Unofficial TRF Rocketry Goals for 2023 Thread

[cwbullet]

Might as well start the 2023 Thread:

What goal do you have for 2023?

My goal is four level 3 flights this year and six large rockets built. And yes, finish the Nuclear Sledgehammer.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Fix one or three rockets I like to fly, but broke.

Work on perfecting electronic/dual deploy.

Build 3" (29mm MM) and 4" (38mm MM) rockets.

Help college team with Argonia Cup Challenge.

 

[Hobie1dog]

1. get Level 2
2. assemble Sea Killer L3 rocket
3. do several launches with all 3 grandsons
4. Put the Harpoon kit together
5. Put the Aster 15 kit together
6. Finish the 2 Fat Boy/small Diablo rockets

 

[Scott_650]

1. FINALLY build my Eggtimer kits - especially my GPS Tracker so I don’t loose anymore rockets to the Evil Beans and Corn.

2. Finish one of my multiple on-going dual deploy rocket projects and fly it.

3. Build, finish and fly at least one of the many variety of Saturn V kits I bought for the Apollo 11 anniversary.

I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator - when I get around to it, that is…

Non-rocketry goal? Train for and complete a trail race over a half-marathon. Thought I’d do a bunch more running after retirement!

 

[tsmith1315]

Might as well start the 2023 Thread:

What goal do you have for 2023

There’s a thread already cookin’ here:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...ry-goals-for-2023-thread.176237/#post-2352799

 

[Hobie1dog]

There’s a thread already cookin’ here:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...ry-goals-for-2023-thread.176237/#post-2352799

I questioned that too

 

[cwbullet]

I questioned that too

I missed it

There’s a thread already cookin’ here:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...ry-goals-for-2023-thread.176237/#post-2352799

I missed it and not they are merged.

 

[Scott_650]

Oh, almost forgot these!

4. Figure out which is the best glue.

5. Ditto for paint…

6. And ditto for the best kit for an L1/2/3 attempt.

 

[tsmith1315]

4. Figure out which is the best glue.

5. Ditto for paint…

6. And ditto for the best kit for an L1/2/3 attempt.

 

[jazzviper1]

Fly something!

 

[The.MiniTard]

Become an NAR member and attempt a L1 certification, my goal for 2023.

 

[jmasterj]

Become an NAR member and attempt a L1 certification, my goal for 2023.

Doesn't get too much easier than the first one! Sounds like a good goal to get you started on the list.

 

[Hobie1dog]

Become an NAR member and attempt a L1 certification, my goal for 2023.

got your rocket picked out or bought already?

 

[Blast it Tom!]

Fly something!

Me too...

 

[krislhull]

my goal for 2023 is simple... attend more than 1 high power launch

 

[prfesser]

In no particular order

• Fly SOMEthing at every launch I go to.
• Attend LDRS.
• Get WPSD-TV onsite for one of the MCMC launches, for exposure and to help grow the club, maybe.
• Finish the Saturn V Skylab I started a while back and got stalled on.

 

[rocketgeek101]

- Fly an N motor
- Exceed Mach 1

 

[SolarYellow]

Staying focused, so I keep my build list from growing faster than I can build stuff. Already have plans to build more different rockets than I'm likely to get done for several years, but the ideas keep coming.

Look, a flying squirrel! Hey, that would make a neat rocket...

 

[cwbullet]

I want also to finish my igniter website and make more EX motors.

 

[The.MiniTard]

got your rocket picked out or bought already?

Im hoping I can do it with this Doorknob that I've found!!

 

[Scott_650]

Im hoping I can do it with this Doorknob that I've found!!

View attachment 549422

Not trying to sway you one way or another but you might want to do some sims before choosing an Estes Doorknob for your L1 attempt - even a low-end H is going to go over 2000 feet. With the right recovery area that’s probably doable, especially with a Jolly Logic Chute Release or a dual deployment setup. Adding plywood fins/rings and maybe some extra nose weight too would bring the mass up a bit and lower your apogee a bit. Keeping an L1 attempt low, slow and simple is not carved in stone, plenty of folks have done fine with high and/or complex flights, but the conventional wisdom does raise the odds for success.

 

[The.MiniTard]

Not trying to sway you one way or another but you might want to do some sims before choosing an Estes Doorknob for your L1 attempt - even a low-end H is going to go over 2000 feet. With the right recovery area that’s probably doable, especially with a Jolly Logic Chute Release or a dual deployment setup. Adding plywood fins/rings and maybe some extra nose weight too would bring the mass up a bit and lower your apogee a bit. Keeping an L1 attempt low, slow and simple is not carved in stone, plenty of folks have done fine with high and/or complex flights, but the conventional wisdom does raise the odds for success.

I think that's all I needed to hear. I may be trying to move too fast. Let me get these guys built and successfully flown and recovered a few times, and THEN lets revisit my choice of rocket!!
I truly appreciate your advice. I am a newbie and I know I will make mistakes. Im open to any and all advice and guidance on my quest to become L1 certified.

