[roc-chat] Re: Issues with Improper Assembly of Aerotech RAS Hardware at the July Launch
- From: Bryan Langholz <langholz@xxxxxxx>
- To: "roc-chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <roc-chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2019 17:37:22 +0000
Here’s a photo of the RAS spacer that was positioned aft of the motor grains
rather than fore...[cid:DA5BB273-622D-4617-A815-1EA49CB90C1F@attlocal.net]
On Jul 20, 2019, at 10:24 PM, David P Smith
<dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Two incidents, one potentially serious, occurred at the July 20 ROC launch due
to flyers improperly assembling Aerotech Reload Adapter System hardware.
In the more serious incident, a rocket was launched with an improperly
assembled motor. The rocket took a very long time to come up to pressure, and
during this time sat smoldering on the pad. It then did pressurize and had a
far less than adequate flight profile. After the flight it was determined that
the RAS was assembled incorrectly, causing the fight problems and causing
damage to the hardware.
The motor had been assembled with the spacer at the bottom of the motor against
the nozzle. The spacer(s) should always be installed between the floating
forward closure and the matching forward closure ring. The spacer is not
designed or constructed to withstand the heat of combustion, and should never
be in or as part of the motor combustion chamber.
In a second incident, an inexperienced flyer had incorrectly assembled a motor,
receive incorrect advice resulting in reassembling the motor in a different
wrong configuration, before finally getting the correct information and
completing a successful Level 1 certification flight with the motor correctly
assembled.
Incorrect assembly can cause unsafe flight profiles that may result in injury.
In one incident today the incorrect assembly only resulted in hardware damage,
and the second was recognized and corrected before flight.
Equally, perhaps more important, when giving advice on how to use rocketry
hardware it is essential that the advice be based on following the
manufacturer's instructions.
Cesaroni hardware using spacers must also be assembled following the
manufacturer's instruction. Only the correct combination of spacers may be
used, and the spacer(s) must be forward in the casing, ahead of the reload.
There are links below to the Aerotech instructions. The RAS is a great hardware
system and increase the versatility of motor casings, but must be used
correctly and safely!
David P Smith
ROC Board of Directors
NAR 78668, TRA 15803, L2
Amateur Extra, W6DPS
http://www.qsl.net/w6dps
Aerotech Instructions Page:
http://aerotech-rocketry.com/resources.aspx?id=4<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aerotech-2Drocketry.com_resources.aspx-3Fid-3D4&d=DwMFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=laCyR9Wj3QS0uHq4nMk5VQ&m=HZnUHusT4KZkj-_ve0qcHqw-IsyAWD0BBiR83zSJDMM&s=ZtDzP7LuzcXtXQTeRpOIGvpIYdoqSSOZ_xjmy4KYTyA&e=>
29mm RAS Instructions
http://aerotech-rocketry.com/uploads/0b7924f1-f870-4bf1-ad1b-330609b44a63_29mm_reload_adapter_inst.pdf<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aerotech-2Drocketry.com_uploads_0b7924f1-2Df870-2D4bf1-2Dad1b-2D330609b44a63-5F29mm-5Freload-5Fadapter-5Finst.pdf&d=DwMFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=laCyR9Wj3QS0uHq4nMk5VQ&m=HZnUHusT4KZkj-_ve0qcHqw-IsyAWD0BBiR83zSJDMM&s=a2nUpq0FSxhkwsOJZJbbfYN6uNNH6w5IiNo1byNMOI4&e=>
38mm RAS Instructions
http://aerotech-rocketry.com/uploads/900941fb-4429-42b3-b686-abff01c8f083_38mm_reload_adapter_anchor_inst.pdf<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aerotech-2Drocketry.com_uploads_900941fb-2D4429-2D42b3-2Db686-2Dabff01c8f083-5F38mm-5Freload-5Fadapter-5Fanchor-5Finst.pdf&d=DwMFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=laCyR9Wj3QS0uHq4nMk5VQ&m=HZnUHusT4KZkj-_ve0qcHqw-IsyAWD0BBiR83zSJDMM&s=Y-PAp2-AYt1pz8ncp4BVmk1uV5KWEgNbyhutf0VVzog&e=>
54mm RAS Instructions
http://aerotech-rocketry.com/uploads/d80b9080-9f79-4012-93d1-696ae0787765_54mm_reload_adapter_inst.pdf<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aerotech-2Drocketry.com_uploads_d80b9080-2D9f79-2D4012-2D93d1-2D696ae0787765-5F54mm-5Freload-5Fadapter-5Finst.pdf&d=DwMFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=laCyR9Wj3QS0uHq4nMk5VQ&m=HZnUHusT4KZkj-_ve0qcHqw-IsyAWD0BBiR83zSJDMM&s=Jk0BRd2vFqPr-P0DZ035jEFF2-5HTbPuXT_4q8akEq4&e=>
75mm RAS Instructions
http://aerotech-rocketry.com/uploads/229b9c98-d70d-46c0-b4fd-7e74ff4d98aa_75mm_reload_adapter_inst.pdf<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aerotech-2Drocketry.com_uploads_229b9c98-2Dd70d-2D46c0-2Db4fd-2D7e74ff4d98aa-5F75mm-5Freload-5Fadapter-5Finst.pdf&d=DwMFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=laCyR9Wj3QS0uHq4nMk5VQ&m=HZnUHusT4KZkj-_ve0qcHqw-IsyAWD0BBiR83zSJDMM&s=ZFNpRjDYISOLBhqf-Q9x4fDPe00G5oRBqHAb73h3BPM&e=>
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- » [roc-chat] Issues with Improper Assembly of Aerotech RAS Hardware at the July Launch- David P Smith
- » [roc-chat] Re: Issues with Improper Assembly of Aerotech RAS Hardware at the July Launch - Bryan Langholz
- » [roc-chat] Re: Issues with Improper Assembly of Aerotech RAS Hardware at the July Launch- David P Smith
