FLARES

The FLARES (Flightweight Aspire Rocket Experiments) were two prototype rocket vehicles that we built quickly, just to gain experience. They used an H2 engine with a reduced fuel load, and a 0.6 litre paintball tank for the nitrous tank.

FLARE 1 was fired in Lincolnshire at Pete's farm. It took off okay, but then taught us a valuable lesson: nitrous hybrid rockets have a Centre of Gravity (C.G.) that moves rearwards as the burn progresses! FLARE 1's stability decreased during the burn, and it hit roll resonance (where the rate of roll is equal to the pitching rate) and corkscrewed off onto a low, flat trajectory that ended up buried in a field!

FLARE2 was fired on the Isle of Wight appropriately on November 5th, which is fireworks night here in Britain. Yet again, the vehicle lost stability during the burn: A windshear pitched it into a tumble near apogee, but the 'chute deployed, and the FLARE was recovered successfully and intact.