Micro rocket power for the third millenium
With the new millenium came the Rapier range of motors, manufactured in the Czech Republic. Unlike the reloadable Jetex motors, these are strictly one-shot items. Essentially, they consist of a cardboard tube filled with propellant and plugged with a ceramic end cap with a hole.
Currently, Rapiers are available in three power ratings: L-1, L-2 and L-2HP. The earlier L-3 series has now been phased out of production, having been superseded by the L-2HP which is identical in appearance to the standard L-2. Though motors tend to vary somewhat in power from batch to batch, the duration of the L-2 falls between 18 and 25 seconds. Fuses are included with each box of motors.
Dr Jan Zigmund, creator and manufacturer of Rapier motors has this to say about them:
The table below, based on tests by Carlo Godel, gives comparisons between Jetex and Rapier motors:
Jetex motor | Thrust (mN actual range) |
Rapier motor | Thrust (mN actual range) |
Atom 35 | 100/110 | L-1 | 40/45 |
50 | 125/140 | L-2 | 80/95 |
100 | 250/275 | L-2HP L-3 |
160/175 200/220 |
150 Jetmaster | 350/400 | L4 | 300/325 |
150 PAA-Loader | 750/800 | - | - |
200 | 520/550 | - | - |
350 / Spacemaster 600A | 935/950 | - | - |
Scorpion 600 | 1310/1400 | - | - |
Please note: All figures are taken from actual tests done by Carlo Godel in 2001 through 2003 and reflect the actual peak thrusts obtained on a test rig of his own design calibrated with actual weights. Results may not be replicable by others. Fuels used were the older V-Max.