Gentlemen.

Now that I?m off the Oxy, can sit up straight, and can drink Scotch again I?m going to attempt a project that I?ve never considered before: building a vintage Estes #2001 Saturn V with a 24mm (x3) cluster.

I?ve clustered the #2001 before, but with 18mm (x4). I plant to use a BT-80 stuffer tube as an armature up the middle of the SV and use a Starlight 24mm (x3) kit in the bottom of the stuffer tube.

What I don?t know is: should I extend all 3 engine mount tubes into the parachute compartment, or should I extend only one of the engine tubes into the parachute compartment. OR, should I join all 3 engine tubes into a manifold and have only one engine tube enter the parachute compartment?
Thanks!

__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

I think I would be tempted to take all three into the parachute compartment. Otherwise, you gotta find a way to do something with the pressure of the other two ejection charges. And funneling all three down to one might be just a bit too much pressure for one single tube.

Just my thoughts.

Earl

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Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Not to mention that if you choose just one you gotta make doggone sure that one lights every time!

(I had something stronger than "doggone" there but the forum censored me )

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Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

Very cool.
I'd run stuffer tubes, and use different motor delays.

I built a Saturn V with the correct number of motors for each stage.

1st Stage: (5) 24 mm
2nd Stage: (5) 18mm
3rd Stage: (1) 18mm
4th Stage: (1) 13mm

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John Simmons a.k.a. "Lakeroadster"
NAR 113985
My Fleet with Build Data: Lakeroadster's Rocket Shop

I favor one tube because then you can extend the ejection gas tube waayyy up into the parachute compartment, and pack the chutes along side the ejection gas tube.

A 3-in-1 manifold would eliminate relying on just one motor for recovery. This tube doesn't have to be a BT-50. Could go 3-in-1, BT-50 to BT-60. I'd add some coupler tubing as a liner with 8 inches or so above the motors. It gets a little hot down there.

You might need a little more nose weight.

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-Wolfram v. Kiparski
NAR 28643 - TRA 15520
MTMA Section #606 President

Let all three blast the ejection charge into the chute tube.
Use plenty of wadding.
You'll be guaranteed never to have a fail to eject.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, AGITATION, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, AGGRAVATION, INSTIGATION, NUISANCE-ACTION, and HAVOC !