Basic Information

Name

Z-5

Launch date:

7 December, 2014

Rocket description

63.5mm aluminum airframe (0.035” wall)

4 fins, birch plywood

aluminum conical nosecone

3 ft. ellipsoidal parachute

Payload

Raven altimeter

Mini camcorder (set to 640x380 resolution)

Liftoff mass

2.118 kg.

Flight objectives

- Determine if problem with early deployment has been resolved.

- First flight with on-board camcorder

- Test new larger parachute

Motor details

Motor name

A-100M

Propellant

KNSB-RIO

Grain mass

122 grams

Nominal impulse

143 N-sec

Class

G

Weather conditions

Temperature

0°C

Wind

S 10 km/hr

Sky

Overcast

Other

-

Launch Event Description

Setup went smoothly except for configuring on-board camcorder. It was difficult to read LCD screen and, as such, zoom level setting was uncertain. First attempt at launch failed, due to glitch with Launch Controller. This was resolved and motor ignited on follow-up attempt. Rocket rose rapidly skyward. After burnout, rocket continued to climb straight and true toward apogee. Following apogee, rocket began to ‘turn over’ then immediately smoke cloud from ejection charge appeared, then rocket separated into two sections. It was clear that the tether connecting the two sections had snapped. A second or so later, a second smoke cloud appeared accompanied by a ‘pop’ and the parachute was seen to eject and immediately blossom. The section with the parachute descended lazily, while the free-falling section descended in a horizontal attitude, at a moderate pace, and impacted the ground shortly after. Both sections landed roughly 500 feet downwind. Examination of the rocket confirmed that the tether has snapped due to overload (overly forceful separation event). Only damage was a broken fin.

Flight Analysis

Event:

Time (sec)

feet

metres

Apogee

6.4

583

178

Separation

7.6

-

-

Main deployment

11.3

346

105

Touchdown

40.3

Range

417/217

127/66

Descent rates:

ft/sec.

m/sec.

Free-fall

-

-

Main parachute

10.9

3.3

Post-flight analysis and comments:

The issue with premature deployment experienced by flights Z-1 and Z-3 appears to have been resolved. Apogee separation and main deployment performed nominally, with the exception of the broken tether. The new larger chute deployed and blossomed nominally. The on-board camcorder functioned well and good video coverage was obtained. The hard landing may have caused some damage, however, to the camcorder, as the sound is out-of-sync and the playback rate is slower than actual.