Unofficial TRF Rocketry Goals for 2022 Thread

[DRAGON64]

Many projects left to finish to include:

• Finish building a (stretched) 5.5" DX3 Massive
• Ensure the integrity of my hybrid GSE
• Put final touches on my large launch pad
• Attend a couple local launches
• Attend my first LDRS - always a tough goal to meet, without traveling a long way out of the deep south!
• Build my Secret Santa rocket
• Finish my Binder Design Raptor
• Design a research load

Updated goal progress:

• Progress still being made on the DX3 Massive
• Hybrid GSE converted to wireless, and is now a very sweet operting system
• No progress made on large pad, but the year is not over yet
• I atended 1 launch
• No LDRS this year
• Gave secret Santa kit away to a local member aspayment for their awesome work on my hybrid GSE conversion to a wireless unit
• No progress on the Raptor
• Research load designed, and components/ingredients acquired

 

[neil_w]

End of year (almost) self-assessment, which no one else cares about:

1) Go to at least two launches

BZZZZZ

Only went to one, which was nice, but I still need to do better on this next year, somehow or other.

2) Fly my JLCR (purchased right before lockdown 2020 )

BZZZZZ

At the one launch I went to, I really didn't have an opportunity, although in retrospect I probably could have made myself an opportunity, and should have.

3) Post here less

Partial credit. I think I reduced my general posting cadence, but I also ended up doing a lot of OR-related posting.

4) Get my mojo back

Hard to assess this one. I'll give myself partial credit. Not all the way back but at least out of hibernation.

Total score: 1.5/4, 38%, F-. This is sufficiently depressing that I probably won't set specific goals again for next year. But then I did earn some extra credit for OR-related activities, including being on a podcast with @lcorinth which was a lot of fun. So I'll give myself a final hand-wavey grade of B-.

 

[Banzai88]

Build, launch, and recover a HP 2 stage rocket.

I failed to make progress on this beyond a full dry fitting and sanding ready for glue. Finding out that tiltometers went OOP sorta threw cold water on my initial electronics thoughts and I haven't been revisited it yet. Winter is my big build season, so maybe I'll get the stack fully constructed and await some developing electronics options.

On a much brighter note, I did get my L2, got over 1 mile high, and got my rather extensive fleet of L2 capable rockets launched at least once each!......and went broke again with the latest Wildman sale (probably the only way I can realistically afford any J and K reloads).

 

[Hobie1dog]

1. Finish painting Blobbo.
2. Finish Lil' Goblin.
3. Finish Dialblo.
4. Finish Level-2 Apogee.
5. Paint PML MR-1 rocket.
6. Make my rocket tool organizer out of 1/8" plywood.
7. Get my air compressor back from my son-in-law.
8. Get a mini-spray gun just for rockets.
9. Get re-certification for Level 1(total unnecessary BS).
10. Get Level 2 certification.

all but the last one

 

[boatgeek]

Finish my current build before starting another build
Build a new spool (maybe a cluster spool)
Fly the K motor that's been sitting in the basement for a few years
Help the TARC team I mentor get to Nationals
Fly all of my rockets at least once in the year

Wow, I was lousy at this one.
#1 definitely in the can.
#2 in progress but stalled for a while
#3 accidentally left the motor at home, so I bought one at the launch for the rocket it was intended to fly on.
#4 hurts the most. Would have qualified but for a paperwork mistake on my part.
#5 working on it, but I still have a one or two left to fly...
At the most charitable, 2.5/5. Yeek.

 

[Antares JS]

Get my level 3 cert and finish The Mighty Saturns project.

Got my level 3 cert but only finished the second of eight Saturns... No excuse other than I wasn't always interested in constantly working on Saturns. I've set a more realistic goal to get two of them done in 2023, most likely AS-203 and Apollo 7.

 

[tsmith1315]

1. L2 cert, rocket is built and waiting patiently

Fail. Weather wouldn’t permit this flight at the annual launch, and I had nothing to stay under 2k’ on a J-motor.

2. Cobble together a workspace so I'm not building things in my lap - this could be the most important and time-consuming goal

Mmm, this is a flat 0% as of today, but may actually happen by the end of the year.

3. Two little kits to build - Estes Mercury Redstone and Crossfire

Zero. No building small stuff until #2 is completed.

4. Design/plan:
- something to use a long 3" FWFG tube that's sitting around. I'm leaning towards either a downscale RDS Quasar or upscale Estes/Vashon Valkyrie 2
- something to use a short 29mm carbon tube also sitting around. Considering an Aerobee 300 Sparrow upper stage wearing the conical transition in lieu of fins

A little progress on the 3” Valkyrie 2. Decals upscaled and printed, body tube “wrap” purchased to mimic the artwork in the catalog, nylon and old sewing machine for the parachute also purchased. Still wondering about the chute pattern. Nose cone will have to be made. Some learning curves involved with this one.

