How do you ignite second stage composite motors? Can I use a black powder booster for the first stage to ignite the second (as I do with multi-state A-D rockets)?
Upper stages of composite powered models may be ignited by electrical means or thermalite fuse. North Coast Rocketry has a Technical Report covering this subject. Excellent articles have also appeared in Sport Rocketry/AmSpam and HPRM magazines. You cannot use a black powder booster to ignite a composite upper stage. The gasses from a BP booster will not properly ignite a composite. There are composite boosters on the market. These boosters are all ‘plugged’ and so cannot ignite any type of upper stage motor. Composite motors are mostly ‘core burners’ with the core running the entire length of the fuel grain. A composite core burner set up like a BP booster would ignite a BP upper stage too soon. There are several issues involved in igniting upper stage composite motors. (1) A timing method must be provided to delay ignition until the appropriate time, (2) power source for the igniter is required and (3) the igniter itself must be provided and be capable of igniting high power motors.
Related Questions
- How do you ignite second stage composite motors? Can I use a black powder booster for the first stage to ignite the second (as I do with multi-state A-D rockets)?
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