Volume 8 Issue 4

MAGAZINE

THE BIRTH, LIFE AND DEATH OF THE FULL-SCALE “P”ATRIOT Spring Grove High-Powered Rocketry Program 2014: THE BLACK MAMBA Tagg Dog Tracker for Rockets TARC From the Team’s Point of View

The Founding of Tripoli: Getting It Up Down Under– Its Earliest Days Flying with the Aussies Part 2–Level-Three Success Red Glare XVI News and Review

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4  Photo by Neil McGilvray Dan Michael’s Honest John on its last flight at MDRA Red Glare XVI.

Volume 8 Issue 2

5 Editorial 22 TARC from the Team’s Point of View 6 rocketry News By Wyatt Nace By Dick Stafford The long road to TARC

8 Tagg Dog Tracker for Rockets 25 The Founding of Tripoli: By Bill Robinson its Earliest Days Easy way to find your rocket. With Notes from Robert C. Thwaite Rewritten with Additions by 10 spring Grove High-Powered Francis Graham Tripoli History as told by its Founder rocketry Program 2014:

The Black Mamba 31 Red Glare XVI By Kyle Abrahims The Future in Rocketry By Neil McGilvray Photos by Neil McGilvray, Greg Gardner and Ken Potter 14 The Birth, Life and Death of the East Coast Rocketry at it’s best full-Scale “P”atriot By Greg Kreiger 54 Getting it up Down Under–Flying A dream comes true. with the Aussies Part 2 By Mike Passaretti Mike’s trip to Australia for his Level 3

The Offical Magazine of the Tripoli Rocketry Association Board of Directors

Stu Barrett - President Debra Koloms Bob Brown - V. President Tom Rouse David Wilkins - Secretary Gerald Meux Jr. Bruce Lee - Treasurer Burl Finkelstein Dick Emery  rocketsmagazine.com Editorial By Bob Utley and Neil McGilvray The world seems to be a crazier place with each passing day. As rocketeers, we

Editor Robert Utley have to embrace the freedom we have that allows us to continue and expand our hobby. Executive Editor Neil McGilvray The rocketry community has done a stellar job of policing ourselves over the 50 years Associate Editors Dan Kirklin of Tripoli’s existence. Not to say that the organization hasn’t had its moments, which Kathy Gilliand sometimes seemed to pop up like whack-a-moles. The issues were dealt with, and time has apparently healed old wounds—or has it? In the classic 1964 movie Dr. Strangelove

Illustrator Robert Utley or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb , we recall the words of George Web Site Editor Dave Olson C. Scott’s distinguished character, General “Buck” Turgidson: “Mr. President, I’m not saying we wouldn’t get our hair mussed.”

Special Thanks Jill Weber Years have now passed since Tripoli and the National Association of Rocketry Mike Ritter prevailed in their lawsuit with the BAFT, now the BATFE. While the victory over the regulation of Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant was fair, reasonable, and

Contributing Writers Kyle Abrahims welcomed by the rocketry community, it did not unshackle rocketry from all government Francis Graham Greg Kreiger oversight. Neil McGilvray Wyatt Nace There have been some well-publicized follow-on meetings with our friends at Mike Passaretti Bill Robinson the Bureau, which have all occurred on their turf and under circumstances controlled by Dick Stafford Robert C. Thwaite the Bureau. One would hope the intent is to keep an open dialog and a free exchange of ideas as we move forward in an uncertain world. As many of us know, trying to explain how rocketry inspires us and keeps us coming back, launch after launch, is like trying to

