My First LDRS -- It's Official!

Yep, it's true. After a few weeks of uncertainty whether it would actually happen or not, it is finally official, and I am leaving tomorrow morning!

LDRS -- Large and Dangerous Rocket Ships -- is the annual Tripoli Rocketry Association meet. It's the biggest high-power rocket launch in the country. Thousands of people will be there, and some of the biggest projects ever.

Believe it or not, I am actually driving. That's okay, I love driving! It doesn't really save any money with just me in the car, but this way I get to bring my own project: Longshot Starkiller, the big two-stage level-2 rocket. While it is uncertain that he will be ready to fly in time, it will at least be great to show it off and talk about it.

I'll be camping at the Flint Creek Campground, just 2 miles from the launch site. There will be lots of LDRS attendees staying there, so hopefully I will be able to meet some new people!

Stay tuned for travel updates, pictures and videos!

Pictures and Video!

I love Skidmarks.

Hybrid M-motor that never went :(

He's probably thinking "Not my day..."

From this --^

To this --^

Stinger on the pad.

June Launch Report <-- Boring Title But VERY Interesting Article

No matter what safety precautions you take, at the end of the day getting beaned on the noggin with an Aerotech Sumo coming in ballistic at a couple hundred feet per second is bad for your health. Just saying.

Despite that little incident (the victim is doing well now, but everyone was freaked out of their breeches at the time), the launch was a smashing success! (No pun intended).

First off, there was an M motor with three outboard J's that were going to airstart. The M cato'd.

Then there was a big Hypertek M motor that would fill with nitrous oxide but was having issues with the ignition system. No joy there.

Then there was my L2 certification attempt. We won't even talk about that.

Just kidding, we will. So I passed the test, no sweat. I had studied for it several times before but never got around to taking it for one reason or another. Then I got my rocket ready to fly: Stinger on a J285. I'm so brilliant. I certify L1 on an I285 which is a huge I, and certify L2 on a J285 which is a baby J. That way I can use the same rocket, same casing, same average thrust... It's amazing they even let you do it that way.

But then it came down to launch time. Despite my 4-caliber stability margin, the rocket had issues on the ascent. I'm still analyzing the video to figure out what went wrong, and I'll post it on YouTube later for you all to analyze as well. But something fishy happened. It corkscrewed a little and increased drag so much that what should have been a 5000' flight turned out to be a 1500' flight. Therefore, a 15 second delay for the motor eject was waaaay too long. The main was set to deploy at 500, but I'm not sure which deployed first, the drogue or the main. I guess I will have to look at the video and figure all these things out. But the point is that it was going way too fast when it finally ejected, and the rocket separated and I failed my certification.

Oh well.

There were some other cool things about the launch, like an L1500, and a minimum diameter H399. Mach 1.25 on the H399! But I'm too lazy to cover every launch in great detail, and besides, reading about it just isn't the same thing as actually being there.

I'm going to build a new rocket for July, so stay tuned for some build pics.

Hard-Earned Level 1 Certification!

It has been a very long day. But I am happy to announce my successful level 1 high-power certification!

It actually took me two attempts. The reason is that the motor failed on the first attempt. It was rather frustrating. I only brought enough money for two reloads, so I had to skip my level 2 attempt for now. But at least I did eventually get my level 1.

The rocket sims to 4500 feet on an I285, but the altimeter recorded only 3400 feet. Even then it drifted far away and over the edge of some trees. I NEVER would have found the rocket if one of the rocketeers hadn't lent me his transmitter. It was fun learning how to use it, and it saved my rocket.

But unfortunately... it did not elude the clutches of the rocket-eating trees. It dangled about 30 feet high in a tall oak. It took a lot of thinking, but eventually I suggested finding a long stick in the woods and attaching the pruning device with duct tape, sort of like a long extention. The pruning pole had a hook on it that we tried to snag on the edge of the body tube. It was tedious, but we finally got it down.

What an interesting day.

I set the altimeter to deploy only the main. The drogue was deployed with the motor based ejection charge. The black powder goes into the pvc section on the forward bulkhead.

I taped the rocket hunter right to the nose cone, with the antenna up inside it.

Silly me, I designed the arming switch inside the altimeter bay, so I had to carefully take the rocket apart once it was upright on the pad in order to arm the altimeter. You don't want black powder going off in your face.

Ready to rock.

Very little damage after the fateful first flight. The main chute ripped off and drifted away. My dad found it.

Looking good on the pad, ready for its second flight.

Oh boy.

Where's Waldo?

Here's a shot of the pruning pole hooked onto the body tube.

Suprisingly, this was the only damage. And it was caused after it landed from yanking on the pruning pole.

Now I am looking forward to level 2!

Stinger

This is it! The picture above is the actual rocket, but the paint scheme is just a concept. I edited the picture on the computer.

I've never actually done a flame job before, but it seemed like it would be a fun thing to try.

The rocket is almost done. I just have to fix the electronics bay (that I stupidly broke), and finish the paint job.

I'm hoping to get level 1 and level 2 certified on this rocket, all in one day. Level 1 will be on an I285 and level 2 will be on a J285. It should do about 5500 feet on the J!

