First Composite motors and Hybrid Motors

[Bigander]

Hi i'm new to the forums, but a regular on TRF. I figure this is a better place to find my answers to a project that i'm almost finished. It involves going from the invention of model rocketry through all of it's innovations up until today. So the info that i'm looking for to complete this project is, who produced the first composite motors avaliable to the public and who did the same for the hybrid motor and when?

[tbzep]

Hypertek made the first public hybrid motor test launches at Manchester, TN back around 1995. The first consumer to fly the Hypertek motor came that same weekend. I can't remember the exact date, but it was the last big launch at that field before the govt took it from us to protect an owl (it's now been returned to the owners to use). Aerotech came out with their motor right after Hypertek. The Hypertek flights were hilarious to me because there was an oscillation in the exhaust, making it sound like a giant fart during the burn. I hope they have been able to engineer that sound out of the motors since then.

I was a kid with the first commercial composite motors came out, so I'll let the more "experienced" (old) members fill you in on that.


Edit: I just remembered it was at the Spears launch in Manchester, TN. :)

[Bigander]

Thanks for the info but it looks like you also answered my question on TRF! :D

[Javelin]

Hi i'm new to the forums, but a regular on TRF. I figure this is a better place to find my answers to a project that i'm almost finished. It involves going from the invention of model rocketry through all of it's innovations up until today. So the info that i'm looking for to complete this project is, who produced the first composite motors avaliable to the public and who did the same for the hybrid motor and when?
======================
Irv Wait, owner of Rocket Development Corp., produced the first composite motors for sale to the public in 1967. The only motor RDC produced in any numbers and sold under the RDC name was the Enerjet-8, E class motor. RDC would produce other motors for "qualified" buyers which exceeded the NAR motor limits for that time. But these were not sold to the public.

[Rocket Doctor]

Read about Irv Wait in the March/April 2007 issue of LAUNCH, page 44.

[CPMcGraw]

The Hypertek flights were hilarious to me because there was an oscillation in the exhaust, making it sound like a giant fart during the burn. I hope they have been able to engineer that sound out of the motors since then...

Sounds appropriate for us... :D

...Edit: I just remembered it was at the Spears launch in Manchester, TN...

I didn't know Brittany was into legitimate rocketry back then... :p

[tbzep]

Sounds appropriate for us... :D



I didn't know Brittany was into legitimate rocketry back then... :p

We did do a few experimental launches the last day. ;)