My first high power rocket

[timothyterpsalot]

I finished my first high power rocket today. I'm planning on certifying with it in September at Airfest. It's a GiantLeap Escape Velocity kit. I can't wait to put her up!

 

[ben_ullman]

I finished my first high power rocket today. I'm planning on certifying with it in September at Airfest. It's a GiantLeap Escape Velocity kit. I can't wait to put her up!

pictures no worky. Looks like yahoo is down.

Ben

 

[Bill P]

The GiantLeap Escape Velocity is a good kit. Simple good flier.


Mine on its final flight. User error, someone (me) forgot to set the mach delay. :blush:

 

[Jeff]

Good looking rocket Tim. Is that paint or decal?

Bill your rocket went mach? On what motor?

 

[timothyterpsalot]

Its all spray paint. It has a metallic black on it with the orange then a clear gloss protective enamel over it.

 

[Bill P]

It went transonic on a Cesaroni J285 (I think). It simmed much slower so I didn't set the delay, something which I do now for most all flights.

 

[mparker59]

It went transonic on a Cesaroni J285 (I think). It simmed much slower so I didn't set the delay, something which I do now for most all flights.

Yeah, I almost shredded "Impending Doom" on it's first flight because I never stopped to think that a little cardboard rocket thrown together one afternoon for fun would exceed mach. Luckily it appears to have gone .99 Mach or something - def made 1100 fps, but no Mach transition pressure increase which would have caused early deployment. In retrospect, you can't ever go wrong setting the mach delay equal to or just longer than the motor burn time. I think I'll just do that from now on.

More on the subject - it's a great looking rocket Tim. I may be a bit premature in saying so, but "welcome to high power, now get out your checkbook."

Mike

 

[mparker59]

can I see your pad?

It appears that you have your own (brand new!) pad and rail and it looks like a nice design. Care to share photos and details?

Mike

 

[timothyterpsalot]

Sure, no problem. It's Dave Logan's pad design:
http://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews/all/scratch_rail_launchpad.shtml
The insrtucitons call for a 4' rail but I mounted a 6' rail instead. It's pretty stable.
The blast deflector is attached using two 1/4" carriage bolts.

Sorry for the mess in the basement, I just moved in and haven't yet gotten everything cleaned up.

 

[DAllen]

Sorry for the mess in the basement, I just moved in and haven't yet gotten everything cleaned up.

That's a mess? You're kidding right? You should come over to my place sometime.

Good luck with the flight! It sure is purdy. What motor are you going to cert on? Looks like a good candidate for the I211.

-Dave

 

[timothyterpsalot]

I was thinking either the H123 or H148. Both would put it around 1,200 ft.

 

[dixontj93060]

Hmmm... Looks strikingly familiar to a pad I designed back in '05 and am using regularly now posted here.

Sure, no problem. It's Dave Logan's pad design:
http://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews/all/scratch_rail_launchpad.shtml
The insrtucitons call for a 4' rail but I mounted a 6' rail instead. It's pretty stable.
The blast deflector is attached using two 1/4" carriage bolts.

Sorry for the mess in the basement, I just moved in and haven't yet gotten everything cleaned up.

 

[MarkII]

Hmmm... Looks strikingly familiar to a pad I designed back in '05 and am using regularly now posted here.

In an earlier thread, Tim asked about getting a pad, and I suggested that he take a look at a scratch-built pad design that was posted on EMRR. I had used that article to build my own rail pad in 2006. (My version has an 8' rail, and I discussed the modifications that I needed to make to the pad's design to accommodate it in a "Guest's Opinion" at the end of the article.) Your design does look quite similar to the pad in the EMRR article. I joined TRF 1.0 in late 2006 but I didn't start to actively participate in the forum until early 2008. I was not aware of your thread until you mentioned it in your post above.

MarkII

 

[MarkII]

BTW Tim, nice job on the Escape Velocity and on the pad construction! Good luck on getting your Level 1. I have been trying to get mine for 3 years now, but you will no doubt beat me to it!

