What did you do rocket wise today?

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As an adolescent I thought that to be true. Most fields were clandestine and on the small side. When I taught rocketry to 4H, we got to use a farmer's field. We built Alphas and flew them on A8-3s. The kids were not impressed. We launched one a C6-5. Now, I had their attention. We could only see it because of the tracking smoke. We were able to recover the rocket because the field was so big. The next launch we used only C6-5s. Now decades later I belong to a club that launches at a farmer's field (different field, different state). After a couple of "not enough gas" comments, I bought a bulk box of C6-5s. No more comments. I use smaller motors for park flights.


It's funny, but I started off wanting MAX POWAH! motors and altitude all the time, and after losing rockets into trees a few times, I'm suddenly way more interested in lower-altitude successful recoveries. I'm going to start using more conservative "max altitude for this park is X" rules when I go flying on my own. The park I'm currently using I think I will limit to about 600 ft, despite the physical dimensions allowing for - in theory - 1000 ft. It's just way too easy to drift into trees when the wind up high is stronger.
 
Ah, your weight is gonna be a lot more than my Trident kit. That kit is good for about 1000 ft on 3x C6-5, with a total weight of about 275g (including motors).
I haven't got a weight yet, but figured I'd wind up with some Quest D16's going in there... but I need to sim it after weighing, in case the delays are too short.
 
Yeah, I would definitely do a sim. 3x D16-6s will push mine to about 1350 feet, and I bought enough D16-6s to do that. It will be one heck of a launch, when I get the guts enough to do it.

Three Aerotech reloadables on D24s would push it all the way up past 2000 ft, but I am not that rich or that crazy.
 
Yeah, I would definitely do a sim. 3x D16-6s will push mine to about 1350 feet, and I bought enough D16-6s to do that. It will be one heck of a launch, when I get the guts enough to do it.

Three Aerotech reloadables on D24s would push it all the way up past 2000 ft, but I am not that rich or that crazy.
That reminds me, I need to verify how many AT 18mm cases I have. I think I have two, but it could be one or three... 🤔 :goodjob: 🤪
 
One of the most mysterious fundamental forces in physics is the Rocket Strong Force. It attracts rockets to the only tree or pond in the field and rockets with screamers to overhead power wires. Perhaps its most mysterious manifestation is in rockets with trackers. When the tracker is working properly, it attracts the rocket to the pad. When the tracker malfunctions, it attracts the rocket far away. It's Heisenbergian that way. 😀
I'm thinking we could create a similar perpetual energy source if we suspend a tree above a falling rocket.

 
Finished an orbital transport, just needs decal clear-coat and to bling up the stand - too plain as is. I started this while I was home from work with a back injury in late winter.
Sadly, this reissue from 2002 had decal decay to the point my bonder didn't work. They did the Crumble-crack and so the kit is now Semroc Astronautics. This is a retirement gift for a military friend and SF fan.
He will get a kick out of the 1960's SF realism "it will work" look and kit and stand will include facsimiles of the original bag card and the tech reports in a small booklet. One of the Estes greats, My 12 year old self inside, who was reading Asimov, Heinlein, and Niven, and sat through 2001 in the theater still looks at this and says: why didn't this happen??? Cheers / Robert

OT on stand.jpg
 
Finished an orbital transport, just needs decal clear-coat and to bling up the stand - too plain as is. I started this while I was home from work with a back injury in late winter.
Sadly, this reissue from 2002 had decal decay to the point my bonder didn't work. They did the Crumble-crack and so the kit is now Semroc Astronautics. This is a retirement gift for a military friend and SF fan.
He will get a kick out of the 1960's SF realism "it will work" look and kit and stand will include facsimiles of the original bag card and the tech reports in a small booklet. One of the Estes greats, My 12 year old self inside, who was reading Asimov, Heinlein, and Niven, and sat through 2001 in the theater still looks at this and says: why didn't this happen??? Cheers / Robert

View attachment 427065
We'll add to this with the recent success of SpaceX: why didn't this happen in the 80's???
 
I did a second Black Brant booster spin motor test. 4 A10-PT in opposing pairs.

This test illustrates the hazard - three motors fired, and one side was delayed from the other. So the stack ended up with a pronounced wobble. I would consider it a success if the hanging line didn’t touch the inside of the tube - and this surely rubbed the tube.
But I did get a measurement of the spin rate, so I can complete some roll damping calcs.


