Ameteur or Model Rocketry

[grewwalk]

I was wondering, if anyone on the BABB was doing rocketry; model, high power or otherwise.

I had done this for a number of years and it was great fun (but expensive!) Having built quite a few projects and finally leaving with the satifaction of having co-built this (http://www.rocstock.org/photos/pix.rs8.l3.html) project. (I'm on the left, the one who started this project is on the right)

I would love to see any projects that any of you have done.

[Candy]

I just wanted to say, that is awesome! =D>

[grewwalk]

Thanks. I don't know why after all these years here, that I didn't think to start this topic. I havn't been doing this hobby for years but recently I've gone to the meets to see what's new out there.

[frogesque]

Not rocketry as such but while looking for data on Sputnik 1, I came across this Amsat site (http://www.amsat.org)

[AstroSmurf]

I did some tinkering with this in the Swedish equivalent of junior high school. It was fairly difficult to get the parts needed, so I lost interest partway through.

[Argos]

I was wondering, if anyone on the BABB was doing rocketry; model, high power or otherwise.

I had done this for a number of years and it was great fun (but expensive!) Having built quite a few projects and finally leaving with the satifaction of having co-built this project.


Very cool, congrats. Any info about the altitude they´ve reached?

[Amadeus]

I was wondering, if anyone on the BABB was doing rocketry; model, high power or otherwise.

I had done this for a number of years and it was great fun (but expensive!) Having built quite a few projects and finally leaving with the satifaction of having co-built this project.


Very cool, congrats. Any info about the altitude they´ve reached?

Welll IIRC the record is held by a Fellow Brit Ben Jarvis with 35,000 feet.

[grewwalk]

Very cool, congrats. Any info about the altitude they´ve reached?

I'd have to dig for the exact altitude, but the November '98 flight was approx. 4800 feet.

Highest altitude that I've reached was with a scratch built (not a kit) rocket about 4.5 ft tall. Went about 7000'. It would have been surpassed by another rocket that shredded when it tried to hit mach1 (great to watch the destruction, sad to see the aftermath.)

Out here in California, our meet place is in Lucerne Valley at the dry lake bed. Normal flights up to 5000' and FAA waivers to 10000'. The highest I've witnessed here is about 9000'. The highest I've witnessed in Nevada (or was it Arizona? I get confused) was about 13000'.

At those altitudes, unless the rocket is big, they are specks of dust or smaller.

[grewwalk]

I just found out that Popular Mechanics is doing a story on my particular launch group. They are delaying the story a bit to make it a cover story! =D>

I'll post a date when I find out.

[Nicolas]

Welll IIRC the record is held by a Fellow Brit Ben Jarvis with 35,000 feet.

I thought that some time before SS1, the first non-government unmanned rocket reached 100 km. ANd I seem to be correct:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3724841.stm

[Argos]

I just found out that Popular Mechanics is doing a story on my particular launch group. They are delaying the story a bit to make it a cover story! =D>

I'll post a date when I find out.

Congratulations, again. :wink:

[grewwalk]

I just found out that Popular Mechanics is doing a story on my particular launch group. They are delaying the story a bit to make it a cover story!

Just realized what I meant by "my group" was the organization at that particular launch site.

I wish I could have gone there the day PM was there. :cry:


So, in trying to keep this post up in the ranking ... Is there any fellow rocketeers here? :sigh: I guess I'll move on ...

[VTBoy]

I use to in high school then I found out you needed a permit to use it. I was launching them in a park and the cop informed me I wasn't suppose to be doing this. After that I lost interest since I had to have a permit and could only launch at certain locations.

[Candy]

I use to in high school then I found out you needed a permit to use it. I was launching them in a park and the cop informed me I wasn't suppose to be doing this. After that I lost interest since I had to have a permit and could only launch at certain locations.
:(

[grewwalk]

That is too bad. Like other hobbies, it's a bug that should suck you in when you get in deep.

The Safe Explosives Act embedded inside the Homeland Security Act imposed new restrictions that affect amateur, high power and model rocketry. The restrictions have the effect of limiting the shipment and possession of both model rocket and high power motors. (http://www.rocstock.org/homeland.info.html)

We may have a problem (in the future?) with getting rocket motors. Rocket motors are being classified as explosives under certain definitions and many shippers are refusing to ship such items. I should read up on it to see how this is coming so far.

Fortunately, vendors still are aquiring motors (at least out here)=D>

and could only launch at certain locations.

This holds for pretty much everywhere, although I have done a rogue launch or two. [-X

[tinfoilhatman]

I dont post here much but your reference to Lucerne dry lake brings back fond memories. I used to fly there back in the late '60's and early '70's.