Contributing Photos Greg Gardner describe what milk tastes like. Unless you have drunk the milk or attended a launch, you Greg Kreiger Neil McGilvray just don’t get it. Mike Passaretti Ken Potter In a much lower-key, unofficial capacity, MDRA has periodically performed a Bill Robinson different kind of outreach to our friends at the Bureau over the years and, most recently, this past April at Red Glare XVI, featured in this issue. During this day-long visit MDRA was an open book, as it has been in two previous visits of this nature. In attendance this year were eight representatives, ranging from field agents to senior managers. They were walked through every aspect of MDRA’s operation, much of which is consistent with both Tripoli’s and NAR’s protocols. Despite having some level www.rocketsmagazine.com of regulatory responsibility, the visitors to MDRA were totally unfamiliar with what we do, how we do it, where we do it, and—perhaps most importantly—why we do it. Given ROCKETS Magazine is produced by Liberty Launch Systems LLC. the self-policing aspect of our hobby, it is imperative that responsible transparency be ROCKETS Magazine is the Official Tripoli Magazine. maintained in our interactions with these folks. Now that a new day has dawned, we want Copyright © 2006, 2014 all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any them on our side. form or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photogopying, taping, recording without prior The focus of the visit and four-hour seminar was to introduce to the BATFE a level written permission of ROCKETS Magazine or Liberty Launch Systems LLC. of confidence with a rocketry operation. The goal was to have the folks see rocketry as we ISSN 1940-9230 MADE IN THE U.S.A. see it, from the viewpoint of responsible hobbyists, to dispel any preconceived notions of the hobby. It is necessary that both parties have a clear understanding of what each other’s Liberty Launch Systems LLC. role is and why both are important. It was stressed that official government agencies want 11554 Sullnick Way gaithersburg, MD 20878 groups like MDRA, Tripoli, and NAR around, as we are the front-line eyes and ears that 301-258-9170 for over 50 years have kept the hobby safe, especially from a law-enforcement perspective, not to mention from a fire-prevention point of view. It is important that rocketeers utilize The Cover their local and national clubs to pursue the hobby. At the end of the day, it was reasonable to assume the mission had been accomplished. Many questions were answered, and a lot of preconceptions were put to rest. There was a realization that the rocketry community is part of the solution for agencies such as the BATFE, not part of the problem. Should other groups be as lucky to have this type of visit, they should keep in mind that these agencies are part of the reason we are allowed to continue in today’s topsy-turvy world. Promote the hobby, emphasizing all of the positive aspects in Greg Kreiger’s Full Scale a safety-conscious, professional manner. “P”atriot Perpetuate the idea that rocketry is part of

Photo by Greg Kreiger the solution, not part of the problem. Tsolo T. Photo by Tsolo ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4  Rocketry News

Onebadhawk Recovery Harnesses Onebadhawk Recovery Harnesses have come a long way.

We have a harness for every type and design of rocket you can dream up. Our line includes a wide variety of stock and custom harness products - flat and tubular, Kevlar and Nylon, and with two or three pre-sewn loops. Our Kevlar Sleeved Tubular Nylon Harnesses are super popular! The 1” Tubular Nylon is not only available in any configuration but in 3 colors as well: green, yellow, and white. The same for the 9/16” Tubular Nylon, which is now available in white, blue, pink, and yellow. The 8000 lb Tubular Kevlar is now available in 2 colors: natural and black. Tubular Kevlar has been our most popular material. Its prop- erties include exactly what you’d like in a harness. It’s light weight, soft and supple, easy to pack and so strong it’s just hard to understand. Our #1 seller in the Tubular Kevlar line is the 11/32” because of its versatility. It can be used in 54mm rockets and, since it’s 4000 lb rated, when you build a 4” glass kit and wind up a bit tight for room in the payload section, the 11/32” Tubular Kevlar is just perfect. We even of- fer a 10/24” stainless steel welded eye bolt that is sewn onto the 11/32” Tubular Kevlar!

Website: www.Onebadhawk.com

Binder Design The full line of Max Q Aerospace aluminum fin cans.

The full line of Max Q Aerospace aluminum fin cans are now available, including an assortment of decorative finishes. These fin cans are available to fit 38mm through 98mm fiberglass or carbon fiber airframes and can also be ordered to mount directly onto a motor casing. Made with pride in the USA, all parts are CNC manufactured and machine formed “in house” before being hand signed and numbered. The strongest and most advanced fin system on the market, perfect for your next extreme flight!

