Till now we saw the history of model rockets and the organizations working on them. Now it's time to dive in the technical part of these rockets
There are four stages to a proper flight of a model rocket:
- Burn off or take off
- Climbing phase
- Ejection
- Recovery
Burn off
This is the starting phase in which the motor ignites and starts burning. The initial thrust is provided which causes the rocket to take-off. The rocket leaves the launch pad starts ascending. The burn-off generally lasts for 2-3 seconds depending upon the motor type.
Climbing phase
In this stage the rocket is in climbing phase, gaining altitude steadily. The motor has burned off but the rocket keeps climbing due to its inertia and aerodynamic forces. After the burn off, the delay charge burns off, wherein a smoke trail marks the trajectory taken by the rocket. Usually this is the apogee point of the rocket, as it starts to descend from there.
Ejection
The delay charge burns off, triggering the ejection charge which in turn releases the parachute from the nose cone. This parachute opens up and facilitates smooth gliding motion of the rocket.
Recovery
After ejection, the rocket glides to the ground and can be easily recovered. It sometimes glides farther away from the site of launch.
These are the four stages making up the complete flight of a model rocket, from launch till recovery.