time.  On this flight the motor burned for one full second, accelerating the rocket off the pad at 8.3 Gs.  The average acceleration was 3.2 Gs, and this rapid speed increase made this motor OK to fly in windy weather.  Still, the wind proved to be even too much for this rocket, and it weather-cocked a lot.

The Bullpup reached 66 mph, and turned over at its apogee of 102 feet after a coasting time of 1.6 seconds.  So while the C6 motor showed noticeable improvement with the lighter rocket, the B6 did not.  It only dropped three feet in the next ½ second when the ejection fired on time at 99 feet. Again the parachute tangled, and the rocket fell fast at 16mph.  As it turned in a bad direction, the tangle may have saved this rocket from trees or a school rooftop.

At 7.4 seconds into the flight it struck the hard pavement of the school parking lot, and bent the motor hook on the rocket’s rear, that was a lucky strike as the metal clip absorbed most of the energy of the fall.  The nosecone cracked open at the tip.  Again I suppose this was lucky, as a lot of energy was absorbed in breaking this rather solid plastic tip. A fin tip is also slightly scraped and chewed up.  I don’t know why this rocket seems to not want to recover properly. For the most part it has been nothing but disappointment.

StageMotor(s)
1Estes B6-2

 

comment Post a Comment