Hi Tim... Maybe change the nose cones and add a tail cone and decal kit to make an S.R.B kit for an Apogee Space shuttle. A few companies make shuttle kits but, everything stays together.. If you add a hook and strake to the "tank", the orbiter can detach and glide in. Imagine a shuttle with "g" motors!!! Love the vids.
We used to fly a 3-tube first stage to mimic strap-on boosters. Have main rocket as single tube design and was the 2nd stage. First stage was 3-tubes. Larger center tube with with two longer side tubes that fit partway up the upper stage. Center motor was a booster like a B6-0 and the two sides were B6-3 engines. Booster lit the 2nd stage and separation happened. Few seconds later, the side engines would eject the chutes or streamers from the side tubes. Worked kind of neat. But these side boosters would have been cleaner and more fun. Also wouldn't require it to be 2-stage. Lots of fun new stuff. (compared to my flying in 60's and early 70's. :-)
Yes, that would be pretty neat. More like the real thing. We're constantly creating new items here and we also try to innovate on what we've already created. So maybe we'll figure out a way to make that particular function in the future. :-)
I made a scratch-built rocket many years ago that had two strap-on boosters. I used a small aluminium pipe (roughly 4mm OD) that was fixed pointing out 90 degrees from the booster side and slid into the opposite pipe on the side of the main rocket tube. The boosters were sealed so no chutes but the hollow aluminium pipes did allow the ejection charge to escape through them so would push themselves out of the body of the main tube. The lower mount was just enough to hook the boosters as the aluminium top mounts were very secure. When they separated all that was left was a tiny metal hook as the sliding fit at the top was just a small hole. I tested it on the ground in a jig a lot until I got them to pop off just right with a C6-0. The ejection charge was just a sprinkle of BP. It hardly needed anything as there was no other way for the gases to escape. I think a full ejection motor would blow the strap on up. I am in the UK so it's hard to get a lot of HPR and even MPR stuff but I have managed to get hold of F15-0's and can easily get D12-0's as strap on boosters so I am tempted to make something similar again. I sometimes think about making small explosive "bolts". You can get tiny firecrackers in France that are about 3mm in diameter and 15mm long and could easily be used to fix boosters to the sides. If you used quick match, it might be possible to have them explode at burnout. They would probably be strong enough and the side of the rocket would only need protection from a small area of aluminium sheet. It might be fun to see if you can get the concept to work with A-size engines. It would look very cool if they popped and the booster fell away. The boosters did not need parachutes as they were so simple they just tumbled. I wasn't too worried about getting them back undamaged :-)
Of the many different things I've seen folks come up with in this hobby........this is one of the coolest ones. Great item & glad you folks are offering it after the inventor went under. And Tim has a really good video of it & how it works.
I've been trying to find a way to do this for a while. My first initial designs used a paper clip and launch lug, the booster wouldn't remain attached unless an engine was firing, I never tested it but got a few test models built before I moved to other project. I then designed one that ditched the paper clip and had a balsa fin hook, that also would only allow the booster to be attached when the motor was firing, but looked better, and would keep the motors on straight during flight. No models where ever built of flown of this design.
This is really cool. I always wanted to add some detachable boosters to a rocket. I wish the kit used 29mm tubes instead of 24mm ones so I could use a G80 with it, or if you guys sold the guide along with the hooks so I could just scrap together my own kit.
Reverse the way the hook up is working. A thicker ring inside the lower body tube and let the booster hook inside the body. The upper hook will slide down into the body. Then the ejection charge will slide the hook forward and release the booster . wind then rotates the booster out and away. A spring inside the body could push a plate out to smooth the body and fill the opening.
P.S. This also brings the booster in closer to the main stage. And as the booster rotates out the nose cone pulls out a chute for recovery of the booster.
P.S. This also brings the booster in closer to the main stage. And as the booster rotates out the nose cone pulls out a chute for recovery of the booster.
I made my own strap on boosters and It works by inserting a flat rectangle into the pod and making a small box frame made in between the pod and the core stage, so it's only open when it's separated from the core. When the recovery charge happens, it pushes off the rectangle, and exposes the parachute hidden inside the small box.
What's the most strap-on boosters pods you've ever seen someone put onto a core vehicle? With the core vehicle diameter and pod diameter with your example rocket, it looks like you could put as many as 8 pods on it, and still have room for fins to fit between them. More power! :D
You made mention in a different comment I made that you can run these pods with 24mm d engines. I assume that means don't install the 18mm motor mounts and just sing the d engines into the booster and just use the centering ring to index the engine depth?
If you visit our website, you'll see photos of everything that comes with the rocket kit. www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-4-Model-Rocket-Kits/Flying-Machine
Sure. See the website for the FAQ's for how to use three fins and two pods. www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-2-Model-Rocket-Kits/Strap-on-Booster-Pods#faqs
Any idea how much asymmetric thrust effect would cause that setup to fly sideways if one of the boosters fails to ignite? Would the fins be enough to keep it flying relatively straight up in that scenario?
Unfortunately, I do not have even a guess to your questions. It is a very difficult situation, which is why you should pay particular attention to making sure the motors all light at ignition.
Do you think if I were to use two of the biggest c motors in these, it will lift two d motors? That would be really neat if I could turn my two stage into a three.
I suggest you run it through the RockSim simulation first. On our web site, you'll find the file under "The Flying Machine" kit. Use that to modify for your unique configuration.
Would the boosters add enough thrust to overcome the extra weight and surface area and send the rocket higher? Or is it mostly an ascetic thing? (They're really cool either way!)
I see that these are blue and white. the ones on the website are red and white. can I get them in blue. I am scratch building a rocket called Blue Dragon and the final component I need is the strap on boosters. the core vehicle is blue and white and I want the booster pods to match.
@@apogeerockets what kind of answer is that? As a prospective buyer, I ask a question and get a stupid answer. what kind of competence should that be? but it's okay .. i'm looking elsewhere. Thank you 🤦♂️
It's a new kit that's in development. Our goal is to have it out this year but I don't have a specific time frame just yet. We have the boosters pods for sale already though. Just not the full kit. The booster pods are available here: www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-2-Model-Rocket-Kits/Strap-on-Booster-Pods?zenid=4986nqi4n22a00n0aseetikal6 As far as the kit goes I would recommend checking the new products carousel at the bottom of our webpage or if you like us on Facebook we post images of new products every Friday so you will see it there too when it's ready.
Thanks for the reply. I already have the booster kit. Was just looking for a rocket to go with them and thought that one looked nice. May end up doing a scratch build.
No problem, well feel free to let us show what you make on Facebook. We love to see rocketeer designs and I'll try and follow up here when the kit is officially available.
That was the early prototype of a rocket that we now call "The Flying Machine." You'll find it at: www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-4-Model-Rocket-Kits/Flying-Machine
They are in the Skill Leve 2 Kit section, as well as the Multi-stage rocket kits section. The direct link is: www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-2-Model-Rocket-Kits/Strap-on-Booster-Pods
The rocket they are attached to is currently up to you, we are working on that rocket design specifically to include the pods but it is unlikely we will have it ready soon.
Here is a slightly different design for larger rockets: www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?41657-Parallel-Staging-Motor-choices-and-designs&p=476655#post476655
I like your approach also. At first glance I was concerned that a booster might not come off immediately when it is supposed to. But after further thought, it seems likely that some of the ejection gas would exit through the upper slot as the nose is coming off and would push the booster away from the rocket.
