November Is a Lot of Things... But Not Rocketry Month.

I haven't written a post in a while, because I've been far too busy with a lot of things on my plate.

One of those things is my honors algebra 2 class, where I have been studiously learning the finer points of higher-level math. It is a very important subject to have under your belt if you're going to be an aerospace engineer.

Another thing that I have been involved in is NaNoWriMo, which is the short way to say "National Novel Writing Month." The goal is to write 50,000 words in one month, but I've set my goal to 100,000 OR to finish my novel, whichever comes first. If you could sum up the whole story into one sentence, it might go something like this: "An aspiring aerospace engineer foils the enemy's plot to control the planet." It's science fiction, as you may have already deduced. I don't claim to be an excellent writer or anything; this is just an event I participate in for fun. And it runs a common theme with one of my main ambitions, namely the exploration of the skies and beyond.

One other thing I'd like to mention is Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. It's a college down in Arizona that has sparked my interest, and has an aerospace engineering program that matches perfectly what I've been looking for. I still have a couple years before college, but I've started to think about it now. I also might look into the U of MN's aerospace engineering program, I've heard that theirs is pretty good, and it's much closer.

So my current rocket hasn't even been looked at in the past month or so, since my life has been taken up with so many other things. But High-5 will get lots of attention in the months to come.

I just thought that I would post this to let you know that I am still blogging!

More Amazing Onboard Video

Announcing High-5

Presenting my latest project, High-5, a five motor cluster that goes HIGH!! It is 100% high-power, able to fly on I's J's and K's, no less. This is my first build that cannot be flown as a model rocket.

Physical description:

• Central 54mm motor mount (for I through K motors), and 4 outboard 29 mm motor mounts (for G's and H's)
• 70 inches long, 4 in diameter inches at the nose base, down to 3 inches, back out to 4 inches at the "business" end
• Should be able to carry 8 oz of payload (like cameras, transmitters, altimeters) to over 5000 feet!
• Projected weight: 8 pounds (with maximum power)
  
• 2 or 3 stage configuration (a small onboard timer ignites outboard motors at a preset time interval after ignition)
• Estimated completion date: May, 2009

I've been working on it for a couple months now, and already it is beginning to take shape!

Amazing Onboard Video

I was searching through YouTube for some videos of high-power rocketry and I found some of the coolest onboard video I've ever seen on a rocket. There's nothing to say about it that accurately depicts how cool it is, so instead of babbling on and on I'll just show it to you:



Followed by a close second:

Tripoli Minnesota October Launch

All in all I'd say it was a nearly perfect day. The ONLY problem was that Exporter 2000's video camera failed. Again. I did a few diagnostics afterword and have concluded that the batteries come loose under the acceleration. I tried turning off the camera while recording, but the video worked up to that point. Then I tried taking the batteries out while recording, and that's what deleted the video! So despite my optimism I am still left with only video from the ground (which isn't all that bad though).

Here's video of Exporter 2000 with both motors burning strong:



I also flew Spare Parts Spaceship (SPS-1) on a G80. That is the most powerful single use model rocket motor on the planet! I was a little worried about stability, but it flew pretty straight. Here's the video:



I finally got my editing software to work (Windows Moviemaker, a not-so-good program), so here's a few of the awesome rockets flown on Saturday. There were some great flights, including a J-motor drag race, a long burn K-motor, and a rocket that went almost 2 miles high!



And here's one other video that I found on You-Tube. Someone had started a rocket club for the U of M, and some photographers and videographers were at the launch putting together a story for the MN Daily. I'm in the background of the video searching for something I lost in the grass.



That's my claim to fame. If you want to read the story for the MN Daily, click the following link: http://www.mndaily.com/2008/10/11/u-rocket-club-tries-lift

Launch Tomorrow!

I don't think I ever posted this, but I launched Exporter 2000 in our own sod fields fairly recently. For some strange reason the onboard video failed again! I've been brainstorming possible problems, I have just finished redoing the payload bay for tomorrow's launch. I've got a really good feeling about the launch tomorrow. I'm dying for onboard video!!

I will also be flying a new rocket called "Spare Parts Spaceship" built out of spare rocket parts I had on hand. It doesn't have a paint job yet, so I'll post a picture of it later.

Anyway, here's the video from a couple weeks ago:

Exporter 2000 Achieves Purple Ribbon!

Over the labor day weekend I brought Exporter 2000 to the MN State Fair to be judged in 4H. I worked hard on putting together an attractive display and put as much into it as I could. The judge really liked my project, and said that he even learned some about high-power rocketry! I was very pleased. I've always wanted to get purple at the State Fair for an aerospace project!


Here I am showing my Animal Motor Works 54mm high-power rocket motor casing to the judge.
Here's me demonstrating my motor retention system.