I'm so excited!!!

Tripoli Minnesota July Launch was AWESOME!

It was a great launch: nice weather, several level 3 certification flights (I think 6), a big turnout, no major disasters, you couldn't ask for anything more! Well, you could, but it wouldn't help.

I only flew one rocket (twice) but next launch I'm planning several big flights including my level 1 and level 2 certification flights! (An update on my progress will be coming soon)

Here's me posing with the sustainer stage of Double Trouble:

The nice thing about the irrigation system was that there were these handy bridges accross the ditches, so you don't have to walk 10 miles if your rocket lands just across the ditch.

A nice recovery:

A team from the U of M came out and launched a weather balloon. I leaned over and told a fellow rocketeer, "It might go 80,000 feet, but it doesn't go mach 3."

My friend Scotty Gleason came out with his monster "Leviathan." He's Jr. L1 certified, but that didn't stop him from building the second largest rocket in Minnesota.

Leviation ready for liftoff (see video for the flight). The parachute got jammed inside the rocket so it had a hard landing. Scott didn't take it too well. Hey, it happens to the best of us.

Some ol' rocket that I took a picture of:

And here is the Behemoth. This one had a 38 mm motor in a 98 mm motor mount. (That's fun to say, millemeter motor mount. It's a consonance.)

Stay tuned for some updates on some big projects coming out of my workshop/bedroom!

AP Tests + Summer Job Applications + Scholarship Applications + College Decisions + High-Power Rocket Certifications + ... + (-1)^n/(x+2)! + Rn(x) = AHHHHHH!!!!!

After a title like that, I guess I don't really need to say anything.

Going to Join the NAR...

It's hard to believe June is already upon us, but it's going to be an excellent summer for rocketry. I can just feel it.

To fly some of my larger project this summer, I've got a bit of a problem. There's no way to get HPR motors until you're 18... unless you join the NAR.

The NAR has a special program for kids wanting to get a head start in high-power rocketry. With limited provisions and close adult supervision you can get level 1 certified before you turn 18. With a level 1 certification you can fly H and I motors (an I motor has as much impulse as four G motors). So it's my goal to get my Junior Level 1 certification before the end of the summer!

A Short Break From Rocketry and Now a Wild Return

Hi! You can expect to see more blog posts from me in the future. I took a little break from my blog for a while since I had nothing to blog about. But I've decided to do a minimum of four blog posts a month, and I compiled a list of a few topics.

November was National Novel Writing Month, as I already have mentioned, and while I may have taken a break from building rockets, I did not really a break in rocketry. I sort of took my idea of a Ladder to Space and put it in a sci-fi setting. I'm not really a big writer or anything, but I got in the habit of participating in NaNoWriMo.

What's next?

Well, I've got a lot of rocket projects planned for this next year, including continuing work on High-5, my ambitious level-1/level-2 high-power rocket, and an upgrade to squirrel's rocket, a project in engineering designed to treat the stuffed animal astronaut exactly like I would a real pilot (for instance, no more than six or seven g's of acceleration, but I'm still working on whether that would even be feasible in a high-power rocket).

And I've got one other wildly ambitious project ahead of me: Jr. level-1 certification through National Association of Rocketry (NAR) this spring or summer. But first I have to attend an NAR launch and ask a lot of questions!

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:

High-Power Rocket Launch 8/9/08

Success!! I would say my biggest success! Exporter 2000 flew flawlessly.

As you can probably see from the picture one motor came up to pressure a little before the other. Cluster ignition is tricky, but I managed to pull it off.


No camera man actually stood this close. This is the frame from a pad camera.

There was only one problem: the video camera came back empty. 8(

My plan is to launch it again in a few days at my own field. Right now I'm attaching a mirror to the side of the rocket at a 45 degree angle so the video is looking down.

My altimeter indicated that the rocket went to 1,650 feet, reaching speeds of 220 mph.

I'll post the video from the launch soon!

Launch Tomorrow

Well, it's going to be a great launch tomorrow, and a perfect day for onboard video: partly cloudy. I like this because the cloud shadows are an awesome sight from above. No wind, no rain or foul weather... And I have a feeling there are going to be some great rockets there. Watch for my post tomorrow.

By the way, I'm not going to manage naming it before tomorrow. I'm going to watch with discomfiture as "untitled" takes to the sky. How embarrassing!

Current Project Update

I've been working hard on my second practice high-power rocket, for my MN State Fair exhibit. It hasn't been named yet, naming rockets has never been one of my best areas in rocketry. But it is similar to my last one in that it has a cluster of 2 "G" motors, the same payloads, and similar weight, but a different airframe shape.

It's almost done, I just have to wait for the nosecone to come in the mail. I ordered it on the 15th of July and it's still not here. I'll have to call.

So excited! There's a good chance it'll fly on Saturday the 9th!

Altocumulonimbus

I've named my rocket: Altocumulonimbus.

Altocumulonimbus - n. a high-based storm cloud

The rocket is pretty much done (besides its payloads). Here are some pictures:



The completed paint job looks spectacular


My logo, applied lovingly to each fin


RRC2 mini altimeter. I purchased this for 79 dollars. I hope I can figure out how to use it in a way that works for me.


