Rocket Parachute

Is replacing the parachute in a model rocket with black powder a bad idea?

I know it’s extremely dangerous. Would the rocket be able to lift off with the extra weight or would it explode on the launch pad? I plan on using a very long fuse to start the rocket motor so I have enough time to get as for away as I can.
I plan on trying it.
I want it to explode.
I’m putting it above the rocket motor so when the motor burns out it will detonate the black powder.

Perhaps a better question is: Is this legal? I’m not a lawyer (and so I am not giving any legal advice here), but this is probably illegal is most states. But if you really want to do it…

You have to put in some sort of device to make sure that stray sparks from the motor don’t detonate the powder before the reverse thrust (normally used to deploy the parachute) fires. If there are too many stray sparks or too much heat, the black powder will detonate as soon as you fire the motor, spreading burning bits of black powder all over the place and ruining your fun. Putting in some tissue paper might work, but I don’t have a lot of ideas here. I wouldn’t put the powder straight up against the motor, though.

Just in case you aren’t familiar with rocket motors, I’ll give you a quick less on how they are named. The standard formula is AB-N. A is the class of motor and it is denoted by letters of the alphabet. A is the weakest and Z is the most powerful (though I’ve only seen up to N). It also references the diameter of the motor. A,B,and C all have the same diameter. D and E also have the same diameter. Put in the biggest motor your rocket will take. This will launch it the highest into the air. The B is always a number and indicates the thrust of the motor in newton/seconds. Basically, the bigger the better. The final number is the most important, the delay. This is the amount of time between motor burn-out and retrofire. In other words, how much time between the motor burning out and the paracute (black powder) deploying. Since your rocket will be pretty heavy with black powder on board, I’d pick something around a 7, but you need to be careful here. Too little and your rocket explodes before reaching full altitude, too much and your rocket starts to come back to earth before exploding. You need to strike a balance. I’d try out the rocket without the powder (and the parachute in) to see what works best first.

I also wouldn’t use a large amount of powder. You don’t want the military knocking on your door because you created a mushroom cloud the size of a city. Seriously, though, go easy on it. When it goes off way up in the air, you’re in the blast zone, no matter where you are standing.

I’d also pick a deserted area that is not susceptible to fire. Starting a fire gets you in waaaay more trouble than just blowing up a rocket (again, this is not legal advice).

As you mentioned in the question, this is extremely dangerous and I’d have to advise you against it. You would probably have more fun shooting off the rocket again and again than just once.

And of course, I need to add some sort of a disclaimer to cover myself (you can’t be too careful these days): This advice assumes only a hypothetical situation and is not meant to be carried out in actual practice. The author is not a legal expert and does not give qualified legal advice.

How to Fold a Model Rocket Parachute

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