Smash Rocketry New Group Project – The Proton M

[smashburn]

Wow .. can’t believe I didn’t find this earlier .. last year these guys did almost exactly what we are about to .. we will just have to have better results. Their work is awesome. Check it out!!

http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=13121

[Warren B. MusselmanModerator]

Plainly pop-out and lock fins don’t do the job. Seems to me they overcomplicated a few things and didn’t think everything through. Nice project though.

[SCOTT EVANS]

Wow .. can’t believe I didn’t find this earlier .. last year these guys did almost exactly what we are about to .. we will just have to have better results. Their work is awesome. Check it out!!

http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=13121

So…..whos gona build the Satallite? 🙄

[smashburn]

Wow .. can’t believe I didn’t find this earlier .. last year these guys did almost exactly what we are about to .. we will just have to have better results. Their work is awesome. Check it out!!

http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=13121

So…..whos gona build the Satallite? 🙄

YOU! hehehe .. I originally planned to do that on the Delta II as it was in honor of the Mars Lander/Rover mission. I had hoped to land the ‘Rover’ on a chute and drive it away via R/C control. Way too complicated for my time frame and $$$$$.

[smashburn]

I’d like to thank Scott Evans for his amazing generosity in allowing us to use his Hanger in Longmont to build the Proton Project. I met with him today and worked out the specifics. I plan to start building next Saturday (unless I have to work .. rarely happens).

Also thanks to James Russell for his assist in working out the detail to accommodate his “O” motor. I have a good plan now for the Booster design.

I will post the specifics of the build day, time and location on the forum, my website, and can text you as well .. make sure I have your cell number and let me know if you want to be texted .. some people don’t. I can’t ‘call’ everyone so monitor the sites.

I will need to know if you are coming as we can only accommodate so many people at a time .. tasks-wise and space-wise. I will email/PM everyone my phone so you can call me to confirm/update you status.

Thanks!

[edwardModerator]

Since this will be a research flight with the O-motor – are you looking at doing research motors for everything else?

If you want to do the 75mm 2/3 grain motors I could volunteer the machining if the project bought the materials. Doing 5 motors is not much more work than doing one once the lathe is set up. Maybe people who’d like could purchase a motor at cost and then use it in the flight and then later use it for personal flights.

On recovery – how many parachutes are you looking at and what is your estimated weight? I’ve got a good deal on fabric but it will expire in a couple weeks. Also, how much volume do you have and how do you want to deploy? Free bag? Toss the laundry out and pray? Reefed and staged recovery?

Edward

[smashburn]

Since this will be a research flight with the O-motor – are you looking at doing research motors for everything else?

If you want to do the 75mm 2/3 grain motors I could volunteer the machining if the project bought the materials. Doing 5 motors is not much more work than doing one once the lathe is set up. Maybe people who’d like could purchase a motor at cost and then use it in the flight and then later use it for personal flights.

On recovery – how many parachutes are you looking at and what is your estimated weight? I’ve got a good deal on fabric but it will expire in a couple weeks. Also, how much volume do you have and how do you want to deploy? Free bag? Toss the laundry out and pray? Reefed and staged recovery?

Edward

Hey Edward, not totally sure about anything yet. I have RockSim setup now and initial simms are putting me too high, and fast, with the “O” motor .. I may have to downgrade to an “N”. Right now, guessing at finished weight, I get 7700′ and 650 mph launching on a “O” and staging to a “K”. I’d like to go all EX motors, hoping it will cost less than commercial. I also need more data to determine chute size etc. I do have 2 – 10′ and 1 – 8′ plus 1 – 22′ cargo chute. Since I won’t detach the boosters I won’t need chutes there. I will likely need a few more 10′ or 8′ chutes. Won’t make decision on that for a few months.

Thanks !!

[edwardModerator]

I’ve got a chute that is drastically more efficient than flat chutes – by almost 2 times. Once you get a final weight let me know – I’m sure we could cut it down to just one very large chute.

Edward

[Jeffrey Joe HintonModerator]

Just remember not to exceed 40,960 total installed Ns or plan on taking the project elsewhere, or doing a pile of paperwork. Our waiver’s are specifically for Class One and Class Two rockets. A Class Three project is a whole different scenario.

Every project includes a party pooper – sorry.

[BEAR]

Steve, It seems to me, after reading Joe’s last comment, if you could manufacture engines similar to N1975 for the center engine, with 14,272 N/S of thrust, and a burn time of 7.2 seconds; and use 6 – K261 for the outboard motors with 2021 N/S and a burn time of 7.8 seconds, along with 4 – more of the Ks on the second stage, you would be able to stay under 40,960 N/S and at the same time you could avoid the issues with trying to airstart the six outboard motors, as we have discussed. If all seven 1st stage motors are ignited simultaneously, the outside motors will be burning giving a great show and possibly a slow lift off, with the N firing and up to pressure about 2-3 seconds later, you would then have some good acceleration and over 1000 lbs of thrust. The outboards then burn out, the inboard finishes, and falls away due to drag and you airstart the last 4 -Ks. I maybe all wet in my scenario, and need further education, which I welcome.

[Author]

Posts