Our gang was called M.R.F.S.S. if my head still works ok. The future of hobby rockets seems to be hybrid motors. Nitrous oxide oxidizing celluose (basicaly paper). Aerotech has some 54mm hardware that looks nice, albeit spendy. I haven't talked to them since they burned down the joint in Las Vegas, but I hear they are up and running in Cedar City(I think). any way I think that AP motors have an exemption either in place or in congress. G class motors are still available OTC (4 oz. or less).


My only rocket currently is a 3" dia. with a triple cluster of G-64 reloadable RMS engines. Makes a lot of noise. :lol:




cheers....

[grewwalk]

Good to hear you join in tinfoilhatman, welcome. I like your callsign.

We made a bell housing out of a small steel cup for one of our 3" rockets. It didn't affect thrust but is sure did focus the sound.

I like the hybrids, but I didn't know about the cellulose version. I might be a little to far out of the loop! The NOx-AP ones you had to keep a good eye on them. Almost smokeless, they'll dissapear in the sky real quick!

I dont post here much but your reference to Lucerne dry lake brings back fond memories. I used to fly there back in the late '60's and early '70's.

I assume that regulations were much more lax back then? Or were waivers required then also?

[tmosher]

Good to hear you join in tinfoilhatman, welcome. I like your callsign.

We made a bell housing out of a small steel cup for one of our 3" rockets. It didn't affect thrust but is sure did focus the sound.

I like the hybrids, but I didn't know about the cellulose version. I might be a little to far out of the loop! The NOx-AP ones you had to keep a good eye on them. Almost smokeless, they'll dissapear in the sky real quick!

I dont post here much but your reference to Lucerne dry lake brings back fond memories. I used to fly there back in the late '60's and early '70's.

I assume that regulations were much more lax back then? Or were waivers required then also?

CFR 14 Part 101 as it concerns model rocketry dates from mid 1963. A waiver allowing deviation from the regs was required then.

[Maksutov]

I used to be into model rocketry, from about 1958 to 1971. Then I finished school, got my first full-time job, and got married, which effectively put an end to such pursuits.

Pre-1961 everything was custom-built. The fuels were very unreliable, consisting of what was on hand, be it potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur (thank you chemistry sets and resuppliers), or good old match heads.

Here's a photo (thumbnail) of the first launch of a store-bought rocket, an Estes Astron Mark, on July 15, 1961. That's yours truly in the background. A friend took the photo.

http://img96.exs.cx/img96/5148/astronmarkfirstflight196107151.th.jpg (http://img96.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img96&image=astronmarkfirstflight196107 151.jpg)

It was powered by an impressive 1/2A8-2 engine and achieved a maximum altitude of about 30 feet. Fortunately it was soft where it landed due to the fallow pasture. Examination of the spent engine showed that the clay nozzle had failed, pushing the thrust to one side and causing the rocket to be underpowered.

Largest rocket launched was a two-stage customization of an Enerjet Nike Ram, using an F100-0 first stage and an F67-14 second stage. Reached over 6000 feet and 700 MPH. The Enerjet kit was beefed up with such things as birch fins with plastic coatings and strengthened tube walls to help it survive going supersonic. That was in 1970.

Amazing how the hobby had progressed into huge rockets that would have had been front-page news in the 1930s and 40s.

[grewwalk]

Update! The cover story mentioned before is now here!

"The Backyard Space Race" Article in April 2005 Popular Mechanics! ROC-Stock feature article.

This link (http://www.popularmechanics.com/albums?mode=view&album=2005&pic=200504.jpg&dispsiz e=400&start=0&c=y) takes you to the cover page. Sorry though, the article won't be available online till next month's mag is out. I'll post it when available.

The article covers general info about the hobby, certain projects, the people, the ATF's involvement, etc. A fair writeup I think.

Well, until my next update ...

-grewwalk

edited to update cover link

[farmerjumperdon]

I used to love model rocketry (the Estes types) back in high school. I was thinking of introducing it to my daughters, the 7 year old is certain she is going to be an astronaut. Do you need permits for the little ones? In this day and age is it still permissible to launch stuff like the little Estes kits from your backyard? (It's been 30 some years since I've been in touch).

[publiusr]

Here are a couple of links to get you started:

Estes has a new hydrogen fueled rocket out. Perfect for Sea Dragon simulations!

http://international.ehobbies.com/EST1876.html
They also have the X-prize series of rockets out. The SS1 was modeled by roguepink over at www.starshipmodeler.net He's a regular there. Check out the Delta IV paper models over at the Real Space Modeling section at starshipmodeler.net.

Rockets of a bigger kind--check out the flying R-7 Soviet booster photo at right:

http://www.tripoli.org/

[Maksutov]

Here are some outstanding on-board videos that illustrate what's going on in this field in Oz. (http://holden.customer.netspace.net.au/rocketcam.html)

[publiusr]

That is a good link. Anyone but AERA messing with big pressure-feds?