Cycline3 Rocketry
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Rose Rocketry
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Rose NAR 80388 - L1
Click here for Cycline3 Rocketry Model Kits
Cycline3 Rocketry - The Path to Level 1
When I first decided to shoot for my NAR Level 1 Certification, I don't think I realized just what is involved. This is not like building a model rocket -- the size and weight differences are astounding. However, everyone should do it. Hopefully with better timing than I had.
Click here for a Quicktime movie of the Level 1 launch.
First off, my decision came in the middle of the motor shortage of 2002 after the Aerotech fire. I managed to track down an H180 reload on ROL for about double what it normally sells for. I figured the extra expense is worth it as this is something important to me. (How do I justify the other H motors I bought though... hmm?)
I decided to make it one to remember. Against the odds. I decided that I wanted my Level 1 rocket to be of my own design. I also had never flown a reloadable motor before. I was shooting for perfection on the first flight with an unproven design using a do-it-yourself motor I have never attempted to use before. I mean, if you are going to do it, then do it right! (Did I stack the deck in favor of failure or what?)
I dug in and ordered some parts. I ended up making the rocket with 3.0" airframe and plywood fins. Heavy duty stuff compared to BP powered kits. The airframe had deep spirals down its length. I read online that Elmer's had a nice wood filler and so I picked up a tube of natural finish at Wal-Mart. There's truth in that web site too, this is some very cool stuff. A. It's cheap. B. It's smooth and easy to work with when you are filling the spiral. However, C. is not a nice characteristic for the timid -- this stuff dries hard as coffin nails and sanding it is difficult at best.
Sanding the payload bay and the booster section took over 2 hours of heavy sanding and put bruises on my hands. However, the finished product was well worth it -- the airframe is super smooth.
Here I am at the workbench with a semi-complete rocket. You can see I went with three fins and a payload/booster style body. The attentive reader/viewer will have noticed the hot pink pack of Estes engines and recovery wadding in the top of the picture. These are engines I used to fly as a younger Me and they are older than kids graduating high school now. That dates me huh..? I guess I could also add that I am old enough to have seen all the Star Wars movies in the theater when they were originally released. WHEE!
Back to the Level 1 project -- this is a close up of the rocket showing the 2 main sections and the motor retainer. This is simply a plywood centering ring with brass nuts epoxied on each side to thread a long brass bolt into. Note the laser cut retainer ring that mounts on there. Cheap and solid. Motor mount is 38mm with a 12" engine tube.
I decided to go heavy. I wanted my rocket to stay near Earth and increase my chances of recovery. Also, I was planning in the back of my mind to someday fill the payload bay with a camera project -- be it film or video (or both). Check back on that one.
All I can say is that the Internet is a wonderful resource. Basically I had no instructions since I wasn't making a kit and anyone who has built a rocket this size can tell you -- it's not simply a matter of up scaling your Estes Alpha III. This project took time and planning. I can't stress enough the planning part. If you are scratch building a rocket -- take your time and think it through. What's the largest motor you are going to use in the rocket? Did you make the airframe space too big for the ejection charge to separate the rocket? How big of a parachute do I need for a 5lbs. (YES FIVE POUNDS!!) rocket?
While I was planning all of this I did lots of Google searches and read lots on the building of L1 models but my friends in WVSOAR helped the most by giving real world "already been there and done that" advice. If you are going to fly high power it almost requires joining a rocketry club so as to ease the burden of FAA waivers, etc., etc. Not to mention, you get living, breathing resource material. You can Ask Jeeves™ how big of a chute you will need, but he might tell you you need one that will float your rocket three mountains over. Your club member will set you straight and say this is what you need. You also get to watch rockets launch when you are prepping yours for free! More bang for the buck and good friends to boot. Join a club!!
As for the questions above -- decide what the biggest motor is you want to fly and install the next size motor mount. If you decide a 29mm H180 in a 29/240 case is the biggest motor then take the 29mm/10inches and upsize that to 38mm/12inches or more for the motor mount. You will need to use an adapter to fly 29mm motors, but they are about $12 from PML and come assembled. Now you can easily move up to the next size batch of motors (and you WILL want to) without worry. You can adapt down, but not up so build it big the first time.
You need to do calculations on how your rocket will fly. The people doing your certification are supposed to ask you and you are supposed to know and be able to tell them how you got the numbers you are giving them. Click here to see a PDF of one of the simulations I ran. After you get it all together, it's time to fly!
I ordered a set of Dr. Rocket 29mm motors and I had the H180 from an ROL auction. So I was set to go. I headed up to the WVSOAR launch with my rocket in tow. The weather was terrible -- it was bright sun and very clear but with LOTS of wind. When I first arrived I quickly decided that I wasn't flying the rocket in the wind. So, we shot off lots of smaller darts and waited. Later that afternoon, the wind died down considerably.
Time to go for it. The rocket was looked over thoroughly. I had to show the center of pressure and the center of gravity (I had them -- I had to add nose weight to get the rocket stable) and I had to assemble the H180-M motor while the "certifiers" watched. I put together my first reload motor and crossed my fingers and put it in the rocket and attached the retainer.
This is me putting the finishing touches on the pad and rocket. If you want to learn more about my custom pad, click here. I put a pretty spiffy paint job on there with very nice flame decals. The top is dark charcoal gray with white flames and the bottom is a swirled metallic silver with black flames. Unfortunately, you can't see the metallic effects in these pictures. It was said that it was too pretty to fly, but I think the opposite -- having a cool rocket makes you want to fly it! Remember, I was going for it all out!
OK, here is the launch that I almost missed. I did the countdown from 10 and pressed the button. Nothing. I freaked. And then I freaked again. Five seconds (clocked on the video) later, the motor roars to life, growls and then rips the rocket off the pad. A five pound rocket with a 7G liftoff. It was moving. As you can see in the picture above, the motor made lots of nice smoke -- though I can't figure out what the side angled plume was from. The rocket is 49 inches long so you can estimate the length of the flame at about 2.5 feet.
The flight was pretty and from a rocketeer's guess seemed to hit about 1000 feet as predicted. View the computer calculation PDF here. Recovery was flawless on two parachutes. The rocket was looked over by the "certifiers" (for lack of a better word) and was deemed in great shape. I was (and still am) Level 1 certified. YEAH!
