Flight #: 12 Date: 8th of June, 2002 Venue: UKRA 2002, Pete's Rockets, Heckington, Lincolnshire R-DAS Type: R-DAS Compact R-DAS firmware: 3.2 R-DAS Recorded Altitude: 1641 feet (497 metres) Apogee - Charge Firing Delta-t: 0 seconds Apogee - Charge Firing Delta-h: 0 feet (0 metres) Descent Rate at Apogee Deployment: 0 feet per second (0 metres per second) R-DAS Flight Mode: Apogee & Main Ejection (breakwire launch detection & smart recovery) Total Time of Flight: 50 seconds Apogee - Charge Firing h Variance: 0% Launch Vehicle Diameter: 2.6 inches Launch Vehicle Length: 6 feet Launch Vehicle Propulsion: Hypertek I-222 Hybrid 330/54-125-J (0.125 injector orifice) Fins: 3 clipped swept deltas (Aerofoiled) Launch System: Rail Launch Finish: Unfinished Ejection Method: Electronic Deployment using apogee charge in SafeEject canister, then main charge in SafeEject canister Ejection Ignition Type: Daveyfire igniters (electric matches) Launch Vehicle Mass: 2.5 kg (vehicle with hybrid motor but no oxidiser loaded) Total Propellant Mass: 280 grams Total Loaded Motor Mass: 1080 grams Total Impulse: 519 Newton seconds Optimum Theoretical Burn Time: 2.30 seconds Actual Useable Burn Time: 2.60 seconds
Comments The second flight of the Hephaestus rocket, launched on the Hypertek I-222 hybrid rocket motor (using a 330cc oxidiser tank). As with the first flight, the ascent was straight (with the rocket launched from a 6 foot long Black Sky Rail). Two stage recovery was used, with a drogueless first stage deployment at apogee, separating the rocket with 5 metres of 5mm diameter static cord. Main recovery system deployment was set to 530 feet altitude, and following the ejection gas issue being solved, the PML 44" main chute deployed perfectly on cue, bringing the rocket down softly. The R-DAS used breakwire launch triggering with smart recovery. This option was again chosen because the oscillation in Hypertek motor combustion has been known to result in irregular launch triggering of the R-DAS. The breakwire and smart recovery option worked perfectly, and both ejection channels fired on cue, with the main parachute returning the rocket softly. A breakwire from Airborne Engineering Limited was fitted, and 2 sounders were also carried on the flight, along with a 433 MHz RF tracking beacon.
Thrust Section of Flight