AN Flight Photos and
AN/AP Flight Comparisons
This first group of tests shown are
OLDER formulations
| Formulation |
62% PSAN Blend C (baked)
20% 1000 mesh Mg
18% (87%Binder + 13%Mondur Curative) |
| Case, etc. |
Homemade aluminum re-loadable case with same
dimensions as Aerotech RMS 38/480. Paper liner, paper casting core. |
| Number of Grains |
4 |
| Bore Diameter |
0.375" |
| Propellant Outer Diameter |
1.274" |
| Grain Length |
1.8" |
| Nozzle Throat |
0.203125" = 13/64" |
| Estimated Max Pressure |
783 psi |
| Estimated Total Impulse |
379 NS (The Aerotech I-161W has a
total impulse of about 350 NS) |
| notes: useable Quick
pressurization to full thrust.
Full scale 100 psi corresponds to 82 lb thrust.
|
TEST 11:
OPTIMIZED REGRESSIVE MOTOR - Quickly reaching 41 lb
peak 
The first flight of a motor identical to the one in test 11 caused a 5 lb rocket to
drift away under chute at significant altitude. That rocket was recovered 1 year
later. A subsequent flight of a motor identical to the one in test 11 on a 6 lb extended
LOC EZI-65 produced an altitude of 1438 ft. As expected due to the higher
total impulse and longer burn, the PSAN flight was 215 ft higher
than the I-161 flight with the same rocket despite identical propellant weight.
The old PSAN re-load was slower than normal to ignite. This was apparent in the
AltAcc data capture and in the slow lift-off.
My apologies on the photo left: The top 1/3 of the rocket was out of frame and
was pasted from another photo of the same rocket for asthetics. However, all of the
photo from 2" above blue altimeter compartment on down is from the second flight of
the PSAN re-load mentioned above..
|
The AltAcc data captures of the left and right flights are superimposed below.
The brown is the faster I-161 quickly reaching a higher speed and a lower altitude
on lower total impulse. 
A slightly higher metal AN formulation was used below.
Nov, 2001 SkyDance
62% PSAN Blend C (milled for slightly smaller particle size, then baked)
21% 1000 mesh Mg
1% 400 mesh Al
(Note: Without
Ammonium Perchlorate, aluminum slows the burn rate. If you add
aluminum, it is better to use 2 micron Al
instead of larger Al like this 400 mesh.
Even larger Al drastically slows the burn rate
- especially if 2% or more is used.)
16% (87%Binder + 13%Mondur Curative) |
|
Same size case as Aerotech RMS 38/480 with phenolic liner and
paper casting tubes.
|
6 lb rocket
(pictures courtesy of Tom Montemayor)
Similar results were obtained with 54mm motors. However; unlike the 38mm
motors, further calculations were necessary for the 54mm comparisons because the
propellant amounts differed somewhat for the 54mm motors. Flown on a J415 with
1.456 lb APCP and 2 C6's for tracking the test vehicle, an AAMRAM, turned in an altitude
of 4400 ft. The same vehicle flew to 5411 ft with larger heavier motor casing containing
1.664 lb of AN propellant an additional beeper and .5 lb of tracking chalk.
Another AN flight with 1.66 lb of propellant launched in this vehicle from a lower
altitude in more moderate weather (others were hot) resulted in an altitude of 5260 ft
with only one C6 and the same additional weight.
Nov , 2001 SkyDance 30
| Formulation |
62% PSAN Blend C (milled for slightly smaller particle
size, then baked)
21% 1000 mesh Mg
1% 400 mesh Al
(Note:
Without Ammonium Perchlorate, aluminum slows the burn rate. If you
add aluminum, it is better to use 2 micron Al instead of larger Al like
this 400 mesh. Even larger Al drastically slows the burn rate -
especially if more than 2% is used.)
16% (87%Binder + 13%Mondur Curative) |
| Case, etc. |
Same size case as Aerotech RMS 54/1706 with
phenolic liner and paper casting tubes. |
| Number of Grains |
5 |
| Bore Diameter |
0.5" |
| Propellant Outer Diameter |
1.75" |
| Grain Length |
2.6875" |
| Nozzle Throat |
0.3359" |
Marlin Philyaw and his wife Maggie preparing his
AAMRAM for launch on our AN motor.
(picture courtesy of Tom Montemayor)
Pay particular attention to the pressure-up on the video
below.
As you can see, it occurs much faster than most people are used to seeing
in ANCP motors
Movie of AAMRAM flight
to 5260 ft
(video courtesy of Tom Montemayor)
2.8 meg
All the flights shown ABOVE are based on OLD FORMULATIONS.
More recent ANCP flights included a 4" rocket flown to over 13,000 ft
with
the newer enhanced burn rate ANCP in an L motor casing.
Below are some flights with the newer enhanced formulation.
There is a significant difference in thrust.
|
ENHANCED ANCP FORMULATION |
| Binder
R45-HT |
13.17% |
| Facile
1 |
2.40% |
| Silicone
Oil (1 drop/kg of propellant) |
| Al
2 micron (no larger) |
1.00% |
| Mg
1000 mesh |
20.40% |
| copper
oxide black |
0.50% |
| PSAN
baked milled |
55.00% |
| AP
35 to 90 micron |
5.00% |
| castor
oil |
0.50% |
| tepanol |
0.30% |
| curative
Mondur MR |
1.74% |
|
This 38mm enhanced ANCP motor in a
3" rocket didn't hang around for long!
|
Enhanced ANCP cluster in 7 1/2" x 11 ft rocket with similar markings.
|
AN vs AP comparison