Website: www.binderdesign.com

 rocketsmagazine.com By Dick Stafford

Eggtimer Rocketry Is proud to present the Eggfinder LCD System.

Eggtimer Rocketry presents the Eggfinder LCD System, a low-cost GPS/RF rocket finding system. Sold as a kit, the system consists of a transmitter that you mount in your rocket and a handheld LCD display receiver that shows you the GPS coordinates of your rocket in real-time. After landing, you simply enter the last coordinates into any GPS-enabled smartphone navigation app, and you can walk right up to your rocket. Running on the license-free 900 MHz band, it has a range of about 10,000’ with the in- cluded wire antennas, and about twice that with external “rubber-duckie” antennas. At $120 for the complete kit (ex- cept batteries), it’s by far the least expensive GPStracking system on the market.

Website: www.EggtimerRocketry.com

BuyRocketMotors.com Regularly stocked inventory has expanded.

BuyRocketMotors.com, the Fastest, Most Reliable and Transparent Way to Buy Mid and High Power Rocket Motors, would like to announce that it has expanded its Regularly Stocked motor inventory. In addition to carrying the complete line of Aerotech Disposable Motor System (DMS) motors, G through L, we have broadened our reload inventory to include almost all Aerotech 29mm and 38mm high power reloads. Further, we’ve also broadened our reloads to include the popular RMS Hobby Line motors for the 29/40- 120 hardware. In addition to our real time inventory, order confirmation, same/next day shipping, package tracking numbers, and real time shipping quotes, BuyRocketMotors.com has added an automatic In Stock Notification feature. This allows you to subscribe tothe inventory status of your favorite motor. No need to continually check the website, you’ll be automatically notified once your favorite motors are back in stock. BuyRocketMotors.com - Mid and high power rocket motors reliably delivered to your doorstep.

Website: www.BuyRocketMotors.com

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4  Tagg Dog Tracker for Rockets By Bill Robinson The Tripoli Fort Myers, Florida group (www.Tripolifortmyers.com) has been flying at a new field in south Florida for the last couple of years, it’s been very hard finding that wide open space where the owners will allow us to fly but we did find a 4 square mile subdivision that was never developed, only a square mile or so has been cleared and we still contend with high grass and water hazards at every launch. I have used the Beeline for many years and still think it’s the best solution for many situations, but some of our members wanted a lower cost solution to these APRS trackers. Danny Rodriguez (RocketsRus) ordered a Tagg Dog tracker to try out. I was a little skeptical but we have a cell tower close by and anyone with a Smartphone and password can follow the flight, I watched time and again as the rockets fall into heavy brush or the local groves and the owner will walk up and retrieve it sparing themselves the arduous task of swamp recovery. You only need to download the free application to your phone and go. The Tracker is a small and very thin device designed to clip onto a dog collar similar to a digital watch in appearance. I have seen it attached to the Rocket by tape or in a small eBay, either works well. It has free fallen from over 5K feet and has also landed in the canal with no damage, always reporting its location and it also uses live overlays of Google maps to make recovery quick. With the iphone app it also reports a Lat/Long if you want to use your GPS. The Tagg Tracker and charging station (Master kit) sell on EBay for around $80. The batteries will last a couple of weeks minimum. It comes with three months of free service then it’s about $7.00 a month, each additional tracker service is only 99 cents so it’s a great way for the club to make a little money from flight rentals. Check their website for details. Your phone carrier doesn’t need to be the same as the tracker because it communicates through a server to your smart phone application; you just need phone service at your location. This is not an altitude reporting device; it just reports its location. It may take a minute or two after your rocket lands to update you as to its location, so far with a 100% success rate in the last year. For those of us flying at less than an ideal field with cell service it’s been a cost effective solution.

 rocketsmagazine.com Tagg and the tube it rides in, very small for small rockets.