Design mostly done for the 29mm CF tube, a ~1/8 scale Javelin III, as a part of #5 below. Fin details and electronic bay to be decided.

5. Start on a fleet of like-scale sounding rockets small enough to store easily and not cost a fortune to fly often.

Since I said “start” on this fleet, I get credit here.
- I put in a lot of research time and decided on a list of sounding rockets and a scale. Sourced most of the parts needed to build the first handful of them. Made the CR’s, transition parts, one nose cone mold, turned one cone from a dowel, etc.
- Began making these into kits for myself, bagging them with a parts list, etc. This will make it easier to keep track of the builds and make replacement parts or add variations in the future, as well.
Had to set it down for a while and there’s still a lot to do before building. But I’m excited to have a good start on the process.

 

[OhioFlyer]

Build my;

- CW Lotus Micro - Built and Flown
- 54MM Mac Performance Blackfly - Built and might fly this weekend
- Pile of Eggtimer Kits - Built but not by me!
- WM Bad Dog 98 - Got as far as washing and then some other kits got in the way. Soon!

Fly;

- A lot more - Yep!
- A successful L2 attempt - Done!
- With TRA Mid Ohio - Not yet!
- Supersonic (verified) - Not Yet!

Still some time (might make it to a WSR 703 HPR launch this Sunday) to get my Blackfly in the air!

 

[Neutronium95]

• Finish and fly my Mach 2
• Dip my toe into experimental motors
• Get my L3
• Get back into low power and midpower. The local club has finally started flying again.
• Go to more launches and meet more people.
• Go to a launch at Black Rock

I think that I did fairly well this year.

• I got my L3, although it took two attempts, due to a CATO on my first flight.
• I flew my Mach 2, but something went wrong and it came in ballistic.
• I went to a few new launch sites, and met a lot of people out there.
• The experimental motors hit a bit of a snag, but I did learn a lot more od the theory, and got more familiar with Openmotor.
• I went to BALLS and had an amazing time. Definitely going to Black Rock next year.
• I did fail to really get into low and midpower much. I do have some G motors coming in my Wildman order, I just need to build something that will stay under 1000 feet on them.

I have some ideas for next year, but those will have to wait foe the next thread.

 

[StreuB1]

I am so glad that I bumped this thread.

 

[OverTheTop]

For me personally this year has been a bit of a slow one for rocketry. Two D flights total, I think. I have got a bit of hardware built (Vertical Trajectory System, and Automatic Antenna Tracker (mostly)) but timing and floods were against me for HPR.

The main saving grace for the year was the team that I mentor took out Spaceport America Cup. That, and the associated trip to the USA was the highlight for me. For that I'm very grateful, otherwise I would be very disappointed looking back.

 

[DAllen]

Do everything I possibly can to help the ND rocket team get first place in USLI.

Everything else is just icing on the cake...

Forgot about this thread...FYI ND came in second - dang close to 1st.

There was A LOT of icing on the cake this year and it ain't even over yet.

 

[Funkworks]

I'm being lured by projects not directly related to rockety, so if I can finish my 2 current builds (a Fliskit Thunderbird and a Loc Terrier-Black Brant X), I'll take it.

 

[DaHabes]

Since 2021 is finishing up and folks are updating their 2021 goals, I'll start the 2022 goals thread. Here are my goals....

1. Finish my 65mm Miss Riley (COMPLETE), ground test (COMPLETE) and fly first redundant DD flight (FAIL - I left the arming screws for the AV-Bay on my workbench DOH!). First step in gaining experience in DD before planning for my L3 build.
2. Fly my scratch-built Evolution 1, first nose cone AV-Bay for apogee deployment and GPS tracking. POC for Long Burn 1. (COMPLETE)
3. Finish build of my scratch design Long Burn 1, designed for a) using the AT H13ST long burn motor, b) setting a personal altitude record (over 1 mile). (COMPLETE - need a calm day to fly it)
4. Replace my lawn-darted Pemberton Screaming Green Meenie with a scratch build upscaled to 4". First 54mm MMT, Blue Tube. Very custom Nose Cone deployment and tracker AV-Bay. (COMPLETE)
5. Do a build thread on TRF (either LB1 or upscaled SGM). Semi-prep for documenting L3 build. (FAIL - 2023 goal)
6. Make it to a QRCS launch, perhaps Midwest Power. (COMPLETE - made it to Mini MWP)
7. 1st stretch goal - fly ten DD flights (minimum recommended before L3 attempt). (Total FAIL - too many conflicts)
8. 2nd stretch goal - scratch build either Long Burn 2 (2x29mm) or Evolution 2 (Evolution 1 design with 38mm MMT) and break Mach with either. Traditional builds, LOC tubing, plywood fins, no FG. no CF. Finsim indicates it's very doable without shredding the birds. (FAIL - 2023 goal)

 

[cwbullet]

I will add to my list. I want to fly a hybrid, but which brand?