afterburner
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Its cold outside, so what better than another EMRR virtual contest to keep these rocket designing skills honed for the next flying season
Thats right. Put some more wood in the fireplace, grab your favorite blankie, and start thinking about that ultimate rocket ship. The one that will flatten the competition. The one that will earn you first place in the virtual contest, and secure your place in the pantheon of rocket designers. The one that will ensure world domination. The one that errr OK lets get back to the topic.
To get you started, here is the theme of the next EMRR Virtual Contest. The idea here is to gather some of your feedback and refine the rules so that we have a smooth contest (as much as possible).
So, here you go. Have a look and let me know what you think (and try to keep it constructive or I will unleash the rocket gods wrath on your entry during the contest).
_______________________________________________
The theme for this contest is Big and Fat.
This contest was inspired by the new Airbus A380 carrier. This monster of the skies will be able to carry 555 passengers with a range of about 9000 miles.
As we all know, life is not only made of minimum diameter rockets, and it is often necessary to have a decent amount of cargo space while maintaining flexibility and good overall performance.
Rocket Design Requirements:
Cargo Space requirements:
o All designs must have an internal cargo space (payload space) of at least 555 cubic inches. You may have more cargo space than the minimum.
o The cargo area must have an outside diameter of at least 4.000 inches. Use the table below to determine the minimum length of your payload area based on popular airframe sizes. The smaller the diameter, the longer the payload area has to be. Your choices are not limited to these sizes. You can use whatever is in the Rocksim database. The formula to determine the minimum length of the cargo area is L= 555 / (PI*ID*ID/4).
Tubing ID Minimum Length Required
PML PT-3.9 3.900 46.5
LOC BT-5.38 5.380 24.4
PML PT-6.0 6.007 19.6
LOC BT-7.51 7.515 12.5
o Note: This is the minimum available space required. Shoulders do not count. For example, if you connect to a nosecone or a transition, then the space taken by the shoulder of the nosecone / transition is not counted as cargo space. Couplers are allowed in the cargo bay without penalty.
o You may not use the cargo space for your parachute, shock cord, or any other object. This space is reserved for the payloads used in events 2 and 3.
o For multi-stage designs, the cargo space has to be in the sustainer.
Body Tubes:
o All tubing must come from RockSim database.
o Tubing sections may not be longer than their database default lengths. Tubing sections must be joined by realistic couplers, bulkheads, transitions, centering rings, or sleeves.
o Each rocket must have at least two different airframe sizes. There is no minimum length.
Motor Configuration:
o Designer's choice, with a minimum of 2 engines (staged or cluster)
o Maximum total impulse allowed is 2560 N-S (full K motor).
o You must choose your motors for each Event
o All motor tubes have to be filled for all events. Motor size may be one size smaller than the motor mount tube (i.e. 38 mm in 54 mm, 29 mm in 38 mm, etc ).
o Motor delays must be per the .eng file (apogee event)
o No manual modification of the .eng file
o Motor overhang will be the default 0.5 inches unless told otherwise.
o If you use more than one stage or want to do air-starts, you must include a mass of 2 ounces for electronics.
Fins:
o There must be at least 2 sets of 3 - 8 fins.
o Each qualified set must have a semi-span and a root length equal or greater than half the diameter of the tube it is mounted to. (You know why; this judge does not like microscopic fins)
o At least one fin set must be a Custom Design with at least 7 corners (include leading and trailing edges). Corners closer than 1/8" to each other are allowed but do not count toward the required number (the idea is to have interesting shapes and not just rounded corners).
o Additional sets of 2-8 fins are optional. These extra fins do not need to meet the location, semi-span, or root-length requirements. (microscopic fins can go here)
o Fins can not be any thinner than 3/16 (0.188) of an inch if balsa, cardboard, or paper, or 1/16" (0.063) if stronger material.
o Tube fins and ring fins are allowed, but must have both their mass and drag accounted for.
Recovery:
o Parachute recovery.
o Parachute must be at least 0.001" thick.
o Maximum size: Whatever will fit into the body tube.
o Minimum size: Speed at landing must be less than 20 feet/sec.
o You must include a realistic shock cord.
Launch lugs are OPTIONAL. We will be flying from our trusty virtual 6-foot tower.
