
There were several P motors and a couple of Q motors at BALLS this year.
“Q Reaction” is a big rocket with a home-brew Q-sized motor that burns for 21 seconds. The propellant in this motor is 7 feet tall and fills the silver section (fin can on the motor for a minimum exterior diameter).
This was a first time test of the motor and main chute deployment at apogee. And it all worked beautifully.
I was the closest person to the pad, using a vehicle as a blast shield and video cam tripod (so I could hold the DSLR to pan up with the launch). The soundtrack does not do justice to the intense roar at takeoff…. Here’s the video (without zoom from a pocket cam; the initial pop and puff is from the igniter; it takes a bit of time for the motor to come up to pressure).
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