MarkII

 

[nxj]

Looks sharp. I have been eye'ing it for my next project and i wanted to know, did you do anything extra to it? or is it all stock?

 

[Handeman]

Great job on the Escape Velocity. Are you going to fly it dual deploy for the cert attempt?

Good Luck

 

[timothyterpsalot]

nxj, I followed the directions pretty much exactly as came with the kit. However, they didn't offer any advice for setting up DD and some of the parts that came with the kit didn't match the directions. It was easy to get around these problems. For DD I used 1/2" PVC end-caps for the charge holder and used a simple washer held on by bolt and nut to protect the ebay from the gasses as seen here:
http://www.vernk.com/Construction/ColdfireAltimeterBay.htm

handyeman, I decided not to go for DD in my cert. attempt... I believe in KISS and figured it wouldn't be hard to send 'er up to 1,200 feet and retreive. That makes the odds more in my favor of getting my certification.

 

[Handeman]

handyeman, I decided not to go for DD in my cert. attempt... I believe in KISS and figured it wouldn't be hard to send 'er up to 1,200 feet and retrieve. That makes the odds more in my favor of getting my certification.

I can respect that. I just think that KISS is really an engineering term. I don't think KISS should apply to goals, only the building/operating/engineering and technical means to achieve those goals.

In other words, if your goal is simply to get the cert, then do it by the simplest means, baby H and motor deploy in a simple low flying rocket. If your goals are to fly high, learn DD, and the ground testing and everything that goes with it, then use an altimeter in it's simplest dual channel mode, do your ground tests as simply as possible with commercial ematches and fly the DD for the cert on an I motor that will get you the moste altitude. You can apply KISS to either goal, I just don't believe you should apply it to the goal itself.

Every flight is an oppertunity to learn more about rocketry. I think that applying KISS to your goals reduces your oppertunities to learn.

Just my :2:

 

[timothyterpsalot]

This is the way I look at it...I want to get my certification so I can expand my knowledge of high power and build my way up. Once I have my certification I will be able to continue on to DD and other things. But in order to build my knowledge, I need my certification. The best way to get it is by keeping it simple. A simple rocket and a simple launch mean greater chances for my certification.

 

[ttabbal]

You're doing it right. Get the cert, then experiment with DD and other advanced tricks. Of course, I don't think I should talk about that. My L2 was a GLR Vertical Assault on a J800T with DD. 8023ft according to my MAWD. Amazing flight, but not a particularly simple cert attempt.

My L1 was simple though, an Applewhite Cluster Saucer on an H123. This was back before they changed the rules to require active recovery though. Good luck on your L1, it's great fun to do this stuff.

 

[nxj]

Tim,

I hope your cert flight fares well in the next few weeks. What are you planning on flying it on?

I just ordered mine and plan on sending it up on a Pro38 H153 using single deploy. I figure 1100 is better then almost 3000 on my other set up.

 

[timothyterpsalot]

I got my level 1! I will post pics soon.

 

[Bill P]

Congrats, Timothy.

 

[timothyterpsalot]

It flew on an Aerotech H123W. Perfect flight; straight up deployment right at apogee and a soft landing in a nearby field.

 

[TheAviator]

Congrats! Welcome to High Power, now get out your wallet!

 

[Handeman]

Congrats on the L1

 

[Bill P]

Good looking flight and recovery.

 

[Bignix13]

I was there in Argonia this past weekend and I'm pretty sure I remember this flight. Great job!

 

[Pantherjon]

Congrats on the L1 flight! Welcome to high power rocketry, now open your wallet!

 

[timothyterpsalot]

NXJ, I am going to offer some advice for this kit... When you order it, also order two bulkheads that will fit inside the e-bay. It doesn't come with any and it did bad things to mine. The rear bulkhead slid off the ebay slightly, cracking the phenolic a bit. Giantleap sells them so just add it to your order if you want to keep your rocket in working order.