High Power Rocketry

[Creamo]

Taking a long shot here as Tac, Sirloin, Voss, and Hangtime etc. at least posted info and knowledge about model R/C aircraft.

I could never afford the cost for R/C stuff as I knew it would be disaster first flight. Plus, as a kid, I could always fly a Alpha III on a C6-7 and just be amazed. $3 bucks invested, it launched the ants out of sight, never to be seen again.

So has anyone here crossed the bridge in related hobbies to High Power Rocketry?



From the certified motor and rocket kit manufacture standpoint, it’s a highly organized adult enthusiast hobby. You have to join Tripoli and The National Rocket Association for the funner stuff. Safety and fun is highly promoted and taught.


Once you get into it, there is even a “Experimental” part which is much like the movie “October Sky”.

In that vein, I have been making Ammonium Nitrate composite propellant motors with my brother and they are simply fantastic. Basically you mix an oxidizer (ammonium nitrate (AN) ) and typical fuel (magnesium powder) with a AN R20LM binder. It sounds like terrorist basement bomber jargon but to squelch the inevitable paranoid ignorance responses, is nothing of the sort. ( It just makes super cool motors for lofting huge rockets. Think your childhood Estes rockets, plus 1000, err, 10,000 times the thrust.)

Even buying commercial made motors, it’s quite a experience watching rockets go.



Just wondering if anyone has got into this hobby. Seems the Flightsim / R/C crowd might be into it. If not, check it out. It’s quite fun!

(Not to mention they build toejam to just ridiculous ground blasting proportions)

[Creamo]

Oops, forgot to mention, I built a German V-2 replica for "I" class motors this week. Man they started the space race (true), it made it all possible, and if it survives, it will be a great desktop retired display.

[Aurelius]

Been into it all my life.  Have been a member of a local club here for 2 years.


The picture you have at the bottom is of the Redstone Mercury. Did you see the video. It blew up on the launch pad. If you are getting into it a good magazine is High Power Rocketry.


Good stuff

[Creamo]

Cool. You going to LRDS? It's near you. Thinking about it.

I'm going to BlackRock on the 21st, only 90 miles N of me. I flew to a Tripoli launch last week in Iowa and got a sweet view of BlackRock 5 minutes out of Reno. Its HUGE. (Guess they need it for the stuff they put up out there.)

A guy did a Level 3 Cert flight on a "N" motor.

whoopee, they kick and burn, LOUD too. It was completely successful.

I didn't see that Redstone video launch although i have a few video's. I really dug the rocket the drummer from Poison put up at LRDS (more than his band for sure!). What a great scratch kit made out of Bass Drums?!

Cool.

[LePaul]

Wow.  I went from "Estes" to AeroTech...and now, its time for the big stuff.  Sign me up,  hell with those toys, I can built a RATO unit for my BD-5....

>

[mietla]

Originally posted by Creamo

(Not to mention they build toejam to just ridiculous ground blasting proportions)

yeah

http://www.moonrace2001.org







and a movie

[Creamo]

Aerotech-

Lepaul, your there. Here’s your free intro to “more” High Power.

I built the Areotech Strong Arm, but just leave out the engine block and that hoopty engine hook, and use liberal amounts of epoxy all around.

Without the blockage in the engine tube, it will take a Dr. Rocket RMS 29mm 180/240? I think, case for a “H” launch.

I did 2 off the “H” (242, and forget the other), and even the guys putting up the “K” stuff were hooting on the video. It just rocks, and is solid.

Helps to have a car and access roads to recover.

I’ll post the video once I contact my video card manufacturer for the cable that is $6 shipping, as the Ti500 was supposed to have it but they released them quickly without it.

[Creamo]

Aye, I remember finding that Mietla, they did the Russia anthem, and had a smoke charge going during it, very nice.

Noone can appreciate the SOUND these things give off.

What I like about the smaller stuff is your so close they are even more impressive.

What was the distance on that one?

[eskimo2]

A heck of a long time ago I got ahold of some G-motors.  I sent one up with an oversized parachute on a windy day.  A friend followed it in a car for about 10 miles.  It was still way the heck up there when he came to the end of the road.  He watched it with binoculars for another 15 minutes till it was out of sight, still way the heck up there.

eskimo

[Eagler]

Estes Falcon glider with the eject engine front pod. C something or anothe enginer took it up and the wind flew it out of sight some 30 years ago

With all the terrorist hub bub, wondering how that affects your hobby now a days ....

[Tac]

I have no clue about model rockets or model anything . Maybe its TAK?

Nice pics btw.

[Creamo]

Yes, you correct. The ATF, as I could surmise in limited reading via the internet, is doing more stupid toejam.

Not that shooting off rockets it is like having a model American government sharpshooter shooting a woman with a kid in her hands for being married to a backwoods guns dealer of shotguns with shortened stocks that just wants to be left alone, they are attacking dweebs with rocket models, yes.

When they are not killing children with M3 armored type attack military vehicles spewing incendiaries in religious standoffs, yes, they have been attacking rocket enthusiasts by enforcing a law where they confiscated all a guys motors because from some loophole where he transported them across state lines. I think the courst battle consumes all our dues, and is quite a fight. Maybe in the tune of $250,000 so far? Don't you feel safer dweebs can't launch rockets?

There goes the cool rocketry discussion.

God Bless America indeed Eagle.

Blarrg.

[mietla]

Originally posted by Creamo
Aye, I remember finding that Mietla, they did the Russia anthem, and had a smoke charge going during it, very nice.

Noone can appreciate the SOUND these things give off.

What I like about the smaller stuff is your so close they are even more impressive.

What was the distance on that one?

1500'. This sucker had 3 stages and 42 motors in it, so safety was a maajor concern.

You like smaller stuff? Here we go.


Balls 98, Black Rock Nevada
Balls 99, Black Rock Nevada


BTW, I'm not a rocketeer myself, but a co-worker and a very close friend of mine is. All of the above are his projects, but I'm attending most of the launches for a thrill of it.

I'm one of the guys in a limo

[Aurelius]

Yea thinking about going...dont know, every weekend we have a launch something comes up. I have been waiting to get my Level 1 cert for a while now.
The rocket has been built for some time now... Cant wait to get her up in the  air.  And speaking of Aero Tech that is what will get me my first one.
The G-Force

[Aurelius]

Originally posted by Eagler

With all the terrorist hub bub, wondering how that affects your hobby now a days ....

 It should not affect us at all. Rocket motors are not considered explosives and are not fireworks.  Engines you can buy at the store are small and wont do much.  For the larger motors that is why there are Cert levels. I II and III.  Even if you are a level III you cant just go into a store and buy an N class motor.  It has to be special ordered and delivered to a retailer, not your door.