Talos Terrier Spin Test 2
C9680787-EAD8-428E-978D-D4435CF8A46D.jpeg
 
Read another chapter in Stine's "Handbook of Model Rocketry 7th," this one on recovery systems. I had never heard of the "nose-blow" method where the nose cone gets blown off with a tether and it destabilizes the rocket so it tumbles to Earth - not a delicate recovery, but it apparently works. I'm not sure if I'm interested even a little in trying it. Still, great book.
 
Read another chapter in Stine's "Handbook of Model Rocketry 7th," this one on recovery systems. I had never heard of the "nose-blow" method where the nose cone gets blown off with a tether and it destabilizes the rocket so it tumbles to Earth - not a delicate recovery, but it apparently works. I'm not sure if I'm interested even a little in trying it. Still, great book.
I think the Odd'l Rockets Breakaway is an extension of the nose-blow method...
 
Read another chapter in Stine's "Handbook of Model Rocketry 7th," this one on recovery systems. I had never heard of the "nose-blow" method where the nose cone gets blown off with a tether and it destabilizes the rocket so it tumbles to Earth - not a delicate recovery, but it apparently works. I'm not sure if I'm interested even a little in trying it. Still, great book.
Only works for smaller lightweight rockets.
I did a build thread on two Estes clones that use nose blow recovery here:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/clone-build-estes-mini-scale-combo-pak-0874.159926/
 
Today I did a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
Shot some paint, attached recovery gear, JB welded a couple of motor retainers.
But most interestingly, I played with a couple of shrouds.
0805201929[1].jpg

Center shroud is a transition for a BT-60 Mercury Atlas with a BNC-50 capsule.
Shroud on the right is for a BT-80 Mercury Atlas with a BNC-58 capsule.
Found the BNC-50 capsule at erockets a couple of weeks ago and ordered it. Received a few days ago. Then saw the BNC-58 capsule a couple of days ago. Parts for both builds and the larger capsule should be arriving in a few days.
Checked the MA dimensions in ROTW, then did some calculating and went to Payload Bay and cranked out the shrouds using their transition tool. BTW on the left is the Boyce 1/100 MA upper section.
Cheers.
 
Did a little primer sanding today.

Ordered a rattle-can mixer that attaches to a reciprocating saw.

Received my flyaway rail guides from Additive Aerospace. Incredibly well made.

Filled my shopping bag up at Missileworks with an RRC3, the LCD panel, and the case for the panel. Now I'm off to place my order.
 
Read another chapter in Stine's "Handbook of Model Rocketry 7th," this one on recovery systems. I had never heard of the "nose-blow" method where the nose cone gets blown off with a tether and it destabilizes the rocket so it tumbles to Earth - not a delicate recovery, but it apparently works. I'm not sure if I'm interested even a little in trying it. Still, great book.
Where do you fly? Tumble recovery, which includes nose blow, is a different story on a rocky desert "field" than it is an a soft, grassy one.
 
Finished an orbital transport, just needs decal clear-coat and to bling up the stand - too plain as is. I started this while I was home from work with a back injury in late winter.
Sadly, this reissue from 2002 had decal decay to the point my bonder didn't work. They did the Crumble-crack and so the kit is now Semroc Astronautics. This is a retirement gift for a military friend and SF fan.
He will get a kick out of the 1960's SF realism "it will work" look and kit and stand will include facsimiles of the original bag card and the tech reports in a small booklet. One of the Estes greats, My 12 year old self inside, who was reading Asimov, Heinlein, and Niven, and sat through 2001 in the theater still looks at this and says: why didn't this happen??? Cheers / Robert

View attachment 427065

Always one of my favorites!!! Here is a photo of the famous Jim Dunlap 4X Orbital Transport, Details by me, Power: 3 F100 (FSI) + 3 F20 (AeroTech)web Untitled-16.jpg
 
Nothing!

eRockets filled and shipped my order with lightning speed. Thank you eRockets.

My Mercury Redstone, Gyphon, my first composite engines (D16s) and more engines have been stuck in the Bermuda triangle USPS orbit of "in transit - late delivery." :( I think if you order has rocket engines it gets the lowest priority.
 
Did a little primer sanding today.

Ordered a rattle-can mixer that attaches to a reciprocating saw.

Received my flyaway rail guides from Additive Aerospace. Incredibly well made.

Filled my shopping bag up at Missileworks with an RRC3, the LCD panel, and the case for the panel. Now I'm off to place my order.
can you give infor on the rattler have one for a reg jigsaw
 
can you give infor on the rattler have one for a reg jigsaw
The rattlecan shaker is called a MixKwik.

Ordered mine through Amazon but have seen it available from many other outlets.

Essentially is is a clamping system that holds a rattlecan to a reciprocating saw “blade”.

Haven’t received it yet so I can offer no review of well it works...or not.
 
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