What are the coolest payloads you've launched?

lcorinth · Sep 18, 2014

I'm building (well, planning) a payload section that will lift both an altimeter and a miniature camera. This is the first payload project I'll have built. When I first got into rocketry, I didn't see the point of a payload section - what am I gonna put in there, a dandelion?

Until I found out about altimeters and mini camcorders and the like.

Now I'm curious about other payloads - electronic or otherwise - are possible. What are some of the coolest or most interesting payloads you've launched? I'm always on the lookout for new ideas.

codysmith · Sep 18, 2014

Little army parachute men that pop out at ejrction

fyrwrxz · Sep 18, 2014

you mean legal payloads? I got nothing. Except a beer that got warm and foamy-what a waste of propellant...

morlock · Sep 18, 2014

A playmobile astronaut that descended with his own chute. The kids loved it!

Otherwise, I've got an electronic payload getting designed and built by an electrical engineer friend. The first version will contain a six axis accelerometer and a barometer. We plan to add a gps unit and a radio module to send back the data in real time.

blackjack2564 · Sep 18, 2014

lcorinth said:
What are some of the most interesting payloads you've launched? I'm always on the lookout for new ideas.

Dead people. My friends.

bob jablonski · Sep 18, 2014

A clay Mr. Bill on a H220. OH NOOOOO. He got a bit squished:y:
Mr. Bob
Countyline Hobbies
Grovertown, IN.
574-540-1123
[email protected]
www.countylinehobbies.com

Getmore · Sep 18, 2014

blackjack2564 said:
Dead people. My friends.

That is on my list soon. Not me yet.

Verna · Sep 18, 2014

You can do lots of things; altimeter, cameras, action figures, etc.

My favorite is a 2 stage 3 engine cluster with action figures from my favorite childhood

movie.

Verna
www.vernarockets.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HHJHOK6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
https://www.facebook.com/RocketBabeDustStorm

CarVac · Sep 18, 2014

fyrwrxz said:
you mean legal payloads? I got nothing. Except a beer that got warm and foamy-what a waste of propellant...

There were the keg rockets... were you referring to that?

JohnCoker · Sep 18, 2014

In case you ever get the urge to launch something that actually matters...
ARLISS program

fyrwrxz · Sep 19, 2014

Verna said:
You can do lots of things; altimeter, cameras, action figures, etc.

My favorite is a 2 stage 3 engine cluster with action figures from my favorite childhood View attachment 184750movie.

Verna
www.vernarockets.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HHJHOK6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
https://www.facebook.com/RocketBabeDustStorm

I remember that rocket! Dang-I thought it was sooo cool! Thanks for posting that pic!

adrian · Sep 19, 2014

I've launched a bumble-bee, a hedgehog and a rat.

All toys, of course.

Also a bear and an orang-utan. The latter was for a charity launch. I'd set up two donation boxes, one for people to donate for more power, the other for people to donate for more safety for the orangutan. This was the rocket:

View attachment 184772

There's a triple mount with a 24mm and two 18mm tubes, plus provision for up to six parallel boosters. More money in the power box meant more motors. More power in the safety box meant the orangutan got a parachute, a capsule which stayed attached to the rocket or a detaching capsule on its own parachute. The whole lot was then added together and a cheque for the same amount sent to the Orangutan Foundation.

Another time, I sent Kenny from South Park up in a rocket which ejected him. I "forgot" to give him a parachute. :facepalm:

:lol:

cherokeej · Sep 19, 2014

JohnCoker said:
In case you ever get the urge to launch something that actually matters...
ARLISS program

That's it right there.

If you want to fly some outside-the-box payloads, and make a real difference using high power rocketry... ARLISS.

[video=youtube_share;xEyLhni6Ivs]https://youtu.be/xEyLhni6Ivs[/video]

Zeroignite · Sep 19, 2014

adrian said:
I'd set up two donation boxes, one for people to donate for more power, the other for people to donate for more safety for the orangutan.

That feels very Kerbal Space Program. I love it.

ksaves2 · Sep 19, 2014

blackjack2564 said:
Dead people. My friends.

mother-in-law? Kurt

Bat-mite · Sep 19, 2014

Verna said:
You can do lots of things; altimeter, cameras, action figures, etc.

My favorite is a 2 stage 3 engine cluster with action figures from my favorite childhood movie.

Verna

Were they off to see the wizard?

