Gohan

I was flying some of my rockets today The Dude a 8 ft inflatable rocket D engine Un named rocket of my own design C engine "blue" Mean Machine 7 ft D engine "black" this rocket has a dbz sticker on it Separated, no parachute

This ad is not displayed to registered and logged-in members. Register your free account today and become a member on RX8Club.com!

moRotorMotor

I want to put a "D" engine in a Mosquito and see how high it goes. :D I have a Nova Payloader with a "B" engine still inside, but I am too lazy to get a launcher. I had it during school projects.

Chrisbert

I saw a show on amatuer rocketry the other day on discovery, or similar. It was amazing the size and power these guys are making nowadays. Clearly, some of the rockets I saw could carry a decent payload up to a good altitude. It won't be long before the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) starts regulating this hobby. :-(

LR_Sales

They are already trying too. I saw some article in Popular Mechanics about rocket guys who are gettign alitudes in the thousands of foot range. They have had people from DHS check them out to see if you could put guidance systems in their rockets to shoot down a plane.

They already have to have special permits and go through special classes just to buy the huge motors they use. Their motors are regulated by the ATF i think since they are so large.

army_rx8

what's teh highest you've shot one of your rockets? also how woudl you tell how high it went? do any of them have a sensor inside for altitude?

LR_Sales

For smaller rockets that don't go so high that they get out of visual range you can just use Trigonometry.

Estes used to make and probably still do make an altimeter gun with a weighted protactor on it. You pointed the gun at the rocket from 300 or 600 yards away from the launch pad and when the rocket reached its apex, about the time the parachute deploys, you pulled the trigger.

That would lock the protractor at the angle and then you could just look at angle to see what the altitude was.

Simple Trig with sin or cos functions. The gun made it so you did not even have to do the math since it had the altiudes for angles at 300 yards and 600 yards printed next to the angle.

Chrisbert

The competition I saw had an onboard accelerometer and telemetry box. Pretty sweet. They were in the mid-upper teens of thousands.

Nubo

I had fun in the 80's with "the incredible 5-cent Sugar Rocket"

http://www.alphalink.com.au/~brucej/nickle.htm

I never did order the book showing how to make engines with 70 lbs (!!!??) of thrust... How would that compare to a "D" engine?

Gohan

Mach Buster 6000 ft, mach 1.7 on a G engine

Mustang 3000 ft on a G engine

wintergrn

That would be fun alright, but watch the stability -- the CP might move forward of the CG as the fins burn off.:p Oh, this is bringing back memories.