Materials must be standard weights that are in the Rocksim database
Materials must be standard thicknesses that are in the Rocksim database
NO CP Overrides
NO Mass Overrides (other than those in the standard RockSim database)
Mass Objects ARE allowed for adjusting CG. Mass objects may not be located in the cargo area of the rocket.
Must have at least 1 caliber of stability (RockSim Based) when loaded with your selected motor(s)
Contest Events:
Your rockets will participate in four events and will accumulate a total score. All events will use a 6-foot (72") launch tower and your choice of motor configuration (different for each event). For each event, you must also choose a launch angle, no more than +/- 20 degrees.
1. Altitude efficiency: Go as high as you can, but do it efficiently. The score for this event will be calculated as follows:
Altitude efficiency based on cargo volume = Max Altitude * cargo volume / total impulse.
Settings for this event will be: calm winds (0-2 mph), fairly constant speed (0.01). No thermals.
2. Cargo Efficiency: It is important for your design to be able to carry a large payload to far away destinations. For this contest you will carry a payload (mass object of your choice) in your cargo area and try to keep it in the air as long as possible.
Score = time in the air * cargo weight in ounces * cargo volume in cubic inches.
(Hint: Remember to maintain your landing speed under 20 feet/sec.)
Settings for this event will be: calm winds (0-2 mph), fairly constant speed (0.01). No thermals.
3. Accuracy: The score for this event will be based on a combined ranking from two categories. For this event your mission is to lift your bird to an altitude of 500 feet and land it as close as possible to the pad. You must carry a 3-pound payload for this event.
3a) closest to 500 feet altitude
3b) closest to the pad
(Hint: This is mainly about engine selection and launch rod angle.)
Settings for this event will be: calm winds (0-2 mph), fairly constant speed (0.01). No thermals.
4. Drag Race: The score for this event will be based on a combined ranking from these two categories. No payload for this event.
4a) Fastest time to clear the tower
4b) Highest top speed
(Hint: Lightweight rockets will give you an edge here).
Settings for this event will be: calm winds (0-2 mph), fairly constant speed (0.01). No thermals.
Flight Conditions:
o Cloud Coverage: No Thermals
o Launch Guide Length: 72 inches
o Misfires: None
DQ Conditions
o The only cause for DQ is if your landing speed is higher than 20 feet/sec.
__________________________________________
Thats right. Put some more wood in the fireplace, grab your favorite blankie, and start thinking about that ultimate rocket ship. The one that will flatten the competition. The one that will earn you first place in the virtual contest, and secure your place in the pantheon of rocket designers. The one that will ensure world domination. The one that errr OK lets get back to the topic.
To get you started, here is the theme of the next EMRR Virtual Contest. The idea here is to gather some of your feedback and refine the rules so that we have a smooth contest (as much as possible).
So, here you go. Have a look and let me know what you think (and try to keep it constructive or I will unleash the rocket gods wrath on your entry during the contest).
_______________________________________________
The theme for this contest is Big and Fat.
This contest was inspired by the new Airbus A380 carrier. This monster of the skies will be able to carry 555 passengers with a range of about 9000 miles.
As we all know, life is not only made of minimum diameter rockets, and it is often necessary to have a decent amount of cargo space while maintaining flexibility and good overall performance.
Rocket Design Requirements:
Cargo Space requirements:
o All designs must have an internal cargo space (payload space) of at least 555 cubic inches. You may have more cargo space than the minimum.
o The cargo area must have an outside diameter of at least 4.000 inches. Use the table below to determine the minimum length of your payload area based on popular airframe sizes. The smaller the diameter, the longer the payload area has to be. Your choices are not limited to these sizes. You can use whatever is in the Rocksim database. The formula to determine the minimum length of the cargo area is L= 555 / (PI*ID*ID/4).
Tubing ID Minimum Length Required
PML PT-3.9 3.900 46.5
LOC BT-5.38 5.380 24.4
PML PT-6.0 6.007 19.6
LOC BT-7.51 7.515 12.5
o Note: This is the minimum available space required. Shoulders do not count. For example, if you connect to a nosecone or a transition, then the space taken by the shoulder of the nosecone / transition is not counted as cargo space. Couplers are allowed in the cargo bay without penalty.
o You may not use the cargo space for your parachute, shock cord, or any other object. This space is reserved for the payloads used in events 2 and 3.
o For multi-stage designs, the cargo space has to be in the sustainer.
