Thursday, August 30, 2012

Hedley Lamarr


Members: Ken Biba, Casey Barker, Erik Ebert, Becky Green, Jim Green, Dave Raimondi, Tom Rouse, Steve Wigfield
Club: AeroPac

Altitude: 100,000+ '
Motors: N1000 to M685
Project Goal:  
This is our attempt to claim the "Carmack 100kftMicro Prize"  for an amateur flight above 100K'.  We are attempting to claim the prize using commercial motors in a certified configuration while carrying a functional science payload based on a commercial smartphone.  We adopted these constraints to further our goal of making 100K flights more accessible, repeatable, and affordable for the amateur community.  At the completion of the project, we will publish full documentation of our design and construction process and open-source our payload software.

The airframe is a two-stage, minimum-diameter design (see attached).  Construction is primarily of commercially-available fiberglass components with carbon-laminated fins.

Architecture:     Two stage minimum diameter - 4" booster to 3" sustainer
Motors:             Commercial ACPC motors.   Aerotech N1000 in booster staging to Aerotech M685 in sustainer.  24 second total burn time.
Total impulse:    21,650 ns
Length:             126"
Pad weight:       61 lbs
Avionics:          Raven+RDAS, Beeline GPS (70cm APRS), GoPro2 + WiFi BacPac replicated in booster and sustainer
Payload:           Smartphone+sensors with 2m APRS telemetry
Launcher:         12' rail
  
We will fly September 10-16, 2012.  As part of our "repeatability" goal, we intend to make multiple flights weather permitting.  We intend to webcast the video of the launch as well as real-time telemetry of the flight from the AeroPac web site.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Senza Confini


Member: Ryan Catanesi
Club: AeroPac

Altitude: 27 - 33,000'
MotorsAerotech K250W. CTI K300Cl, L640DT, L935IM 

Project Goal: This is a rocket that I have scratch built and designed for extreme altitude. I will be flying it under the TRA Mentoring program, my father being my mentor.

Senza Confini, is a "max performance" 54mm Carbon fiber minimum diameter rocket.

Optimized for the Aerotech 54/2800 hardware or CTI Pro54-6Gxl hardware. (By utilizing an interchangeable length forward airframe section)  It is only 38 inches in length, and weighs about 1.8lbs empty.

We are expecting upwards of 27,000 AGL out of it on any motor fit for these hardwares (excluding Skidmarks).

Project Note: Green light for flight pending a successful Re-cert L2 by my father after a short membership lapse.

Bare Necessities


MemberChristopher Cotner
ClubRocketry Organization of California

Altitude: 115,000'
Motor: N5800CS  

Project Goal: Tripoli N-class altitude record (for the CTI competition) and Carmack Prize Attempt. 
  • Bare minimum airframe for recovery and structure
  • Machined (not welded) aluminum 7075-T651 Fincan
  • Custom composite front end with Hawk Mountain tubing 
  • Designed and build by Chris Cotner and Carlo Vaccari (TRA# 13438)
  • Flown legally by our mentor and professor Gregory Lyzenga (TRA# 12088)

Monday, August 20, 2012

Needle Jr.


Member: Bill Earls
Club: AeroPAC

Altitude: 20,000'
Motor: J-530


Astro Boy (fourth times a the charm)



Member: Jamie Clay
Club: AeroPac

Altitude: Good question to ask.
Motors: Aerotech single use Fs 

Project Goal: To make Astro Boy fly a good stable flight and THIS time get the parachute out!! This is the third year, and we all know third times the charm! :)


Mach 4

Member: Bill Earls
Club: AeroPAC

Altitude: 50,000'
Motor: N-3190SG - N 3180R

Project Goal: To have a good flight,lots of fun and beat the crap out of the TRA altitude record...  LOL

Leopard

Member: Bill Earls
Club: AeroPAC

Altitude: 30,000'
Motor: L805

Project GoalIn 2010 it hit 21,704ft.,last year it hit 24,876ft.. This year with the new L805 by CTI it is projected to 30k.  

Project Note: ARTS2,GWIZ LCX and GPS

Pegasus

Member: James Dougherty
Club: AeroPAC

Altitude: 45,000' AGL
Motors: Aerotech N-1000, Ceseroni N-58000 CS

Project Goal: Test out new Real Flight Systems GPS-TWO rocket electronics && telemetry system. Test out multiple base-station/modem configurations. Test out air-frame and launch tower improvements. Have fun!

Project Note: In 2010 she flew to over 42,000' AGL. Got some scratched paint and made a few tweaks for aerodynamics and weight reduction.

Certifiable
(cert-if-i-able)


Member: Darryl Paris
Club: AeroPAC

Motor: M1315
Altitude: 27,000'


3" min dia, 63" long, 2254 ft/s

On-board video by Tachyon


Project Goal: Level 3 certification attempt

XPRS Past Projects

XPRS 2009
XPRS 2010
XPRS 2011