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Author Topic: Armadillo Aerospace's "Tube Rocket" 'Stig' ready for test flight  (Read 1640 times)

RocketMan

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Armadillo Aerospace's "Tube Rocket" 'Stig' ready for test flight
« on: May 15, 2011, 03:07:00 PM »
Armadillo Aerospace's "Tube Rocket" 'Stig' has been completed and is ready for its first test flight.  It is a liquid fuel rocket, using LOX and ethyl alcohol, intended to ultimately be a modular sounding rocket capable of sub-orbital research flights.  The tethered test flight video is pretty cool, with the rocket remaining stable on the tether.  The rocket recovers nicely when its drag cord is deliberately tugged on by a crew member.  Lots of spalling of the concrete test stand surface.
They've done some cool stuff for an outfit that sort of grew out of the high power sport rocketry community.  John Carmack, the founder of id Software (the Doom and Quake game series) is the principal behind Armadillo Aerospace.
Article and commentary on Rocketry Planet.
Video here.
Armadillo Aerospace
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Fly320s

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Re: Armadillo Aerospace's "Tube Rocket" 'Stig' ready for test flight
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2011, 03:46:30 PM »
Cool, but it appears to increase the wobble zone as it runs. I don't know if that means anything, though.
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Doggy Daddy

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Re: Armadillo Aerospace's "Tube Rocket" 'Stig' ready for test flight
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2011, 08:31:13 PM »
That was extremely cool.

It's something I never gave thought to before.  I'm now going to be semi-obsessed with thinking about the physics involved in that.  I really never considered the idea of a tethered test flight, or the idea of hovering in a pretty stable attitude without moving forward (upward?) and using the fins to keep it stable.

I'm just all amazed right now.

DD
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230RN

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Re: Armadillo Aerospace's "Tube Rocket" 'Stig' ready for test flight
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2011, 05:18:14 PM »
Could the change in stability that Fly320s noted be due to shifting CG and overall weight as the fuel & LOX is consumed --changing the feedback parameters in the directional controls?

(Could not watch the video.)

« Last Edit: May 16, 2011, 05:29:25 PM by 230RN »
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Re: Armadillo Aerospace's "Tube Rocket" 'Stig' ready for test flight
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2011, 05:35:56 PM »
Quote from: 230RN on May 16, 2011, 05:18:14 PM
Could the change in stability that Fly320s noted be due to shifting CG and overall weight as the fuel & LOX is consumed --changing the feedback parameters in the directional controls?

(Could not watch the video.)



I'm thinking maybe it's the weight of the tether laying on the side of the nose.  Since you didn't see it, lemme 'splain: It's tethered from the top.  There's a "leash" going up from the tip of the rocket to the end of a boom overhead.  As the rocket lifts and hovers, the leash lays against the side of the nose.

DD
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Tallpine

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Re: Armadillo Aerospace's "Tube Rocket" 'Stig' ready for test flight
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2011, 06:27:50 PM »
Plus the blast hitting the concrete pad ... seems like that might affect the rocket attitude a bit, as opposed to free flight  =|
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