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This article is from the Model Rockets FAQ, by Wolfram von Kiparski with numerous contributions by others.

6.16 Is there a way to increase the stability of a model with near neutral stability?

From: Peter "My views are not to be confused with those
of a rabbit librarian" Alway (petealway@aol.com)

Sounding rockets that are aerodynamically stable are often spun at a
slower rate that insures that any off-axis thrust will cause the
rocket to corkscrew, rather than follow an arc. The corkscrew may
be subtle--but it beats an equally subtle arc. A sounding rocket
that naturally describes an arc with a 20-mile radius due to its
asymmetries cannot reach higher than 20 miles. But if the rocket
is spun through 360 degrees every few hundred feet, the
20-mile-radius arc turns into a very suble corkscrew.

Imagine the modeler puts a very slight misallignment between the
forward and rear fins of a sidewinder. Suppose it's just one degree.
also suppose the fins are 1 foot apart. the rocket will naturally
arc in a circle with a 360-foot circumference and a 57-foot radius.
That's instant doom! make the error half as bad and you are in
trouble. But if the rocket spins every 10 feet, the path will be
a generally upward corkscrew, less than ideal performance, but
a safe flight.

So with model rockets, a spin on ascent is a good way to make a
marginal or asymmetrical model safe. Estes used to sell a space
shuttle orbiter kit that had a spin tab for this reason, and the
old Astron Space Plane had spin tabs as well.

 

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• prev: 6.15 How can I reduce damage to the booster stage of two stage models caused by the engine exhaust of the second stage?
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• next: 6.17 How can I build a rocket with less wind resistance?

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