2018 Goals?

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I'll keep my 2018 goals to the one 2017 goal I didn't finish: building a Falcon Heavy scale model with drop-off side boosters. Design is mostly done; I just need to order parts and do it.
 
I'll keep my 2018 goals to the one 2017 goal I didn't finish: building a Falcon Heavy scale model with drop-off side boosters. Design is mostly done; I just need to order parts and do it.

I'm doing the same thing - LOL. I also just need to order some parts.

I'm doing mine BT-60 based with a BT-70 for the fairing. What scale is yours?
 
The past two years have been quiet for me on the rocketry front.

For 2018, my goals are:

Move, retire, then think about rockets again... :)
 
Sometimes the goal list just gets smaller and, smaller each year.

Rocketry wise- I plan to attend Mini Midwest Power in Princeton Illinois and, of course Midwest Power later in the year. At this time i have no other events planned. (Unless Sabrina needs me in Vis-Kon-Sin...:eek:)

Life wise- Plant more trees and, constantly work hard on keeping my little Tree Farm in top shape. Travel more....Using my vacation time to see people/places i really want to see before time runs out.

Racing wise- Ever since i bought my Hellcat Challenger...I've gone back to my evil ways. I've spent way too much time out in the shop preparing the car for 1/2 mile, 1 mile Speed Runs and, more than a few visits to the Dragstrip. As a matter of fact i spent most of this weekend working in my heated shop building horsepower while the world around me was sitting at -11 degrees outside.

Model Rocketry has always been very dear to me over the years...It all started in a little town in Wisconsin flying Estes Rockets in abandoned ball fields back in the 70's.
It took me into a career in the Air Force maintaining Nuclear ICBM's and, assisting with Space Launches and, with that i was never so responsible in my life for anything i have ever done......before or since.

Along the way i helped form a Tripoli Prefect with several great people and, watched it grow into something unbelievable over a short time. Tripoli bestowed upon me an honor when it made me a TAP and, that will continue on as long as i feel that i can do the job...

Over the years there have been many road trips....Donations of motors, a lot of time/money spent on Diesel/Motels/Food just to be there-
MANY great friendships...Life long friendships with some of the BEST people i would have never met without this hobby...
Thank-you...

Last night i came back to the forum (since MWP 15) to make a comment about the latest Star Wars movie-
Something happened along the way. What was a fun discussion...turned into a major editing and, deletion of mine and, others postings.

With that being said, i would like to say that i feel that i won't be coming here and, IF you need to reach me- I can be found on the Tripoli TAP listing for contact info. Or just ask, if you don't know how to reach me...someone knows how to. I can be found.

It has been a long and, winding road filled with great learning...friendships...many fun times....many more to come...
But, not here.
Bless you all, i look forward to seeing you in a field somewhere down the road of life.

Good bye...my friends...:sigh:Good bye.

:surprised::(:sad::cry:

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I'm doing the same thing - LOL. I also just need to order some parts.

I'm doing mine BT-60 based with a BT-70 for the fairing. What scale is yours?

54mm heavy wall cardboard tubing with 3-D printed nose cones for all three tubes. Probably a 38mm 2G center core and 29mm 1G sides, most likely all CTI white, though the sides may be WT if those are available. What size motors are you thinking? It's tricky to get enough thrust on the center to lift everything while still having a long enough burn to outlast the side boosters. I want the sides to drop off while the center is still under thrust. A heads up flight to be sure!
 
1. Fly more
2. Fly a reloadable motor
3. build and fly a fiberglass rocket
4. Fly with Jolly Logic chute release
5. fly with electronics (other than JL)
6. Fly a 3 motor cluster
7. Fly a 2 stager
8. possibly get my L1
9. possibly dual deploy
10. only buy 4-5 more kits this year (until Black Wednesday)
All flights are understood to be successful recovery.
 
I guess I'll do one of these as well...

- Get my ArdIU project working: https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?142671-ArdIU-Open-source-flight-computer-w-ATMega328
* Bonus: Get the ArdIU beta program up and running
- Get my Jr L1
* Bonus: Break Mach/mile
- Do better than a 90% success rate overall (counting partially successful flights as partial points using my personal standards- e.g. a nominal flight that has a good chute but is damaged on landing is considered to be 80% successful. My success rate since late summer '17 is 83%)
 
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I guess I'll do one of these as well...

- Get my ArdIU project working: https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?142671-ArdIU-Open-source-flight-computer-w-ATMega328
* Bonus: Get the ArdIU beta program up and running
- Get my Jr L1
* Bonus: Break Mach/mile
- Do better than a 90% success rate overall (counting partially successful flights as partial points using my personal standards- e.g. a nominal flight that has a good chute but is damaged on landing is considered to be 80% successful. My success rate since late summer '17 is 83%)

Did you forget to add: "Finish that 2-stage rocket" to the list?
I joke

Have you fleshed out your success rating system below 80%? I like evaluation and progress metrics, so I'd be interested to hear more on it.
 
Did you forget to add: "Finish that 2-stage rocket" to the list?
I joke

Have you fleshed out your success rating system below 80%? I like evaluation and progress metrics, so I'd be interested to hear more on it.

Which, the Arcas? That's been finished for ~1yr now (its first flight anniversary is in a few weeks), I just haven't flown it recently, so I don't have an great video/flight pics. It will fly again soon!

My success rate system is very approximate- I guessed that reasonale standards would be:
Nominal, recovered: 100%
Nominal, lost: 90%
Nominal, damaged: 80%
Bad flight profile (e.g. extreme weathercocking, coning), good recovery: 50%
Good up, unsafe recovery (e.g. lawndart, shred): 20%
Complete failure: 0%

So far (knock on wood) since I've been logging my flights the worst I've had is 50%. I've had a few stretches of nothing but 100%, the best was mid-Oct to early Nov, with 7 straight perfect flights.
 
Work interfered with a lot of 2017, so I'm looking forward to an active 2018. My goals:

1) Finish and fly my BA Baracus on an L to 15,000 (or higher)
2) Finish and fly my 3x29mm cluster
3) Successfully attempt my first 2 stage
4) Learn how to use my new 3D printer such that I can build internal components

If 1) is accomplished early enough and allows for it:

5) Fly BA Baracus at Airfest, with a sponsored M flight to 35,000+. OR says it'll hit 39.500... we'll see.

For me, this is an aggressive list. 1, 4 and 5 are the ones I want to accomplish most.
 
1) Build my first L3 MD rocket (3" MadCow Adventurer with mods)
2) Go to AirFest and fly the above mentioned rocket to 32k+ feet **OR** shred same rocket.
3) Build and fly my first 2-stage HP rocket.

If I can accomplish #1, then #2 is pretty much guaranteed
 
Work interfered with a lot of 2017, so I'm looking forward to an active 2018. My goals:

1) Finish and fly my BA Baracus on an L to 15,000 (or higher)
2) Finish and fly my 3x29mm cluster
3) Successfully attempt my first 2 stage
4) Learn how to use my new 3D printer such that I can build internal components

If 1) is accomplished early enough and allows for it:

5) Fly BA Baracus at Airfest, with a sponsored M flight to 35,000+. OR says it'll hit 39.500... we'll see.

For me, this is an aggressive list. 1, 4 and 5 are the ones I want to accomplish most.

Have you run it through RasAero?



@Lithosphere: Weren't you the one building that Neil inspired green/black2-stage?

Also, where would these fall:
-Bad profile, lost (imagine a parabola into the woods/blue-yonder)
-Good up profile, partial recovery (main deploy failure for example)
-Main at apogee
 
Keep flying! Been getting some pretty lousy hands dealt recently and its getting hard to not just roll-up the tent and see what's next. So, if I can keep my "big boy" pants on:

1. fly a minimum diameter 54.
2. fly my L3 again at SCORE.
3. take a long walk in "that canyon" and recover some long lost birds.
4. complete the rest of the Eggfinder kits I have. (Kinda got carried away there)
5. stay extra late and catch a sunset at the field
6. listen to others' suggestions and see what I missed...
 
One big goal is another Quadcopter project, as I did with the Lunar Module. Except that if things go well (a big if), this project will be capable of taking off on rocket power, not using multicopter control until apogee (and no, it's NOT a rocket powered version of a Lunar Module). If things do not go well, but not a disaster, then i'll settle for it not being rocket boost capable (I expect more than 90% of the routine flying to be pure Quadcopter only, with the rocket boost liftoffs done at rocket launches and for other special occasions)

I do not want to say more until I've actually gotten deep into the build and done at least a Quad powered test flight (as I did with the LM Quad model before I announced and posted the build thread). As it is, the idea for this other model is more than a year old and it's gotten delayed. Even a brief start, then a long stop. But I may finally get the project going again in a few weeks. And when I do have something to report about it, I'll post a new thread and reveal what it is.

Have other modeling goals for other things, but most of those are not as unique as this project (mostly competition related goals). Do not have a bicycling goal, some other physical activity taking priority over that.
 
Have you run it through RasAero?



@Lithosphere: Weren't you the one building that Neil inspired green/black2-stage?

