Afternoon Delight

It sure has been a LOOONG time since I've been on here. Course, there hasn't really been much to blog about. I do, however, have a new rocket. I have dubbed it "Afternoon Delight." She stands 9' 5" and is 5.5" in diameter. It is set-up for dual deployment and has a 75mm motor tube. Just enough to get me to 9K feet or so. I stand 5' 10" so you can see the difference in size!

Two gone

Well, I am sad to say that two of my rockets, Johnny Walker Red and the Koliba Krown, are now gone. I went to a launch this past Saturday to fly both of them. I attempted to fly Johnny on an Animal Motor Works(AMW) K670GG. Great motor but the construction didn't hold up to the stress that this particular motor put it through. At about 1500 feet, the rocket came apart and parts were strung over the field and some weren't recoverable since they were blown to bits or disintegrated. I also lost my Perfectflite MAWD unit. So I sighed a bit, tried to recover myself from disbelief and composed myself.

The Koliba Krown was flown, or attempted to be flown, on a Cessaroni I350SS. I wanted to redeem myself after loosing one rocket. Well...the motor launched the rocket just fine but had experienced a "blow-by" from the ejection charge and destroyed the upper payload section as well as zipper the lower section but only a 1/2" so that is repairable.

So a beautiful day for flying rockets but not a beautiful day for me. Back to the drawing board I go!

Scratch vs Kit

So you just went to a high power launch for the first time and you're hooked! You go and buy some small Estes kits from a local hobby store and begin your travels down the road to a larger family. After several launches you attend, the passion builds inside you to build those larger, more powerful rockets those other guys were launching. So you ask the most famous question, 'How can I launch a rocket like that?' Different fliers have their own opinions and there's nothing wrong with that. Experienced fliers build their own designed rockets. Some still build kits but have more fun "Wowing" the crowd and fellow rocketeers with their own designed rockets.

So what do you do? You ask around and you're now thoroughly confused whether to scratch build your first high power rocket or buy a kit. Why would you be confused?? Because it's cheaper to scratch build a rocket than it is to buy a kit. But then you ask yourself, "what pieces do I need build a rocket?" GREAT QUESTION!! There are several websites that can help. A few, in no particular order, are Info-Central, LOC and PML. The first is a great website with TONS of information. The other two have full components for building a rocket from scratch, replacing some parts on a current rocket, and even have kits of their own design.

My first high power rocket(Koliba Komet) was scratch built. Very simple design and easy to build. There is a lot that goes into a rocket build. There are several different types of tube material to choose from(paper, phenolic, fiberglass, carbon fiber, etc) but you must also choose the correct epoxy to use. Your not gonna use Elmer's glue for these let me assure you that!
Each different type of material needs a good epoxy. So for a beginner, I would suggest paper tubes and just some hobby store 20-30 minute epoxy. That's what I did and had no problems. You want to keep it as simple as possible. The only thing that's difficult building a scratch rocket for your first HPR is that you don't have instructions to follow. All parts are needed. Airframe tubes, motor mount tube, coupler, u-bolt(s) or eye-bolt(s), shock cord(s), parachute(s), fins, and finally the obvious nose cone.

That leads us to a kit. Majority of kits come with almost everything that you need, parts that is, to build it. Most beginner kits come with easy to follow instructions. There may be some re-designing you may want to do to "customize it" to your specifications but keep in mind that the manufacturers that sell kits design them specifically so don't go over-board. Again, remember the KISS method. Epoxy methods don't differ whether you scratch build your rocket or buy a kit. It all depends on the material type that you choose to use.

So what are you going to do? The choice is yours but it's a difficult one. Depending on your knowledge of rocket building will depend on what you choose. I chose to scratch build that way I was able to learn how to without following an instruction guide. I have built two kits and one scratch. Price difference is summed up by what you want to build. Scratch built rockets are typically cheaper, depending on design of course. Whatever you choose to build, have fun but be safe. Let experience come with time!!

What rocket motor to use??

