Introduction:
After the disappointing launch day on May 7th a low profile launch day was scheduled for the H11. With this flight certain designs were tested:
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New oval shaped launch lug directly bolted to the motor casing through the wall.
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New parachute system conprising of a ballut as drogue and a new cross as main.
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Overall strenght of lateral parachute compartment.
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The Thrust motor which never flew before.
Friday:
Planning was to launch the H11 between 13:30 and 14:00. Weater was dry and around 16° C . Wind were low and launching would be a possibilty. Quite surprisingly as is was raining till 10:00 AM. Set up of the launch rail was quick with help of some fellow students from the HAN University of Applied Sciences.
Next to the launch of the H11 a Doppler radar was installed by the military. They aimed to track the H11 untill close to apogee.
Around 14:00 the count down started and this time the H11 was launched from its rail. The spectators were awarded with the straight white exhaust stripe with an awsome sound following at 1 sec delay. The drogue deployed right at apogee and could be witnessed with the bare eye at aproximately 1390 meter. Shortly after that the back up timer fired the deblocking device which released the main cross parachute. Unfortunetely this was to early and the H11 drifted quite a bit but landed within the premises of the ASK.
Please click here for a short movie clip of the flight.
The military recovered the rocket from the field after which it was time to celebrate the first succesful launch of the H11.
Data of the flight as recored by the RDAS and processed by BO:
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Apogee: 1390 m.
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Time to apogee: 16,6 sec.
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Max velocity: 185 m/s.
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Time thurst: 0,9 sec.
Parachute descent rate:
- Drogue: 18,3 m/s.
- Main: 7,2 m/s (however this changed possibly due to current).
- Main was released at 830 m at t = 49 sec by the back up timer.
- Time between deblocking deveice release and deployment : 1,3 sec.
- Time between deployment and air brakingL 1,4 sec.
- Total flight timeL 163,6 sec.
