I attended Champlain Region Model Rocket Club’s 1/21 launch with AerospaceNU, where we test-flew an experimental mechanical separation system and validated new software changes to our Flight Control Board.
Spruce Goose + Internal Marmon Clamp (I327DM)
The club rocket “Spruce Goose” (above) flew on a I327-Dark Matter rocket motor to 1150ft. The purpose of the flight was to test a new iteration of one of the club’s mechanical separation systems, dubbed the “internal Marmon clamp”. The rocket is held together by a system similar to a hose clamp, and separated by cutting a rope using hot nichrome wire. The rocket was also flying a Flight Control Board V0, our club’s custom-designed and programmed rocket flight computer, which was responsible for performing flight events and transmitting live telemetry to our groundstation.
The flight was successful overall. Based on a preliminary review of data, the Marmon clamp may have fired but the rocket sections continued to free-fall adjacent to each other until parachute deployment ~2 seconds later.
Some more photos from the day, including from the other rocketeers present:
