Australian Rocketry's Thunda Down Under 2015

G’day from Australia,

After considerable research, visits to foreign lands and seeking support from a number of local and international rocketeers and organisations, Australian Rocketry is proud to present Thunda Down Under 2015!

Over the last decade or so, the sport of rocketry has grown significantly not only in Australia but around the world and as such has seen a number of talented individuals and groups build and operate some amazing vehicles. With technology making it ever so easy to communicate globally, a community of likeminded enthusiasts has forged internationally.

In recent years, a number of Australian’s have had the opportunity to visit other rocketry launches around the world. From North America to Europe to Asia, many strong relationships have been built and now we would like to invite the world to fly Down Under.

A select few have teamed together to bring you Australian Rocketry’s Thunda Down Under 2015. Whether you are an Australian or from the far reaches of the globe, ARTDU is not just a rocketry event, it is an experience like no other. For international visitors, there is nothing quite like Australia which will also make for an unforgettable holiday.

Be sure to check out the official website at www.thunda.com.au. You will find a number of useful resources and FAQs about Australia and just for some fun, a list of ‘Aussie Slang’ so you will hopefully understand what we are saying Down Under. Follow the links to learn about the rocket launch, including launch specifics , featured projects and something special about our amazing launch site plus much more.

There’s still plenty of information to be added to Australian Rocketry’s Thunda Down Under website, so make sure you check back often and sign up to the newsletter to receive regular updates.

See you all in 2015!

Sign me up!

I'm work'n on it mate's! Started saving my change.

Gotta get there, & challenge all ya bloke's to the 1st CJ drag race down under.

Do they lawn dart there....or just keep going up?

Blake....apparently they didn't like our Vegemite antics, they left it all out of the show....drat.

Good work CJ! You need to be convincing all the others to come down too

Amazingly enough, gravity pulls them back down to Earth, but they do spin in the opposite direction ;-) haha

I heard that I didn't make the cut at all, prob had the girls all flustered. Ahh well, as always it was still good fun! Hopefully see you at an event again next year

blackjack2564 said:

Gotta get there, & challenge all ya bloke's to the 1st CJ drag race down under.

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Challenge accepted!

So Blake, how long do we have to wait until the details of the drag race are made public? 2 1/2 years is plenty of time to figure out how best to chea... I mean win!

I am pretty sure we can set some rules pretty soon. I will work out something out, confer with CJ (coz obviously he will want to win) and the release the details. I am pretty confident that an Aussie will destroy this challenge coz it will be rig... I mean it will be the hometown advantage ;-)

The Williams drag race was pretty exciting



Krusty

kopius said:

I am pretty sure we can set some rules pretty soon. I will work out something out, confer with CJ (coz obviously he will want to win) and the release the details. I am pretty confident that an Aussie will destroy this challenge coz it will be rig... I mean it will be the hometown advantage ;-)

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If the last place is a non-Aussie, they have to eat Vegemite. If it's an Aussie, well, we'll figure something out that you have to consume.

Deb and I are hoping to make it down. My only concern is getting Deb to come home -- she does love that Aussie accent.

-Kevin

I'm totally in for this one!

I've been to Aussieland many times, but never with the family.


Could you guys add sorme rocket related FAQ's?


Is there a recommended vendor to pre-order commercial reloads to have ready when we arrive?

Is there an address, friend, vendor that could accept packages if we wanted to ship a rocket (yes, I'm well aware of the shipping fee's....)

Any experiences you've had coming to the USA to launch may be helpful in reversing the commute for us.

alexzogh said:

I'm totally in for this one!

I've been to Aussieland many times, but never with the family.


Could you guys add sorme rocket related FAQ's?


Is there a recommended vendor to pre-order commercial reloads to have ready when we arrive?

Is there an address, friend, vendor that could accept packages if we wanted to ship a rocket (yes, I'm well aware of the shipping fee's....)

Any experiences you've had coming to the USA to launch may be helpful in reversing the commute for us.

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same thing my wife asked me about......

https://thunda.com.au/?page_id=87
Bottom of the page

ROCKet STAR said:

Challenge accepted!

So Blake, how long do we have to wait until the details of the drag race are made public? 2 1/2 years is plenty of time to figure out how best to chea... I mean win!

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Oh heck ya....cheating is not only acceptable, but highly encouraged.[I love nuclear igniters!]

I never make the rules till large amounts of alcohol have been consumed just prior to launch day......even then they can change during flight.LOL:lol:..........

kopius said:

I am pretty sure we can set some rules pretty soon. I will work out something out, confer with CJ (coz obviously he will want to win) and the release the details. I am pretty confident that an Aussie will destroy this challenge coz it will be rig... I mean it will be the hometown advantage ;-)

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...........but since this will be on foreign soil & ya'll have the home field advantage, exceptions can be made. We'll get an early start:

Rule 1. All entrants must be rum/bundy drinking & speak Pirate....Arrrg.....ye bilge water drink'n mate's.

I can just see this. Aussie accents speak'n pirate down at the Rocks!

Kevin.... Blake already made me eat/wear Vegemite. Actually it ain't that bad when done right, but it doesn't work to well as eyeliner!

Great meeting you guys last year. I'm starting a travel fund today. But do I have to install my magnetic apogee detectors upside down to work there? :wink:

Sather

SMR said:

Great meeting you guys last year. I'm starting a travel fund today. But do I have to install my magnetic apogee detectors upside down to work there? :wink:

Sather

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Great meeting you too!!

As funny as that sounds, you do in fact have to install them inverted, as do we with our locally made units when travelling to USA. The interesting part about that is, what orientation do you install them on the equator?

Australian Rocketry Pty Ltd (www.ausrocketry.com.au) will handle everyone's rocketry needs and I am sure there will be much discussion leading up to the event to make sure everyone is covered for what they want to fly.