WillMarchant · Sep 19, 2014

My wife was teaching a student projects class at GMU. I worked with a group that put together a fieldable tactical communications relay that I helped them fly on rockets and fixed and rotary wing UAVs. That was a lot of fun...

lcorinth · Sep 19, 2014

JohnCoker said:
In case you ever get the urge to launch something that actually matters...
ARLISS program

YES! This is something I'd really be interested in doing. Of course, for now, I'm only as far as low-power rocketry, but I'm looking for a payload that actually does something. I like the mini camera I found - I think it's perfect for a larger LPR. But I want to play with payloads that either measure or record something (altimeters, cameras). I'm just not too familiar with what other electronic options there are.

When I get to the point of "graduating" to higher power stuff, I'll look into this.

WillMarchant · Sep 19, 2014

https://www.jollylogic.com/

lcorinth said:
... I'm looking for a payload that actually does something. I like the mini camera I found - I think it's perfect for a larger LPR. But I want to play with payloads that either measure or record something (altimeters, cameras). I'm just not too familiar with what other electronic options there are.
...

KenRico · Sep 19, 2014

fyrwrxz said:
you mean legal payloads? I got nothing. Except a beer that got warm and foamy-what a waste of propellant...

We did beer loft back in the day at Lucerne Dry Lake Bed.

It was a duration event..clock started when rocket started moving off pad and stopped after you guzzled the payload.

A Coors light would slide perfectly into a LOC 2.6" tube ...a very cool payload- actually ice cold when loaded.

Kenny

RocketT.Coyote · Sep 19, 2014

I lofted a Wile E. Coyote bendie fitted with a spare Cox parachute in my TLP Scud-B on two D12-0s staging a pair of D12-5s as part of a demo for the local press. Never saw it again.

Made a couple of sonic beacons with plans by Dr. Andy Tomasch. Pull pin activation, and runs on a tiny 12v battery like the one by Estes. Boosted one in a TLP Sparrow AIM-7F. When testing the unit at home, my cat tried to destroy it.

rbelknap · Sep 19, 2014

cherokeej said:
That's it right there.

If you want to fly some outside-the-box payloads, and make a real difference using high power rocketry... ARLISS.

ARLISS is probably the only reason I'd consider moving beyond my L1 at this point. It's something I'm interested in doing, but I do not have the budget nor the space to build and maintain an ARLISS capable rocket right now.

rbelknap · Sep 19, 2014

WillMarchant said:
https://www.jollylogic.com/

The JollyLogic Altimeter2 is a great little device, especially the most recent revision with the new LCD.

nute · Sep 19, 2014

My RRC2+!
incredibly simple by comparison to what people are doing with high power rocketry these days (and even just in our club) but it was really incredibly awesome (for me at least) to get electronic deployment right the first time, especially after designing and building my own av-bay and modifying my Darkstar Lite with no instructions to go off of. It was really satisfying for me. I like the Playmobile idea (that's my sister's hobby), but she shot down that idea quickly

Random Flying Object · Sep 19, 2014

Coolest payload I have launched so far. Still have a ways to go to get all the bells and whistles operational.

ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1411176210.277242.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum

blackjack2564 · Sep 19, 2014

ksaves2 said:
mother-in-law? Kurt

No.

Actual rocket friends who passed away & last wishes were for the ashes to be set free at apogee in a rocket.

Micromeister · Sep 20, 2014

blackjack2564 said:
No.

Actual rocket friends who passed away & last wishes were for the ashes to be set free at apogee in a rocket.

Jim I've had the same honor.
One of the most moving launches was helping to spread my mothers ashes from one of my Standard D12 powered model rockets over her beloved Skyline Drive in Virginia.

Koolest Payload has to be anyone of several LED Lighted night launch rockets. Altimeters, air sampling, and other data gathering payloads are also fun.

634b-d4c-sm_2-Stage NIght UFO lit (lights off)_08-04-07.jpg

lcorinth · Sep 20, 2014

Random Flying Object said:
Coolest payload I have launched so far. Still have a ways to go to get all the bells and whistles operational.

View attachment 184828

Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum

Whoa, what is that thing?

lcorinth · Sep 20, 2014

blackjack2564 said:
No.

Actual rocket friends who passed away & last wishes were for the ashes to be set free at apogee in a rocket.

Oh, that's actually really nice! I thought you were kidding. But that's quite beautiful.

Random Flying Object · Sep 20, 2014

lcorinth said:
Whoa, what is that thing?

That is a portion of my upper AV bay.

Sent from my iPad using Rocketry Forum

What are the coolest payloads you've launched?

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

latest photo

Well-Known Member

Crazy Jim's Gone Banana's

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

latest photo

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Rocketeer in MD

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

'Just the Tip'

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Crazy Jim's Gone Banana's

Micro Craftman/ClusterNut

Attachments

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!