3 motor cluster launches at CMASS Events?

Hello! I have only just today joined up as a member of CMASS. I always loved launching rockets with scouts when I was a kid, and now that I have two young boys of my own we have been launching quite frequently this year and getting them excited for it too. Given my love of all things that fly and my wife having always been fascinated with the Apollo Program/Saturn V missions, we built a flying Saturn V from scratch that stands roughly 40" tall and weighs in at 10.8oz (306g) without motors. Although it has a custom built motor pod to hold up to 5 x 18mm motors, we have only flown it on 3 C engines (adding two more might make it unstable due to shift in CG). It has successfully flown 6 times and it survived one "almost" flight where only one motor lit and it didn't make it off our 1010 launch rail. To follow up this success, I am now working on a scratch built 1:115 scale Falcon Heavy, complete with fall away boosters, which will also fly on a 3-motor configuration and off a 1010 rail.

My question is, if we are able to attend the next CMASS launch event, will I be able to use my own Launch Controller which I built to support cluster launches of 3 or more engines? It operates off of 12-20V power sources (i.e. Car/Lawn Mower Battery or Power Tool battery) and I have a 50' line to run from the controller to the launcher. Or does CMASS provide launch controllers with similar function/capability? From what I see on the website and posts it looks like a 1010 Launch Rail is a regular at these events, so I can keep mine in the truck if it isn't needed.

We look forward to meeting some of you in the near future (albeit probably from a safe distance)!

guyw wrote:

Welcome to the club. The next launch will be in Acton, which limits us to low and mid power flights. Having said that, your cluster is well within the limits of what can be flown there. We have one pad that is set up for 1010 rail, and that pad has a remote relay that uses a 12 volt gelcel battery, so there will be no issue with being able to light a 3 engine cluster. The club provides that pad and launch equipment, and we do the safety inspection, you will be assigned the pad to set up, and the launch control officer will announce and launch your rocket for you once you have everything set up.

Thank you guyw. Sounds like CMASS has a well oiled machine to facilitate these launch events. I am excited to (hopefully) make it to the next one!