Tube Launching
All rockets need a stabilization period at lift off, this is usually provided
by a launch tower. Launch lugs or rails are then required to attach the rocket
to the tower. The problem with this launch method is that the lugs/rails are
bad for the aerodynamics of the rocket ( it slows down quicker ). The quicker the
rocket travels, the more the drag. One way of removing the need for the lugs is
to launch it from a tube. This can be accomplished by either a hot or cold launch.
A hot launch is were the rocket fires its rocket while inside the tube, with the
exhaust gases helping to speed it skywards. The cold launch method is more
complicated and involves expelling the rocket from the tube and air starting the
motor. The method chosen to expell the rocket can vary from a simple spring to
fast expansion of high pressure gas.
The method of launch I am currently working on will be revealed, hopefully, at
the UKRA event in June. It should be interesting!!
Last Updated: 14-Apr-97