"Reusable Rocket Motors"

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Adam	29-May-00, 09:45 AM (EST)
"Reusable Rocket Motors"
What is a reusable rocket motor and how does it work. I saw them looking through a catalog the other day and I didn't really understand what they were.
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RE: Reusable Rocket Motors, MaxQ, 04-Jun-00, (1)

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MaxQ	04-Jun-00, 02:10 AM (EST)
1. "RE: Reusable Rocket Motors"
>What is a reusable rocket motor >and how does it work. > I saw them looking >through a catalog the other >day and I didn't really >understand what they were. Reusable motors (RMS if made by Aerotech and TRM if made by Kosdon - more on this later) are basically tubes which hold slugs (grains) of AP (ammonium perchlorate as opposed to BP in Estes motors) that you load yourself. The casing is a one-time buy and theoretically should last for at least 100 launches, although I don't know if anyone has that many on a single casing yet. Reloads for the casing are generally cheaper than an equivalent single-use motor, and therefore, after a few reloadable launches, you have saved enough to have paid for the casing. Casings cost anywhere from $25 -$35 for the smaller (18mm B, C, and D) sizes, to $700 or more for 98mm (M, N, and O motors). For the 18mm casing, you usually get three reloads for about the same cost as a pack of Estes D's. The cost for an M reload is around $500 or higher. A single-use M will cost nearly twice as much. The advantage to reloadable systems (besides being cheaper than single-use), is that a greater variety of motor types can be used with a single casing, depending on propellant formulation, # of grains, or type of nozzle. RMS uses screw-in closures at both ends to hold the nozzle and ejection charges, whereas TRM uses snap-rings and are somewhat simpler to assemble. Kosdon motors are also generally cheaper, at least for now, while Aerotech is more widely available. Aerotech and Kosdon have worked out a deal where Aerotech will manufacture and sell Kosdon casings and reloads under licence. I don't know yet what the cost changes will be. For more detailed info, check out http://www.rocketryonline.com and do a search under vendors for Aerotech and Kosdon. You should also check out the rec.models.rockets newsgroup (also can be found at Rocketry Online) as well as the ROL forums.
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