In this post, I will be giving the Code as well as Impulse Range for motor distinction. It's important to know what motor is best to be used with which rocket. Always starting with rockets like the Estes or Apogee supplied rockets are a great beginner. Most of these can be found at your local hobby store, Hobby Lobby, or even Wal-Mart stores nation wide. You can even find majority of the smaller motors there as well. Prices vary but they aren't that expensive at all. Now the Code motors that are not regulated by BATFE are those that are under G. The (ns) after the number stands for newton-seconds. Here's the list that a Low Explosive User Permit(LEUP) is not required to have to fly:

Code------IMPULSE RANGE---------MINIMUM SITE DIMS(ft)

1/2A----------0.625 - 1.25ns-------------------------50

A--------------1.251 - 2.50ns------------------------100
B--------------2.51 - 5.00ns-------------------------200
C--------------5.01 - 10.00ns------------------------400
D-------------10.01 - 20.00ns------------------------500
E-------------20.01 - 40.00ns-----------------------1,000
F-------------40.01 - 80.00ns-----------------------1,000
G-------------80.01 - 160.00ns----------------------1,000

The above list of motors(otherwise known as engines) are commercially made motors. When you look at the packaging of a model rocket kit, a list of recommended motors to use should be followed. The manufacturers of the rocket have first hand knowledge of what the components can handle and should not be deviated. After some time building and learning how much force a rocket can handle, you will begin to know how to make your own and "beef" it up to withstand the extra forces. But until then, just use the KISS(Keep It Simple Stupid) method. No need rushing into this hobby. Now for the bigger stuff.

CODE--------IMPULSE RANGE----------MINIMUM SITE DIMS(ft)

H--------------160.01 - 320.00ns---------------100/200 for complex
I---------------320.01 - 640.00ns---------------100/200 for complex
J---------------640.01 - 1280.00ns--------------100/200 for complex
K-------------1280.01 - 2560.00ns--------------200/300 for complex
L-------------2560.01 - 5120.00ns--------------300/500 for complex
M------------5120.01 - 10240.00ns-------------500/1000 for complex
N-----------10240.01 - 20480.00ns------------1000/1500 for complex
O-----------20480.01 - 40960.00ns------------1500/2000 for complex

Now these motors require a LEUP to store. You do not need a LEUP to buy from a vendor at a launch but cannot buy them online. There are motor vendors that have some of these motors but are limited to quantity on hand. So when you're ready, get out your checkbook. These motors are not cheap like the smaller ones. Also, like my other posts have included, the Level 1 cert flight can only be done with the H or I motors. After having a successful L1 flight, you are now able to fly on anything from I and below but the Impulse range is the key to stay under. Some applications for rocket can be made to fly with multiple motors firing at the same time. This is known as cluster. You can build and fly any rocket as long as you do not exceed an Impulse of 640.00. So keep that in mind when planning a cluster built rocket.

For Level 2 certification flights, you need to first be Level1 certified by NAR or TRA, pass the written test and then can attempt your flight on the J - L motors only, or between the 640.01 to 5120.00 newton-seconds range. Electronics are not required for L1 nor L2 certifications but it would be good to have a knowledge of them. L2 is where things get pretty intense. You have a wide range of possibilities. Higher altitudes can be achieved since you have higher impulse motors to use. But keep in mind that the higher your rocket flies could also mean loong walks for recovery. For Tripoli L2 members, you have the opportunity to make your own motors. The cost is much cheaper to make your own since you are now cutting out the price to pay a manufacturer to make it for you. But you can still only build motors at the L impulse range or lower. That a whole other topic.

For Level 3 certification flights, you must be L2 certified and this is where the fun begins. Building the rocket must be recorded by 2 Tripoli TAP members or a L3CC Member from NAR. It's easier to certify through TRA than NAR but whatever floats your boat. The rocket can be a kit or scratch built but you MUST use electronics. For the motor, you need to use anything over the 5120.01ns, or M and above. Once that happens and you have a successful launch, the sky is the limit! You are now open to all opportunities available.

Remember that at any level, SAFETY cannot be under-estimated and pushed aside. If something looks wrong, it probably is. There is no room for "redneck ingenuity" in this hobby. If you have left over pieces, take the time and go over everything. If parts are left over while building a motor, don't even think about flying. Unpredictable occurrences WILL happen and you don't want to get hurt or killed nor hurt or kill someone else. This hobby is designed to be fun and safe. Accidents happen but if you pay attention in the beginning and not over-look things, you will have a lot of fun and meet a lot of great people! Happy Flying!!

