I'm working on the build for an L2 certification attempt. I chose a kit from Hawk Mountain Enterprises called the Transonic II. This kit comes in two versions, a single stage--and a longer version designed for dual-deploy that they call Minimum Drift Recovery (MDR). This rocket was chosen based on the survivability of the airframe which is all fiberglass with a molded fin can.
I elected to go with the shorter version and to fly with motor ejection. I'm letting the KISS principle dictate most of my choices. Plan to fly a small J-Motor, and use motor ejection. At apogee, rocket will deploy a small 18" drogue chute along with a larger 30" chute on a Jolly Logic Chute Release. Also on the harness will be a sonic beeper.
At 300' Jolly Logic will release the larger chute. The rocket will also fly a tracker (Eggtimer GPS) in the nose cone avionics bay. There will also be a JL Atlimeter 3 onboard for telemetry.
Just started on the simulations, but it looks like this thing will get out sight pretty quickly. At least 5,500 feet. Hoping to fly at Sky Jam in Harpersville, AL which is a large sod farm field, and a waiver to at least 16,000 feet.
Would love to keep the altitude much lower, and have heard about people flying "ballast" of sand or even water in their rockets. But have no idea how this done from a practical standpoint. My library of high power books has very little on this topic either.
Is this even an option for a rocket like this? It's 54mm minimum diameter type rocket.
I bow to the collective wisdom of the group--and am probably overthinking this.
I elected to go with the shorter version and to fly with motor ejection. I'm letting the KISS principle dictate most of my choices. Plan to fly a small J-Motor, and use motor ejection. At apogee, rocket will deploy a small 18" drogue chute along with a larger 30" chute on a Jolly Logic Chute Release. Also on the harness will be a sonic beeper.
At 300' Jolly Logic will release the larger chute. The rocket will also fly a tracker (Eggtimer GPS) in the nose cone avionics bay. There will also be a JL Atlimeter 3 onboard for telemetry.
Just started on the simulations, but it looks like this thing will get out sight pretty quickly. At least 5,500 feet. Hoping to fly at Sky Jam in Harpersville, AL which is a large sod farm field, and a waiver to at least 16,000 feet.
Would love to keep the altitude much lower, and have heard about people flying "ballast" of sand or even water in their rockets. But have no idea how this done from a practical standpoint. My library of high power books has very little on this topic either.
Is this even an option for a rocket like this? It's 54mm minimum diameter type rocket.
I bow to the collective wisdom of the group--and am probably overthinking this.