Extracted from www.thunda.com.au

Shipping Rockets to Australia: Australian Rocketry Pty Ltd ships a number of containers from USA to Australia each year and will be allocating space for people to ship rockets and components closer to the event. Prices for space will be based on a cubic measurement and listed soon. For countries in other regions, there is a number of carriers that will ship to Australia and we will be happy to collect and store these for you. Alternatively, Australian Rocketry Pty Ltd will be having specials on certain kits specifically for this event if you would like to try your skills at building a rocket in the land Down Under.

kopius said:

Great meeting you too!!
The interesting part about that is, what orientation do you install them on the equator?

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They won't work. At the equator, the magnetic field lines are more or less horizontal.

Reinhard

Hope you guys are making your arangements for motor reloads and shipping

We are now officially one year away from Australian Rocketry's Thunda Down Under 2015!

This weekend, some of the team are heading out west to finalise some of the logistics for this amazing event. There have been lots of questions pooring in over the last few weeks from all over the world and we should have most of the last answers next week.

Some of the planning this weekend will be for final touches such as cranes for the full scale V2, large scale communication systems and accommodation arrangements.

Starting to get chills thinking about it!!

3k for a plane ticket is out of my budget.

JD

kopius said:

We are now officially one year away from Australian Rocketry's Thunda Down Under 2015!

This weekend, some of the team are heading out west to finalise some of the logistics for this amazing event. There have been lots of questions pooring in over the last few weeks from all over the world and we should have most of the last answers next week.

Some of the planning this weekend will be for final touches such as cranes for the full scale V2, large scale communication systems and accommodation arrangements.

Starting to get chills thinking about it!!

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Okay Blake, I'll wait one more week, but I and anyone else who is going really need details. Like when that container will ship and cost. Actual launch location, waiver, launch equipment, like which rails, how much notice to have the motors I want to use on the field waiting for me, etc.

-Al

Blake told me 1700.00 would do it.......haven't checked myself. what say ye Blakeeeeeiiii?

Hi Al,

I'll try and answer some of the questions while the Thunda crew are out at the launchsite finalising some logistic items:

Location: 4-5 hours West of the city of Brisbane, in the state of Queensland. As the launchsite is so big, the guys will determine the exact field to be used at Thunda over this weekend. The site will not be far from the town of Westmar which should serve as a good indicator of the approximate area:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/plac...m2!3m1!1s0x6bbb5769f46ca1b1:0x400eef17f20bc80

Waiver: Currently 18,000ft, however negotiations are ongoing with the local AHJ to raise this.

Launch equipment: Various rods, 1010 and 1515 rails of varying lengths to suit all sizes of rockets.

GSE: Sufficient to launch all types of motors: LPR, MPR, HPR, Hybrids (including pyro-free ignition)

Motor supply: Blake can provide more info on this, but there will be a range of motors available from Gorilla, CTI and Aerotech. Due to local Explosives Authority restrictions, experimental motors will be prohibited with the exception of hybrid motors. Launch supplies including spare igniters, BP and e-matches will be available from the onsite vendor, www.ausrocketry.com.au

Accommodation: There will be on-site camping in addition to the local accommodation currently being finalised, along with on-site food vendors offering a variety of Aussie foods. Porta-potties will be available on site, however there will be no access to power. As most guests will need some form of transportation to the event, I'd suggest looking into the following RV companies to combine your travel and accommodation costs (or grab a swag and camp under the Aussie stars):

https://www.apollocamper.com/
https://www.britz.com.au/
https://www.jucy.com.au/default.aspx
https://www.maui.com.au/
https://www.keacampers.com/

We have a number of local rocketeers willing to take deliveries should anyone wish to send their rocket over via USPS / FedEx etc, feel free to post in this thread if you would like their assistance. Our postal system is a little slow, so allow several weeks if you do post anything over.

Cheers,
Simon
(Or should I say Sumo, Al)

A caravan is a camp trailer to us in the USA?

M

I might add that my wife attended Thunder Down Under a few years ago, but it was in Las Vegas, Nevada; It was a much... different... show!

I'll get there one day, some great scuba too!

jcowles3 said:

I might add that my wife attended Thunder Down Under a few years ago, but it was in Las Vegas, Nevada; It was a much... different... show!

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Hah! I think as rocketeers we're collectively the opposite of those guys in our physiques. :rofl:

Seriously, my wife, myself, and my ground crew (friend and his wife) are all experienced campers and will have all the gear with us - kitchens, fridges, solar, generator, inverters, etc etc. If anyone wants to throw in with us, you'd be more than welcome. I promise we won't make you eat Vegemite.

Hello Rocketeers!

If you'd like to know a little more and stay up to date on the progress of Rocketry Victoria's world record attempt at Thunda Down Under head on over to www.worldrecordrocket.com You can also follow us on facebook as well

The build is coming along nicely, central airframe skeleton and fin photos here with some more work done on laminating fins completed on the weekend.

astrojase said:

The build is coming along nicely, central airframe skeleton and fin photos here with some more work done on laminating fins completed on the weekend.

View attachment 171786View attachment 171787

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:y:

What the....???

nh4clo4 said:

:y:

What the....???

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Full scale V2 280kg and going up on a O25000 - wont go super high or fast, but will be a spectacular sight nonetheless.

It's our club project

astrojase said:

Full scale V2 280kg and going up on a O25000 - wont go super high or fast, but will be a spectacular sight nonetheless.

It's our club project

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https://www.rocketryforum.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=707508

Full scale V2....Holy Smokes! I was thinking *Full scale can of Fosters*. Good luck with your project!

That's bad a@$!!!! Wow!!


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