 These scratch-built rockets  were
designed
to
use the Apogee D3-7 motors. Many simulations were run in Rocksim
to ensure
the drag and weight were just right for the slow-burning D3.
The one on the left - TVM Special (I) - was designed for
rear separation
at the aft paint line. It was last seen heading into orbit near Justin,
Texas, on its maiden flight circa April 2000. RIP 
The nosecone was from BMS, and was beautifully finished. The
airframe was foil lined, heavy duty 24mm tubing intended to resist the
after burn that some of
the small composite motors are known for.
I was major bummed to lose it on its maiden flight, but
it was designed to push the envelope, so that can happen.
The one on the right - TVM Special II - has the
conventional forward
ejection.
After a couple B-C impulse flights, I finally flew it on
a D3-7 back in
2002.
The late Jim Turner described the slow burn D7's as
sounding
like leaky bicycle tires, and he was right. The 7-second burn of
the
D3 did indeed hiss like a tire leak.
Alas, this rocket was lost, too. I tracked it
well, and thought I had a good line, but after a long search, I gave
up. No luck 
About two months later, fellow DARS member Bob Wilson
showed up at a meeting toting my rocket. He had found it on the
field after being out in the elements for two months. Sometimes,
your luck comes back in droves. One fin had come off, but that
was easily replaced.
4-12-2004: The TVM Special II looks much better
now that some
decals have been added. Not sure if she'll ever fly on D3's
again,
but she's been repaired, repainted and is back in the active
fleet.
12-21-2008: This rocket was designed to fly on the
competition motors from Apogee, and that's just what she did on
Saturday, Decemeber 20, 2008. A C10-7, stored for several years, was
used. The high average thrust resulted in a very fast lifotff and I
lost track.
Furthermore, Rocksim had already shown the delay would
tend to be long in conditions other than ideal. Given the wind, and
the age of the motor, it was far from ideal. While I had lost track,
another flier had been able to keep it in sight and said he saw it come
in ballistic.
He was able to give me a vector and I soon found it.
The chute had in fact
ejected, but stripped a suspension line indicating a high speed
deployment
consistent with a late ejection charge. The rocket had taken a core
sample in some soft soil and was in pretty good shape considering the
flight. The damage from the ground was about the same as an Estes ding.
I removed
a 2" long cylinder of dirt from the forward airframe.
Interstingly enough, the motor had jammed itself into the motor tube
and was very difficult to extract. Its tape thrust ring was partially
peeled
off, and the motor mount tube was split at the opening. |
