Upper stage without fins

[AHamm]

I am planning to make a 2 and mabe 3 stage rocket. Is it possible to not have fins on the upper stages? Could I angle the fins on the booster stage so that they give the rocket a spin which would help stabilize it? I know that some real rockets have no fins or only fins on the lower stage, but they use thrust vectoring and are often in thinner/no atmosphere.

[ghrocketman]

Canting the fins on the booster to induce spin would help to stabilize a finless upper stage, but I doubt it would be enough to prevent a wacky flight.
It might work for a two stager but definitely not 3.

[GlenP]

Sure, why not? Just include a transition instead of fins on the sustainer, i.e. a cone fin with base drag stabilization. Could omit the cone and just use a base-drag disc fin, much higher drag.

http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2011/10/centuri-finless-build-part-1-parts.html


There might be an option to use a gas stabilization, sort of a variation on the theme of an Augie with the engine inside of a vented ring fin, essentially.

[kevinj]

If you have the room in the second stage, you can add flip out fins that are hidden inside the model until it stages. https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter313.pdf

kj