Payloaders

[cyberyokel]

I see that several Estes and Quest kits have payload modules - I'm curious to know what these get used for. I quite fancy rigging up some sort of lighting system for a night launch but I can't think what else I'd want to try with a payloader.

I'm not sure I can point to any specific examples but I've got the impression that sometimes payloaders are marketed at schools and colleges - I wonder what they use them for.

I'm sure there must be a few interesting ideas out there !

 

[PGerringer]

Lets see, things we have used the payloaders for:

A) To carry bees to great heights.
B) An egg if it will fit.
C) Hamster. I've only heard about this one.
D) Interdimentional space array.

Fairly interesting, after a C motor, the bee was still alive. He had no wings but still alive.

BTW: Don't try that with mid to high powered motors...

 

[Jase]

typically, kids in schools use them for launching insects to see effects of G-forces.

According to the NAR and TRA safety codes, insects are the only living creatures that are allowed to be launched in a payload bay.

As Phil mentioned, there are also ones that are specially made for egg lofting. Launch a bunch of eggs up and see how people wrap them up and protect them against breakage.

I would imagine, you could do some sort of christmas light setup that would run off of small batteries to do your night launch idea. That would probably be pretty cool.

Jason

 

[rstaff3]

My NAR club sponsors one night launch a year. Most people seem to prefer high output LEDs for their payload. A bit of logic and you can get them to flash, great for the rim of an UFO. Lots of folks used these little, self-contained LED units from American Science and Surplus. These were about the size of a button (but thicker) and were activated by twisting the casing.

Payloaders are good for electronics such as small altimeters. Beepers, radio beacons, telemetry.....

I've seen plans for an atmospheric sampler, but this seems like a fairly useless/boring project. Maybe the person who conceived it knew more what to do with air samples then me

And cameras...

 

[Mike]

I enjoy putting Jelly Babies in my payload sections, then after the flight you can eat them, now how many people have eaten a Jelly Baby that has just come back from a 300m altitude.

 

[rstaff3]

A guy in my club built the MMX version of a egg-lofter - the jelly bean lofter...cute little bugger!