 

[John Kemker]

Repeating this year's goals:

1) Finish sanding and painting the 4" LOC Goblin
2) Build the Cherokee-H, then sand it and paint it
3) Actually attend a launch
4) Re-cert level 1, maybe even level 2

Sanding is done for 1). Paint, not so much.
2) need to finish some fiberglass fin fillets then sand and paint
3 and 4) Budgetary restraints at this time.

 

[Scott_650]

I think that's all I needed to hear. I may be trying to move too fast. Let me get these guys built and successfully flown and recovered a few times, and THEN lets revisit my choice of rocket!!
I truly appreciate your advice. I am a newbie and I know I will make mistakes. Im open to any and all advice and guidance on my quest to become L1 certified.

The best advice I got from the very experienced HPR guys in our club was to fly rockets, and then fly more rockets

Every launch is a learning opportunity. I launched my L1 rocket many, many times, on a range of motors, before I did my qual flight. I went the heavy, draggy rocket route, keeping the apogee fairly low - I used my JLCR but really didn’t need to but it was the way I’d practiced on smaller rockets. And it worked for me.

You can’t go wrong trying lots of different techniques, materials and methods - best part is flying rockets is fun, even when things go “less than nominal” it’s a learning moment.

 

[SolarYellow]

Not trying to sway you one way or another but you might want to do some sims before choosing an Estes Doorknob for your L1 attempt - even a low-end H is going to go over 2000 feet. With the right recovery area that’s probably doable, especially with a Jolly Logic Chute Release or a dual deployment setup. Adding plywood fins/rings and maybe some extra nose weight too would bring the mass up a bit and lower your apogee a bit. Keeping an L1 attempt low, slow and simple is not carved in stone, plenty of folks have done fine with high and/or complex flights, but the conventional wisdom does raise the odds for success.

I think that's all I needed to hear. I may be trying to move too fast. Let me get these guys built and successfully flown and recovered a few times, and THEN lets revisit my choice of rocket!!
I truly appreciate your advice. I am a newbie and I know I will make mistakes. Im open to any and all advice and guidance on my quest to become L1 certified.

Estes advertises your Wizard as going to 1600 ft on a C6-7, and it's pretty easy to build something that goes a lot higher on that power. Maybe get that built and launch it a few times, see what 1600 ft looks like. Try different (longer, more visible) streamers. Build your Goblin with a 95mm motor mount and see what happens with an E9-8 in it - consider more visible streamers as well. Maybe try something BT-60 sized with a 29mm F or G and a JLCR. When you get those back, you'll have more perspective on what's appropriate with the big ol' Doorknob.

 

[DaHabes]

1. Build RDD AV-Bay for my Super DX3 (flew single deploy for my L1). Will use for all 4" DD birds.
2. Scratch build 3" White Wolf clone with 54mm MMT and RDD AV-Bay. Will use AV Bay for all 3" DD birds.
3. Scratch build Big Daddy clone (Bigger Daddy) with 38mm MMT and Nose Cone AV-Bay.
4. Scratch build 7x24 cluster for Ds, Es, Fs, with custom nose cone AV-Bay using Mach1/BadAss Deployment/Tracker Sled (already built).
5. Scratch build Long Burn 3 (3x29mm) & 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.
6. Start planning for L3 build to commence late 2023/early 2024.
7. Build Estes Super Orbital Transport for Fall 2023 launch.
8. Incorporate Flightsketch SST into my LPR/MPR fleet if it ever comes to market.
9. 5+ RDD flights

 

[dbpeirce]

1: learn to program these dam altimeters/timers/tilt limiters!
2: figure out how to use the tracking devices I’ve collected
3: Launch and recover my 1/6 scale Nike Hercules 2 stage build
4: Finish, launch and recover my 1/2 scale Nike Ajax 2 stage build
5: go to a big national launch.

 

[Neutronium95]

• Push my building skills by learning how to make advanced composite parts for high perfomance rockets.
• Attempt the TRASD President's Challenge (Exceed 2000 mph while staying under our 18,000 foot waiver)
• Attempt to claim a Tripoli altitude record.
• Actually cast some propellant.
• Successfully launch a hybrid motor.
• Fly a two stage rocket with electronic ignition.
• Build and fly more low power and midpower rockets.

 

[OverTheTop]

1. Test fly my Vertical Trajectory System and start to get the control gains dialed-in.
2. Complete the Automatic Antenna Tracker and get it tracking rockets.
3. Build another HPR, either my Fire Flyer 4 or the 3" Adventurer.

That's about the priorities, and I suspect not all are going to happen. Also attempting to build a house and mentor a uni team and do some consulting on a big project. Busy year, me thinks.

 

[SeanW78]

1)Practice soldering more so I don't have any mess-ups assembling the Eggtracker mini I'm awaiting delivery on. (I'm working my way up from a successful Eggtimer Apogee assembly. Haven't tested it yet, but the initial power-up beeps were correct.)
2)Fly more than the zero rockets I flew this year.
3)Get my NAR L2, possibly at Michiana Mayhem.
4)Finish one rocket build before starting another.