3" Darkstar Fastest to Altitude Drag Race at LDRS

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Who ever is working on this please fill out the contact form on the ldrs website. Make sure to put in your phone number.
 
H_Rocket said:
And if the launch organizers are not set up to comply with the pad distances, you need to keep the drag races to heats of two rockets. Asking them to reconfigure the field for a drag race will result in 1) you getting told to pound sand or 2) a whole bunch of peeved fliers waiting while the field gets moved around to accommodate.
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Thanks Al, you beat me to the punch!

Reconfiguring the field just for a drag race ain't gonna happen, but if you want to do K-impulse we could go crazy and have a real elimination style drag race however with a series of winner take all 2 rocket drag races.......just like the NHRA. 2 rounds with 4 --> 2 --> 1 or 3 round with 8 --> 4 --> 2 --> 1. $25 dollar entry fee, winner take all! And just like a drag race you will have a time limit between rounds. From the time of launch, to the time to get to the RSO table for safety check for the next round is 90 minutes! You can use any commercial motor up to a K or any research motor containing not more than a TBD weight of propellant, and you must use the same motor on each round! You can use a K but can you recover and prep the rocket for the next flight in the allotted time as the rocket will go twice as high with a K as a J, and the motor will cost twice as much....

This could be fun. We would also have to have a volunteer judge with a good video camera record the flight and verity the results.

Think about it Matt!

Bob
 
Or not launch at the same time. You're going by electronics anyways. take the drag racing issues out of the equation.


Even L's won't come close to the waiver, BTW.
 
It will never be as cool as the L900 race at LDRS31 Rule creating Weinies!
 
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I wouldn't be surprised if the rules were put into effect BECAUSE of that L900 race!
 
I think it was also put into effect due to the N10,000 ultimate Wildman Drag race where 14 were on the pads, 11 took off, 3 shredded, and 1 cato'd. 4 rockets worth of parts falling from the sky is not good. :p
 
I think you've got the wrong race stats there. I don't think there were any shreds at the N10,000 race.
 
bobkrech said:
Guys. Don't plan anything yet. Your proposed drag race has to meet the TRA drag race rules and the field must be set put to accommodate it.

There will be no unlimited altitude, and there will be an impulse limit and depending on how the field is laid out it may or may not allow research motors due to the separation distances required.

Please review the new drag race rules at https://www.tripoli.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=RhLaGq2C+HY=&tabid=326 Rule F-1 is applicable.

The drag race at LDRS 31 could no longer be conducted as the minimum separation distance has increased. The pads for any 3-way or more high power drag race is 2 x time the complex separation distance of the total impulse of all the rockets flown. This mean the minimum separation distance for high power drag races is 400' for commercial motors and 500' for research motors. If the L2 pads are located at 400' as they were at URRF 1, the drag races would be limited to H motors as 4 full H motor is a Full J and 2 x the complex J motor separation distance is 400'. We also plan to have 4-6 M pads set up at 500' so that is also an option, but the next increment for more rockets with commercial motors is 600'.

Drag races are fun but they have to comply with TRA rules at the TRA National Launch so Matt please review the Tripoli rules and revise your contest request so it will conform to the fields capability.

Bob Krech, LDRS 34 RSO Manager
Click to expand...

I REALLY like this idea. :). Now you have the gears in my head turning. :p
 
THANK YOU to everyone who has sent me advice so far. It greatly helps.

I would PREFER to keep the drag racing aspect (in spirit with the whole Wildman idea). Eliminating the drag racing takes away some of the suspense.

OK... depending on how many people are interested, it will change how the drag races should be run.


I do like the idea of the heat based drag races. It still allows the drag racing, but it eliminates The only issue I have with this is that you have to fly the rocket multiple times, so that may turn some people away.


How many people would be OK with flying the rocket twice? Depending on if a motor offer works out, I will be able to.



One rule I think we should introduce:
Flights will be limited to either K motors or 1400 grams of propellant (approximately a full K motor), whichever of the 2 is more, to allow 2 rocket drag racing.



Still thinking. I am open to ANY suggestions that ANYBODY has.
 
