Newbie looking for guidance....

Greetings all...

I am located in New Brunswick (Canada) and I am looking to chat with other area rocket geeks. I have questions about Provincial meets and who looks after L1 Certs in this area.

I was also doing my best to research a new rocket kit that I could test with a few "F" and "G" flights and then use with an "H" flight for my L1 Cert. / test flight. I was thinking of getting a LOC Precision "Forte" as it is rated for "F", "G" & "H" engines. Here's the thing though... when I take my test flight I don't want to go all "Rambo" and go for a big, high and showy flight. I want to be able to go with a "slow and low" flight but still have a safe and stable flight. Do they make a lower impulse "H" engine for the LOC Forte that will do a safe "slow and low" test flight?

Your input would be appreciated.

Many thanks...

Gary Sanders

Welcome fellow Canadian. I am not out in your neck of the woods however posting where you have is a great starting point. As you may or may not be aware there are several high power governing bodies you can consider, and looking at their respective sites might help you find a local club. Here are three links to go through.

I recommend finding and reaching out to a local club before you decide which governing body to affiliate yourself with. Also there is nothing from stopping you from joining all of them. I was initially a CAR member but because there was not a local club, I joined Tripoli and my local club NAPAS. Then when I started attending some of the larger US launches I also joined URRG in upstate NY. It's all about learning and supporting the hobby.

https://www.tripoli.org/
https://www.nar.org/
https://www.canadianrocketry.org/

I think if you want a low and slow cert flight you need to look at a rocket that has an H at the lower end of the recommended motor list, rather than on that has the H at the top of the list. Good luck on your cert attempt.

You could go with CTI H225 White Thunder as it would be a good choice for stability. It has a bit more total impulse than a low H in a 29mm format but it's a nice neutral short burn which will get you off the pad quick to mitigate weather cocking and burn out quick so your don't lose it. Of course all of this depends on the final weight, finish, and other design/build factors of your rocket. If you have not already done so I would recommend downloading and installing OpenRocket then run some simulations based on the rocket you have in mind. Keep in mind these are only approximations but if you get the model correct you should be within 10-15%.

For the record, low and slow is over rated. Built it well, make sure you have some form of recovery, then GIV'ER.

Hi Gary,

I'm in Moncton. Haven't been as active as I was, but I am the RSO for all our HPR launches. Check the CAR-ACF website, you can get the contact info there for our regional rep.

Due to my limited availability recently, we've been down to 1 HPR event a year, held on the Labour Day weekend at CFB Gagetown.

Otherwise we have a "central" flying location near Petitcodiac. Folks from Saint John, Fredericton & Moncton attend.

Personally, I favour 4" diameter airframes for versatility. You can get something like a 4" Patriot that will handle a G motor, and can also handle an H or I without getting too crazy high. Of course, it all comes down to personal choice. If fast & high is what you like... go for it.