Launch on the 4th of July

I have never had such a large body of spectators during a rocket launch! This 4th of July I had a model rocket demonstration for our family's gathering. Here's the video:

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)

Out of Sight, and Gone Forever.

This launch was about a week ago, but I haven't gotten around to posting about it yet. I had this rocket that kind of got me started building large rockets. It was a kit, called "Initiator." I bought it because I wanted to learn how a rocket of its size was constructed properly. This rocket was my only kit so far (besides tiny ones). I like to come up with my own creations!

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Anyway, since I didn't build this from scratch or from my own head, I never felt compelled to fly it until just a few days ago.

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The motor I used was a G40-13W (a G motor). I'm not sure, but I think this motor is really old. I found it in an isolated corner of an obscure hobby shop, all alone, priced at 5 dollars. So I didn't exactly have high expectations for this motor, but boy was I wrong...

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Rocketry readers, isn't it correct that G40's don't burn for 3 seconds? And don't have a 13 second time delay? Well, this one did:

And...goodbye. Good buy. But gone forever.

By the way, that was my sister's camera you can hear in the background, "click click click click click!"

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!

Why I Don't Like NASA

As I mentioned in my last post, I am not all that impressed with NASA. I know that it's hard to think about the atmosphere and outer space without thinking about NASA, but that's not what I want to be doing when I grow up: working for NASA.

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One of the main things NASA is doing is building the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS doesn't serve much function and is a waste of time and money (a single Space Shuttle mission to the ISS costs well over a billion dollars). In the back of NASA's mind I think they hope to unite the world by joining the nations together in space. Well, it's not going to happen. The world is never going to be on perfect terms with itself, and the only way to keep the peace is to arm yourself to the teeth and hope that everyone's too afraid to attack you. Forming friendships with other nations might, or might not, be a good idea. The current Space Shuttle mission to the ISS is delivering a Japanese module. Why are we spending all our time and money and effort for some other country?

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Anyway, other than the organization, I really like the hardware! The Space Shuttle is probably the most complex machine ever built, and the design will most likely improve in the future, too.

Space Shuttle Discovery Launch on May 31st

Below is a video of Space Shuttle Discovery's liftoff from 3 days ago:



The Space Shuttle is one of the most spectacular things...right up there with tornadoes and corn on the cob...however, I don't think that NASA uses it for a purpose which pays for itself. The Space Shuttle I like, NASA I don't. I'll tell you why either tomorrow or very soon.