Midnight Express - Science Project

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slipperyfrog

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I have been getting into some of the cardstock rockets as they are a blast to build & launch. My daughter in 6th grade has a science fair project to complete and wanted to do something with rockets. I figured what better way to build & fly the Midnight Express from Fliskits. Time to teach how a rocket flies. :D

We devised to do a few things:

1. Build a flyable rocket from a sheet of paper. (super cool to a 12 year old)
2. Test the completed rockets with a swing test and see the difference.
3. Get a little crazy and see what the effect of proper CG is on said rocket in flight with real motors.

We built two rockets and used A8-3 motors. A properly weighted one and a "Crash N' Burn" rocket with no weight :y:. In a big open spot in the desert we had some fun. The rocket with the proper CG flew perfect twice. The guinea pig rocket....well not so good. It stayed together to fly twice as well. It did rip off a fin the second flight as it went bat crazy into the ground.

It made for a perfect experiment and teaching tool for my daughter. She can now compile her notes, pictures, and set up her display. She will use the good and bad rockets to show a swing test & results at the fair.

Here are some pictures. The rocket scientist with rocket #1. The good flight going into a bit of a breeze (it flew up a lot straighter than it looks). The "Crash N Burn" rocket after losing a fin on a hard crash.

TheScientist.jpg

Launch Success.jpg

Bad CG result.jpg
 
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That's what school rocketry is all about - making Physics fun (or Phun as we used to say back when I went to high school in the dark ages of the 70s :p). If you have time and really want to demonstrate the principle of CG vs CP, build a third ME and glue the fins at the front of the body tube right behind the nose cone. Demonstrate with a string test (do NOT try to fly this one) how having the CP so far forward makes the rocket totally unstable.

You're really lucky to have a daughter who's interested in one of your hobbies and can share it with you! Tell her we said nice job and good luck in the science fair!
 
If you have time and really want to demonstrate the principle of CG vs CP, build a third ME and glue the fins at the front of the body tube right behind the nose cone. Demonstrate with a string test (do NOT try to fly this one) how having the CP so far forward makes the rocket totally unstable.

Great idea! I had totally forgot about how simple and direct that would be. Time to build another ME. :kill:
 
That is SO kewl! Congrats to your daughter on her work and to you for the encouragement and support! :)
 
That is SO kewl! Congrats to your daughter on her work and to you for the encouragement and support! :)

Thanks Jim.

I told her she gets to pick a rocket of her choice when the project is done. Since Midnight Express was of your brand it is fitting to buy a FlisKits model to start. Which one would be a good Level 1 with a touch of coolness factor?
 
Cool!

Thanks for the ideas guys. I like the Bullseye but she may choose otherwise. :)

We will get the project finished and make some choices.
 
More power to you.
I don't want to spoil anyone's sales, but who needs kits? ALL mine are made of card, paper and the like.
You might look at converting paper models done on the inkjet printer. But don't forget the swing test. Sctracth-builds always need noseweight.
 
More power to you.
I don't want to spoil anyone's sales, but who needs kits? ALL mine are made of card, paper and the like.
You might look at converting paper models done on the inkjet printer. But don't forget the swing test. Sctracth-builds always need noseweight.

Yes I have gotten that bug. I'm sometimes impatient on the rolling of body tubes though. I would rather re-size a smidge, wrap the little suckers and have some fun. Here is one night of Dr. Pepper, semi-gloss presentation paper, and some glue. Have a couple of bags of small nosecones now on my desk. :)

paper-micros.jpg
 
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