This first one was hatched as a high flying performance rocket. I had just purchased the Rocksim software and was excited to try my hand. so I made it as light as possible to maintain the proper static margin. The problem was that I didn't realize that what Rocksim was reporting as static margin was just that as a ratio of the diameter of the rocket so I tweaked the design until it said that I was at .6 or about what the diameter of the rocket was in inches. It first flew on an A8-3 just to make sure it was stable and it was. So I then put in a C6-5 and the rocket proceeded to do cart-wheels until it lawn darted. I think that when the ejection charge went off that the motor casing went Higher than the rocket did. I have since changed the design to fix the stability problem but I have not yet rebuilt and re-tested the rocket.
This was supposed to be a scale model of Boeing's Delta II launch vehicle. What it is is a complete disaster that I was lucky enough not to kill somebody with. It has an oak nose cone to get the CG "far enough forward". Its first flight went ok, it went up and wobbled a little bit and then deployed the chute just fine. The second flight I try to block from my memory. The rocket now has a very prominent place in the darkest corner of my closet. I think it could work if I put fins on it.... Now there's an Idea!
I call this one Striker. The coolest feature of this "rocket" is an outboard motor pod that ejects the parachute from the main body tube. It was a fun build and an epic flop at launch time. Fortunately I launched it in January and there was some fresh snow to soften the blow.
Again the motor casing went higher and farther than the rocket. On a more positive note I picked the thing up and chucked it and it flew halfway back to the car in a very pretty glide. I think with some more tweaking and a bunker I could get this design to work.
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