Also, where would these fall:
-Bad profile, lost (imagine a parabola into the woods/blue-yonder)
-Good up profile, partial recovery (main deploy failure for example)
-Main at apogee

No I haven't.
 
@Lithosphere: Weren't you the one building that Neil inspired green/black2-stage?

Also, where would these fall:
-Bad profile, lost (imagine a parabola into the woods/blue-yonder)
-Good up profile, partial recovery (main deploy failure for example)
-Main at apogee

Indeed I am! I have a lot of 2 stagers. I haven't done much on that one in a bit... It's been overshadowed by ArdIU and my new QCC Explorer. I really need to get on updating that thread... Thanks for reminding me!

For the scenarios you described, I would out down:
Bad profile & lost: probably 40%
Good up, partial recovery or main @apogee: Not sure, but I'd probably count these as the same. Probably somewhere around 50-60% ish
 
My goals for this year:

Fly more of my own rockets (versus the girls' 5x Dragonfly)

Test and fly a sorbitol HPR motor

Start another big rocket project with students - hanging out with Team NUMB has got me thinking way too big...


Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum
 
1) actually recover ALL of my mach1 aspire on a flight.

2) help my 12yo son reach to supersonic with his aspire

3) L1 certify

4) fly my first dual deploy and get comfortable with it.

5) fly something with a 4” airframe.


Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum
 

Thanks!

1) actually recover ALL of my mach1 aspire on a flight.

2) help my 12yo son reach to supersonic with his aspire

3) L1 certify

4) fly my first dual deploy and get comfortable with it.

5) fly something with a 4” airframe.


Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum

4" is a nice size for first time dual deploy, especially with redundant altimeters. It's pretty easy to fit all of your electronics on a sled while you're still learning how to wire things to use space efficiently.
 
I probably should have goals, but honestly, it reminds me of work. We had to do goals every year, and it was the hardest part of the job. EVERYBODY hated it, employees and supervisors. They finally got smart and just handed down a few things everyone had to do, a couple of things everyone in the department had to do and then maybe one thing you had to create just for you. And they always said that this year will be different, we'll really pay attention to goals and review them every month. Nope, never happened. Everyone scrambled in December to do what they could. And then they ignored it all and handed out raises based on who the boss liked the best (often me :))
 
Gödel's To-do List:

1 - Write a to-do list.


New Years Resolutions ... this is fun:
  1. Build down the LP build pile
  2. L2 -- That's two big (for me) rockets to build. In case I blow it on the first attempt. Lots of sub-goals in this one.
  3. Fabricate my first fiberglass nose cone (see item 2)
  4. Fabricate my first rib-and-spar nosecone (see item 2)
  5. Three stage (F to E to C)
  6. Finless-sustainer two-stage
  7. Build a stand+enclosure for the Shapeoko XL CNC
  8. Assemble the Maslow CNC
  9. Finish the prototype LPR launch stand
  10. Finish the hand-crank-dynamo launch controller
  11. RSO/LCO at a club HP launch.

Yeah, that's enough.
 
Sometimes the goal list just gets smaller and, smaller each year.

Rocketry wise- I plan to attend Mini Midwest Power in Princeton Illinois and, of course Midwest Power later in the year. At this time i have no other events planned. (Unless Sabrina needs me in Vis-Kon-Sin...:eek:)

Life wise- Plant more trees and, constantly work hard on keeping my little Tree Farm in top shape. Travel more....Using my vacation time to see people/places i really want to see before time runs out.

Racing wise- Ever since i bought my Hellcat Challenger...I've gone back to my evil ways. I've spent way too much time out in the shop preparing the car for 1/2 mile, 1 mile Speed Runs and, more than a few visits to the Dragstrip. As a matter of fact i spent most of this weekend working in my heated shop building horsepower while the world around me was sitting at -11 degrees outside.

Blah blah blah...

Yeah - that new toy (car) is going to suck-up time and money.... I see that.

I'm sure I'll see you at a launch or two this year, and if not... well, you can't hide forever.

I know where you live. :dark:

Capture.JPG
 
Gödel's To-do List:

1 - Write a to-do list.


New Years Resolutions ... this is fun:...
Finish the hand-crank-dynamo launch controller
RSO/LCO at a club HP launch.

Yeah, that's enough.

For the first... are you talking about the old 'exploder' type boxes for demolition/quarry work?? I have been looking at getting one of those for 'curio' value and to see if it works for rockets!!!

RSO/LCO - PLEASE !! Brothers!! Can we sign you up for the coming year? all of it???

----

Goals for 2018

Fly more than 3 HPR rockets this year (may tally for the last two years)
50 by 50 (50K by 50 years old)
Finish and fly my 2 stager
Fly something at BALLS
 
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