Body Tubes:
o All tubing must come from RockSim database.
o Tubing sections may not be longer than their database default lengths. Tubing sections must be joined by realistic couplers, bulkheads, transitions, centering rings, or sleeves.
o Each rocket must have at least two different airframe sizes. There is no minimum length.
Motor Configuration:
o Designer's choice, with a minimum of 2 engines (staged or cluster)
o Maximum total impulse allowed is 2560 N-S (full K motor).
o You must choose your motors for each Event
o All motor tubes have to be filled for all events. Motor size may be one size smaller than the motor mount tube (i.e. 38 mm in 54 mm, 29 mm in 38 mm, etc ).
o Motor delays must be per the .eng file (apogee event)
o No manual modification of the .eng file
o Motor overhang will be the default 0.5 inches unless told otherwise.
o If you use more than one stage or want to do air-starts, you must include a mass of 2 ounces for electronics.
Fins:
o There must be at least 2 sets of 3 - 8 fins.
o Each qualified set must have a semi-span and a root length equal or greater than half the diameter of the tube it is mounted to. (You know why; this judge does not like microscopic fins)
o At least one fin set must be a Custom Design with at least 7 corners (include leading and trailing edges). Corners closer than 1/8" to each other are allowed but do not count toward the required number (the idea is to have interesting shapes and not just rounded corners).
o Additional sets of 2-8 fins are optional. These extra fins do not need to meet the location, semi-span, or root-length requirements. (microscopic fins can go here)
o Fins can not be any thinner than 3/16 (0.188) of an inch if balsa, cardboard, or paper, or 1/16" (0.063) if stronger material.
o Tube fins and ring fins are allowed, but must have both their mass and drag accounted for.
Recovery:
o Parachute recovery.
o Parachute must be at least 0.001" thick.
o Maximum size: Whatever will fit into the body tube.
o Minimum size: Speed at landing must be less than 20 feet/sec.
o You must include a realistic shock cord.
Launch lugs are OPTIONAL. We will be flying from our trusty virtual 6-foot tower.
Materials must be standard weights that are in the Rocksim database
Materials must be standard thicknesses that are in the Rocksim database
NO CP Overrides
NO Mass Overrides (other than those in the standard RockSim database)
Mass Objects ARE allowed for adjusting CG. Mass objects may not be located in the cargo area of the rocket.
Must have at least 1 caliber of stability (RockSim Based) when loaded with your selected motor(s)
Contest Events:
Your rockets will participate in four events and will accumulate a total score. All events will use a 6-foot (72") launch tower and your choice of motor configuration (different for each event). For each event, you must also choose a launch angle, no more than +/- 20 degrees.
1. Altitude efficiency: Go as high as you can, but do it efficiently. The score for this event will be calculated as follows:
Altitude efficiency based on cargo volume = Max Altitude * cargo volume / total impulse.
Settings for this event will be: calm winds (0-2 mph), fairly constant speed (0.01). No thermals.
2. Cargo Efficiency: It is important for your design to be able to carry a large payload to far away destinations. For this contest you will carry a payload (mass object of your choice) in your cargo area and try to keep it in the air as long as possible.
Score = time in the air * cargo weight in ounces * cargo volume in cubic inches.
(Hint: Remember to maintain your landing speed under 20 feet/sec.)
Settings for this event will be: calm winds (0-2 mph), fairly constant speed (0.01). No thermals.
3. Accuracy: The score for this event will be based on a combined ranking from two categories. For this event your mission is to lift your bird to an altitude of 500 feet and land it as close as possible to the pad. You must carry a 3-pound payload for this event.
3a) closest to 500 feet altitude
3b) closest to the pad
(Hint: This is mainly about engine selection and launch rod angle.)
Settings for this event will be: calm winds (0-2 mph), fairly constant speed (0.01). No thermals.
4. Drag Race: The score for this event will be based on a combined ranking from these two categories. No payload for this event.
4a) Fastest time to clear the tower
4b) Highest top speed
(Hint: Lightweight rockets will give you an edge here).
Settings for this event will be: calm winds (0-2 mph), fairly constant speed (0.01). No thermals.
Flight Conditions:
o Cloud Coverage: No Thermals
o Launch Guide Length: 72 inches
o Misfires: None
DQ Conditions
o The only cause for DQ is if your landing speed is higher than 20 feet/sec.
__________________________________________