Altocumulonimbus next to one of my first scratch-built rockets ever. I've come a long way in 2 years!


Altocumulonimbus pointed toward the skies, itching to go there...

High-Power Rocket Update

My practice high-power rocket is starting to take shape. I think I'm about 85-90 percent finished: I just need to give it a good paint job, glue the fins in place, and get the payloads. I also might redo the nosecone. I'm not real happy with it. I have limited tools and materials in my workshop, so it turned out kind of sloppy. Everything else looks great, though!

I've already ordered the altimeter. I can't wait until it gets here. The other payload will be a video camera, so check back here around mid-July for the video!

The business end of my high-power rocket. 2 G77 motors will be used to heft this rocket to 2700 feet.

Here, my guinea pig "Bella" poses next to DTH Rocket Endeavors greatest flying machine so far... (Well, I guess that remains to be seen)

Starting a New Project!

I started building this rocket about a week and a half ago, and frankly, I think this one's going to be my best one yet! Here are the specs:

-Over 2 pounds
-210 Newton-seconds of total impulse (2 G motors!!!). This is the largest amount of impulse that is still considered model rocketry :D
-Apogee is at 2,700 feet! Over half a mile!
-45 inches in length
-4 inches in diameter
-Spacious payload bay, planning on 2 payloads: altimeter and video camera (perhaps transmitting at 1.2 GHz)

This is what I'm calling my "practice" high-power rocket. This summer I hope to build a full-fledged high-power rocket, and though high-power rockets look similar to model rockets externally (besides size), they have very different construction techniques.

I'm going to include this rocket in my county-fair project on aerospace this year. Watch for more posts as it takes shape!

A Ladder to Space

A whatta to wha? What do I mean by a ladder to space? Am I going to try to build the World’s Largest Structure Ever Conceived by Man?

DTH Rocket Endeavors’ Ladder to Space – noun: A metaphorical ladder consisting of certain steps I must take in different seasons of life to get to the point where I have the ability to build spacecraft and other Vehicles of Wonder.

As far as I can see, this ladder has 5 rungs:
1) Model rocketry
2) High-power rocketry
3) College
4) Either get a job or start a privately funded aerospace research company, eventually augmenting the resources for step 5
5) Build a spaceship

Step One: Model Rocketry

Model rocketry is currently where I'm at in my ladder. Model rockets are small, lightweight rockets propelled by commercially-manufactured, NAR-certified motors under 160 Newton-seconds (35 pound-seconds) of total impulse (that probably doesn't mean anything to you, but it equates to a type "G" motor). On the low end of the spectrum, model rockets are typically made from a paper tube, balsa wood fins, a plastic nosecone, and are propelled by black powder propellants. On the large end of the spectrum they are usually powered by ammonium perchlorate composite propellants, which is what NASA uses to power the Space Shuttle solid rocket boosters!

Step Two: High-Power Rocketry

This step will probably be the longest process, because it ranges from rockets slightly larger than the ones I'm building now to behemoth monsters that are almost as tall as some baby model rockets can fly! (That might be a slight exaggeration!) There are three levels of high-power rocketry, but I like to think of it as four, because beyond level three you have to build your own motors. Each level is defined by the power of the motors.

Level 1: H - I motors

Level 2: J - L motors

Level 3: M - O motors

Level 4: Research rocketry - Scratch built rocket motors up to size "T." That's 131,072 times larger than any rocket I've built and flown!

Above is a rocket powered by an experimental "S" motor.

Step Three: College

I can't possibly expect to get to space without learning a few things, can I? Next year I will be a Junior in high school (homeschool) so I still have some time to think about it.

Step Four: Undefined

There are zillions of things I could do in this step. I could either get a job with a pre-existing aerospace company, or I could start one. I could build experimental research rockets, join the air force as and aerospace engineer, or anything else that would bequeath to me valuable experience and consolidate my resources.

Step Five: Outer Space

Uh... Why again would I devote my entire life to this? The answer is surprisingly simple: I am fascinated by it. I want to go there. And it's not just outer space that fascinates me, it's the vehicle to get there!

High-Power Rocket Launch

The next step in my ladder to space would probably be high-power rocketry. These rockets are like model rockets, only much bigger and louder, and can fly much, much higher. This afternoon I went to a high-power rocket launch of Tripoli Minnesota and took a few pictures.

The following picture is of a rocket flying with a type "I" motor. That would be four times as powerful as any rocket I have built:

This rocket has a kind of amazing story. Right when the range safety officer pressed the launch button a large gust of wind came up, and the rocket arched over in the sky. We expected it to straighten out, but it just kept curving, until it pointed towards the ground! When it finally did straighten out it was flying along parallel to the ground—still accelerating. It barreled into the ground and skipped like a stone…at nearly half the speed of sound! It’s too bad I didn’t video-record it. It was amazing. You would have liked to see it.

And at this launch I flew the famous “Squirrel’s Rocket” which appeared in my short clay animation. It was an amazing scene, a dark cloud in the background with the sunlight reflecting off the metallic paint job:


I can hardly wait to fly high-power rockets!