The whole point of a "drag race" in rocketry is the noise, fire and smoke. Anything else is just.... something else

This subject raises the pressure of my highly Libertarian Blood! GOD Bless and long live the INDY Clubs!
 
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I do think the problem with the shreds was from rushed/"less than ideal" builds in a short amount of time. Most of the 3" darkstars have been flying for awhile, and most I've seen fall into the "tank" category. I don't think there are any 54mm motors capable of shredding one. Each one loaded though is around 12-15 pounds...that's a good bit of rockets in the air to watch for.
 
wclune said:
It will never be as cool as the L900 race at LDRS31 Rule creating Weinies!
Click to expand...

Have to admit , That was one bad ass race, lots of mayham, airframe separtions, and even a collision.

I pretty sure that assisted in the new race rules.
 
dlb said:
Have to admit , That was one bad ass race, lots of mayham, airframe separtions, and even a collision.

I pretty sure that assisted in the new race rules.
Click to expand...

Was runner -up in that one- 14,200 and change got beat by 212 ft.
Like to do it again with the same 3" rocket on an M- already have done it solo!
14 M's at a time- priceless! Damn rules.....
 
*Asks someone to "interview" Crazy Jim while I "work on" his igniter setup*... :p
 
blackjack2564 said:
This is a "no brainer".
I'm in....... I won.

Done.
Click to expand...

blackbrandt said:
3. NASCAR TEMPLATE TEST: The rocket must have the same outer dimensions as a STOCK built 3" Darkstar from Wildman Rocketry. Any modifications may be done to the inside.

1. The rocket entered must be a 3 inch diameter Darkstar from Wildman rocketry, flown in full stack configuration (full length body tubes, altimeter bay, and nose cone). It must pass a NASCAR template test. AKA the outside shape has to be the same. You can do anything you want to the inside.
Click to expand...


awwwwww...... Stoopid roolz. (this is why I hate rules)
 
he said NASCAR, and we all know what they do in NASCAR.... CHEAT! and go round and round and round... hopefully there will be none of that.
 
Cheating is allowed as long as you do not get caught in this race. :) If I catch ya cheatin'... ya' either get a DQ or ya' gotta bribe me not to tell. :p
 
RKeller said:
he said NASCAR, and we all know what they do in NASCAR.... CHEAT! and go round and round and round... hopefully there will be none of that.
Click to expand...

Going round and Round will get you in Rockets Magazine "Kool and REALY KOOL" video!
 
wclune said:
It will never be as cool as the L900 race at LDRS31 Rule creating Weinies!
Click to expand...


And as Bill well knows, there was ALOT of pre-race organizing that went on, I have been doing this for many years now at different events and it takes all day of your time, at the event, to pull one off:

Permissions were granted from LDRS comitee [first thing needs to be done] , all entrants were pre-screened as to what was being flown, what size rails/pads were needed, tracker frequency conflicts avoided, weekly phone conferences attended, be me reporting on status.

All contact info was passed on to me to keep track of all entrants, and keep them in the loop. E-mails sent to all, constantly updating them. Times to meet for pre-race RSO'ing so it could could go off on time.... Photo op's for all photographers in attendance, interviews with magazines [we were only 20 minute late from official race time and that was due to allowing 2 last minute entrants to get more pads!] Free up pad times to load, co-ordinated with LCO, so this event did not interfere with the regular flying at LDRS.

So if this is to be done again...I suggest you or who-ever wants to be in charge, step up and begin the process. we had 32 wanna-he's...24 show up and I think, 18 actually fly at designated time.....

It was a "crowd pleaser" LOL :smile:

There is an unbelievable amount of planning and "holding hands" to get these races done on time. The chance's of this "just happening" because a few folks want to drag race 6-10 rockets is close to "0".

At LDRS 31 vendors had to be contacted to get a deal on the motors to entice entrants, another time eating factor...for this one, Wildman stepped up with a killer motor deal, and the winner got another one as the prize from AT.
 
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Very good points Jim. The amount of work and time that goes into one flight is substantial. Trying to get 6-20 people to get it all ready to go at the same time has to be crazy.
 
Mass launches of motors of any real size is just not gonna work (thank the nfpa for saving us from ourselves). The DerRedMax is doable race because even 10 of those is only 2300ns a K.
 

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