I sponsored and mentored a team from my old high school. I quit keeping track of how much it cost after I crossed the $1000 mark. I didn't want to know.
I would only guess around $1500 ish, not factoring in taking off from work early.
The largest, single cost was motors for test flights. It wasn't uncommon to do between four and seven test flights on any given launch day. Most of the prototype designs were 3 D's in the booster and one D in the sustainer. An early design used a composite to a BP motor, which crashed. That's a lot of motors. Composite motors can vary in cost from $12 each to over $27 like the Cessoroni G 69. Then if you go with reloadable motors, there is the investment in motor casings. The second biggest expense was replacing rockets or boosters that: were damaged on landing, or burned up due to a back lit booster motor, or failed to stage and came in ballastic, etc. It was a great learning experience for all the students that participated. This team didn't make it to the finals, but can't wait to try again this year. They had a huge learning curve to overcome. Only two of the students had built a basic rocket before. By April they perfected their skills and not one single flight pranged during the final testing. Their problem was we ran out of time. By April they were just breaking the 1000 foot mark.
I can't emphasize this enough:
Start working on your rockets as soon as possible!
Also remember that "Rocksim is your best friend". Use it and use it often. After you finish your prototype, weight your rocket and enter this value in Rocksim's mass overide feature. Rerun your simulations. This will help you save time and money in future designs.
Another way to save money is to order parts, like body tubes, in bulk. You could easily use over two dozen tubes in the whole process. Balsa Machining Service is a great source for parts in bulk.
This suggestion might work better in more rural/ small town settings:
Visit local organizations like the Lions, American Legion, VFW, Rotory Club, etc. Explain to them about TARC. If their budget isn't already spoken for, they might be able to help with a small donation. Many of these organizations do charitable gambling to raise money for community projects. The only problem is that the pie is only so big and that there are numerous good causes out there. You never know if you don't ask. Please be courteous all the time, especially if they give you any assistance. Maybe bring in your rockets to one of their meetings and give a short talk about your experience at the end of the contest. A few updates along the way would be appreciated.
Their might be members in your local NAR sections willing to help as well. You never know if you don't ask.
This year will be even better.
#1. Teams made up of youth organizations like 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc. can enter the contest. If your school won't let you participate for whatever reason, now you and your friends can enter through your club.
#2. This year is a precision duration event ( time to be announced), so your models can be built a little stronger if you choose to.
I would like to congratulate everyone who put in the effort to enter last year's contest! You gained valuable skills that you can use elsewhere later in life. Please consider entering again this year, it's worth every penny!
