Spyder Camera Rocket

Jump to 1 minute if you want to skip the intro stuff. (One of these days I'll learn to edit!:gavel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBdvhE3c0iM&feature=youtu.be

This is a video from my new Spyder Camera Rocket (own design.) Goal is to have a stable video platform on DESCENT. The recovery is via AirBrake Recovery (no chute, no streamer.) Still have a little bit of rotation on the recovery (I was launching in 6 MPH winds).

C6-3 Engine. MD80 video camera externally mounted.
About 40 Second Flight time from lift off to impact....er, recovery.

I still think this beats the typical parachute recovery jiggle, but needs a bit more work.

I may go with a smaller rocket next time, get more altitude although descent will be a bit quicker. Might get less shimmy if it comes down faster.

Input from the experts out there would be appreciated!

2nd Flight, jump to 20 seconds for the launch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUapxy9KpvU&feature=youtu.be

3rd Flight, jump to 46 seconds for launch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvoODf_gz9E&feature=youtu.be

Okay, apologize in advance for the last one but it is the best I could do with my phone camera, and winds are not favorable for another launch soon. You can see the model in descent mode in images at 46 and 47 seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbeFWUmbwR8&feature=youtu.be

Tom

well you'd have better scenery if you were launch near a beach (in warm weather). looks pretty good to me.

I forgot this in the original post (it is added now)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbeFWUmbwR8&feature=youtu.be:gavel:

Interesting...

I was wondering how exactly you made your "airbrakes"... novel design... sort of a helicopter recovery without the helicopter rotation... innovative!

Doesn't seem to rotate much at all on the descent... on ascent it seems to rotate or oscillate pretty good though...

Might actually get better footage looking straight out from the side of the rocket... which the second flight seems to be, but then it ends up looking straight down... did you design it that way??

Interesting work... I could think of a quick improvement to the design-- internal folding airbrake "flaps" (rotors seems the wrong word since the idea is to PREVENT rotation!)

Later and KUTGW!!!

OL JR

These are the Spyder in Launch Configuration.
The motor and blade retention system is similar to that used in the Whopper Flopper Chopper. Rubber bands both hold the blades closed and strap the engine tightly in place (there is no body tube or true motor mount on this rocket.) This is an engine eject model. Ejection charge fries the bands, they self retract (this has been an EXTREMELY reliable motor mount/retention system in my experience, has failed once in about 50 launches.)

If desired, you could wrap a streamer around the engine.

The camera is mounted on one of the blades. In launch configuration, the camera faces outward/laterally.

As Senor Strawwalker noted, this is basically a "broken helicopter" rocket. In fact, the design came to me when I had a helicopter rocket that came down perfectly stable, 'cept it didn't rotate. First thought, that's cool. Second thought, "what if I put a camera on this?"

In fact, my first version was a disappointment, cuz it rotated even though it wasn't supposed to (made a beautiful 4 fin chopper rocket, but the video as you might expect would make you spill cookies.) But I digress...

In deployed position, the blades open outward and are locked by the rotor stops. The fins are intentionally perpendicular to the blades, and they act as "rotation brakes" to keep the bird from spinning (my first version that "helicoptered" so well had the fins flat/parallel with the blades, even though there was no angle on the hinge still caused rotation.) In this case I mounted the fins off center to allow the burn bands to come straight down. I think this was enough to STILL cause a little "symmetrical asymmetry" and I THINK that is why I still have a little bit of spin on this bird.

Because the camera is mounted to the blade, it faces outward on launch, but faces down (and a little bit out) in recovery. Note that these pics are essentially "upside down"--- the rocket descends with the nose cone pointed DOWN.

Launch was a little flaky with more rotation than I expected. Some of that I believe is due to the externally mounted camera, which has to add a certain amount of Cattywampus-ness.

Next version will have internally mounted camera and the fins better centered on the blades.

VEeeery EEEnnnteres-STINK! View attachment VeryInteresting.bmp

I figured the "interesting ascent" might be in part to the rather large rotor stops acting as "forward fins" and maybe making it a touch squirrely on the way up... not unstable, obviously, but maybe imparting a little unwanted motion??

I see what you're saying about the fins... interesting that it autorotated without any induced angle of attack designed into the rotors... offset lift I guess.

Centering the fins probably WOULD help... internal cam mount, maybe, but maybe not as much as one might think... I dunno, definitely worth a shot.

Hmmmm... given any thought to INTERNAL rotors?? I'm thinking of that helicopter kit that uses a regular tube design, with an internal dowel glued in it running basically all the way from nosecone back to the motor mount, with a balsa plug that slides easily in/out of the tube glued to the dowel, and a thrust ring mounted just below where the nosecone shoulder would be when the nosecone is fully seated to act as an ejection stop to prevent the plug and nosecone from being ejected completely (and of course body tube vents just below the piston at full extension). This would create a space around the dowel between it and the body tube walls to mount the airbrake strakes... (sounds better than rotors). Could even mount 5-6 if one was so inclined... they'd probably use stop strings and deployment springs to ensure a positive deployment, and the rocket would descend tail-first... (sorta like an umbrella with no cloth on it...)

Camera could be mounted externally on the body tube, or in a section between the nosecone and a balsa tube coupler to which the dowel and airbrake strakes (rotors) would be attached... sort of a "payload capsule" between the nosecone and airbrake strakes... look straight out the whole flight...

Just tossing out ideas...

VERY neat design you have there... most novel camera setup I've seen yet!

later! OL JR