Today I unsuccessfully tried for my level 2. Like many of you I was heavily into model rocketry as a kid flying estes kits to their limits and then frankensteining parts from crashed or otherwise worn out rockets to build new and unusual birds. When my oldest child's science teacher did a unit on rocket flight, it was time to come back. Now with greater funding, and a very understanding wife, I started on the road to high power.
My plan was to start with a Loc Precision Nuke Pro Max cardboard rocket that would allow me to ease into high power starting with high powered G's and moving up to baby H motors. Even so, I overbuilt my rocket using strong epoxies, doped balsa fins, and chopped carbon fiber. Because why not. For a paper rocket, the Nuke turned out to be a tank. So, I scrapped my plan and went for a my level one with a medium H. My first attempt failed with a great flight but a parachute that didn't fully deploy. Despite the less than soft landing, the Nuke survived without a scratch.
My second flight was picture perfect and I scored my level 1 in September. By November I'd added a Telemega flight computer to be able to track my rocket and flew the Nuke on a largish H. It was a perfect flight. Still had a few kinks to work out on using the telemetry downlink and tracker, but felt great about moving on to try for my level 2.
Although I'd nearly finished a fiberglass dd with a 54mm motor mount, I thought it would be cool to use the Nuke for my level 2 flight. So, I loaded up my rocket, flight computer and a J270WL and headed for the field. The LCO and my cert witness looked over my rocket before I went to the pad, and I think they were a little surprised that I was flying paper. But, it checked out and the countdown began. After replacing a bad igniter, it had continuity but the pyrogen was too weak to get ignition, the motor lit and the rocket screamed off the pad. Having worked the bugs out of my flight procedures with the telemega, I got to enjoy the crowd that gathered around me as the computer voice announced the telemetry mid flight. So cool.
I hit a reported 7600 feet (not too far off from the sim) and mach 1.2. Because this wasn't set up as a dd, I was using motor ejection with a backup charge set at 500'. We could hear the event at apogee even though we couldn't see it, But, the numbers coming back from the telemetry showed an alarmingly fast descent. Sure enough, while my rocket came down, the parachute was (and may still be) taking its own flight path
Looking at the data, I think I lost the parachute at the motor ejection charge. Keep in mind, the J270 is so long that it took up about 2/3rds of the lower body tube. So, despite the Nomex blanket I suspect that the force of the charge blew the parachute out so quickly that it snapped the shroud lines right off of the bulkhead.
So, my take away is this: First, while I had fun with the nuke, and it may yet fly again, I think it's safe to say that level one motors are clearly the limit to what it can handle. Second, though I'm still struggling with getting my TeleBt to work wirelessly, the telemega was a great purchase and really added to the flight. Third, even a failed flight is still a heck of a lot of fun.
Many thanks to Paul Reed and his crew from Tulsa Rocketry for a great day flying.
My plan was to start with a Loc Precision Nuke Pro Max cardboard rocket that would allow me to ease into high power starting with high powered G's and moving up to baby H motors. Even so, I overbuilt my rocket using strong epoxies, doped balsa fins, and chopped carbon fiber. Because why not. For a paper rocket, the Nuke turned out to be a tank. So, I scrapped my plan and went for a my level one with a medium H. My first attempt failed with a great flight but a parachute that didn't fully deploy. Despite the less than soft landing, the Nuke survived without a scratch.
My second flight was picture perfect and I scored my level 1 in September. By November I'd added a Telemega flight computer to be able to track my rocket and flew the Nuke on a largish H. It was a perfect flight. Still had a few kinks to work out on using the telemetry downlink and tracker, but felt great about moving on to try for my level 2.
Although I'd nearly finished a fiberglass dd with a 54mm motor mount, I thought it would be cool to use the Nuke for my level 2 flight. So, I loaded up my rocket, flight computer and a J270WL and headed for the field. The LCO and my cert witness looked over my rocket before I went to the pad, and I think they were a little surprised that I was flying paper. But, it checked out and the countdown began. After replacing a bad igniter, it had continuity but the pyrogen was too weak to get ignition, the motor lit and the rocket screamed off the pad. Having worked the bugs out of my flight procedures with the telemega, I got to enjoy the crowd that gathered around me as the computer voice announced the telemetry mid flight. So cool.
I hit a reported 7600 feet (not too far off from the sim) and mach 1.2. Because this wasn't set up as a dd, I was using motor ejection with a backup charge set at 500'. We could hear the event at apogee even though we couldn't see it, But, the numbers coming back from the telemetry showed an alarmingly fast descent. Sure enough, while my rocket came down, the parachute was (and may still be) taking its own flight path
Looking at the data, I think I lost the parachute at the motor ejection charge. Keep in mind, the J270 is so long that it took up about 2/3rds of the lower body tube. So, despite the Nomex blanket I suspect that the force of the charge blew the parachute out so quickly that it snapped the shroud lines right off of the bulkhead.
So, my take away is this: First, while I had fun with the nuke, and it may yet fly again, I think it's safe to say that level one motors are clearly the limit to what it can handle. Second, though I'm still struggling with getting my TeleBt to work wirelessly, the telemega was a great purchase and really added to the flight. Third, even a failed flight is still a heck of a lot of fun.
Many thanks to Paul Reed and his crew from Tulsa Rocketry for a great day flying.