Johnny Walker Red

Ahh yes...Johnny Walker Red! Now I'm not talking about the alcohol but that was where I got the idea. This rocket started out as a kit. Kits come mostly complete depending on what your design is and how you will customize it for yourself. Johnny(we're on a first name basis) was a kit from Binder Design and was 'The Sentinel'. I customized the kit for dual deployment since it was not set up for that application. Since I had the ebay from the Komet and this kit was the same diameter as the Komet, I figured why make another one when I have one that will fit with no problem?

Pre-launch photo opportunity

Loading the igniter into the motor

I have felt that it was a bad omen to paint my rockets prior to their first flight. It's a lot of work to get them looking as stylish as some I have come across. If something goes wrong with the maiden flight and the rocket is messed up, then I would have spent a lot of time making it look good for nothing! So that is why my first rocket, the Koliba Komet, as well as Johnny were not painted until AFTER the maiden flight. So with that said, I was prepping the rocket at home months prior to launch. There was still a test to pass. Yep you guessed it, a test is needed to be passed for Level 2 certification prior to launching. This test is a series of random questions provided by NAR and Tripoli. Remember that membership to either association is a must but does not mean you have to be associated with both. Both organizations are great to be apart of and I am glad to say that I am a card holding member of both! So back on track, I passed my written test with flying colors, no pun intended, and was ready for the attempt.

With the help, yet again from my buddy Jeff, I was able to use a Cessaroni J330. I'll give a classification of each motor designation in a later post, but for now we'll just say that the J has a lot more thrust than a H or I motor. So final prep was done at the launch site and I was nervous. Countdown started by the LCO Jim Jarvis and away it flew!

Flight video is sideways so my apologies for that! Can't seem to turn it! :-(

So there it was...soaring to a little over 3000' AGL(Above Ground Level). Recovery was a little nerve racking at first. The nose cone popped out during decent but before the black powder charge fired. You can hear Jeff in the background saying that this hardly ever happens but since the chute was packed in a little tighter than normal, it formed a seal so that the gases from the charge didn't just go around it but rather pushed it out.

Again sorry for the sideways video!!



So after bringing the rocket back for post flight inspection, it was done. All I had to do was send the paperwork off to headquarters and it would be official! So now I am able to fly anything under an L motor but including the L. Now to focus on higher and faster flights!

The Koliba Komet

This was my first introductory to large rockets. With help of the Austin Area Rocketry Group President at the time, Jeff Short, and David Bachelder of Quickburst, I was able to gather all of the pieces to build this rocket. There were no "plans" or kit instructions to follow but was more of a design in my head to go off of.

During the beginning stages of this obsession, I also learned about joining NAR and certification procedures. There are 3 levels of certification that are required to use specific motor classes. You cannot just go buy these motors from a local hobby store. These motors are regulated by the ATF and are very dangerous to use if you don't pay attention to what you are doing. SAFETY is the key in this hobby but can be rewarding at the same time. So with help, again from Jeff, I was able to launch the Koliba Komet on a Cessaroni H138. This is a 38mm motor. I don't know how high nor how fast the Komet flew but it was AWESOME!!

After my Level 1 was accomplished, I was able to fly more H and I classified motors. I was also introduced to electronics, altimeters to be more specific. Altimeters are needed for dual deployment attempts. Electronic bays(ebays) are the most common things used to hold the altimeters and protect them from the gases of the black powder charges used to separate the tubes from one another. The first charge is set off at apogee, or otherwise known as the highest altitude of the flight, and deploy a drogue chute. The drogue slows the decent of the rocket but still comes down rather quickly. Winds play a major factor in the decent and direction the rocket will land, hopefully safely. The altimeter I used was the Perfectflite MAWD. A predetermined altitude setting is needed prior to flight to set the desired altitude for the main chute.

A second charge pressurizes the payload tube and forces the main out the top of the tube by pushing the nose cone off. Keep one thing in mind, all parts are to be connected by shock cords. If not, parts will be scattered all over the launch site and rather difficult to keep an eye on all the various parts for retrieval! These rockets are intended to fly over and over again!
This is the video from my first dual deployment attempt. It was a success and has continued to be successful, until it doesn't work! I opted to fly drogue less, meaning that the rate of decent would be much faster. The winds were a little high that day so I didn't want to end up in the "Amazon" at the Hearne launch site. The group that had the launch is the Tripoli Houston #002.

I have since retired the Koliba Komet. It now serves as a reminder of where I started years ago. It may come out of retirement in the future to soar the big blue skies and relive where it belongs! But until then, it holds it's place in my heart as the first and foremost rocket dear to me!