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4  Spring Grove High-Powered Rocketry Program 2014: THE BLACK MAMBA By: Kyle Abrahims (Team Co-Captain)

The entire team before the first launch. David Williams, Rnee Eaton, Jacob Guinn, Carter Forry, Matt Sheehan, Kyle Abrahims, Andrew Whitman, Veer Pandya, Josh Staley, Wyatt Nace, Luke Walko and Brian Hastings

It all began on a breezy day in May 2012, the conditions were right, all three of our teams were positioned and our Team America Rocketry Challenge looked to have its best chance ever to place in the top 10 at The National Finals. That year we took home fourth place, the nice silver cup and the prize money, but not only that, also the invitation of a lifetime to have the chance to work with NASA in the Student Launch Initiative Program and build a scientific payload and rocket that would be monitored and guided with the help of top engineers and scientists; the goal was to reach 1 mile and drop safely back to Earth with the help of parachutes. In 2013 we became only one of 21 high school teams from across The United States to be selected to work with NASA and build a full scale model rocket with close help from their engineers and top designers. We began work on our four inch diameter rocket that was closely scrutinized by their engineers and began writing up in 40 to 65 page documents our work, designs, changes, and thoughts on the project. We worked the entire year writing reports on our work, keeping track of progress, spreading the word of our project, and built a 6 foot 9.95 inch and 18 pound model rocket that we launched a total of 10 times both at Higgs Farm, Maryland and in Huntsville, Alabama. After a very successful year we got to launch our rocket to an altitude of 4,251 feet. Although the height was a bit short of our goal, we worked together as a team to complete the project and learned a lot of minor and major details on the process of building and successfully launching a rocket. Schools that were successful were eligible for a second year in the SLI program. In May of 2013 we formed a team to design a new rocket and write the preliminary proposal for it to be finished when school started in August of 2013. The previous year the preliminary proposal was due be August 31. We returned to school with a completed design and proposal, but received no word from NASA. Through a series including a sequestration, government shutdown, and months with no word, we finally received word in November of 2013 that the high school portion of the SLI was cut due to funding issues. 10 rocketsmagazine.com Kyle Abrahims waxing the rocket prior to the first launch

With this information at the back of our minds, the 2014 program brought a fresh start to the program and we decided to start the program just as we did the last. So we began by revising the design of our rocket and by writing up and organizing our thoughts in a 40 page preliminary design proposal. After we learned of the cut of funding from NASA, we then decided to continue to build the 6 inch diameter, 9 foot rocket that we began to build in early December, with only one problem, the lack of funding. With secured grants from Lowes and other sponsors we were able to work every night after school to construct the rocket even through many trials and errors including the over-heating of the payload and the accidental breakage of a fin. With the help of our

The Scientific payload team with the payload. Matt Sheehan, Luke alkoW and Wyatt Nace

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 11 NAR level 2 advisor, Tom Aument, we built the rocket. Through these trials we learned to work together and also thought of many ways to make our rocket design better including putting expanding foam down between the fins and motor tube to not allow the fins to flex as much and therefore not break as easy. We also filled the nosecone with expanding foam to strengthen it. The scientific payload was in the back half of the rocket and would be measuring the strength of electromagnetic radiation from apogee all the way down.

Veer Pandya and Carter Forry prepping the electronics bay

The center electronics bay, consisting of an 18 inch section of six inch diameter tube coupler and reinforced inside with fiberglass, held two Stratologger PerfectFlite altimeters to have redundant dual deployment charges. The first at apogee and the second at 700ft. The altimeters were programmed with a slight delay so that both charges would not go off at the same time. The front and back sections of the rocket were held to the electronics bay with shear pins. In early April the rocket was completed and we prepared to go launch the rocket on a sunny afternoon in Maryland at the annual MDRA Red Glare event. On that morning of Saturday April 12 we had beautiful weather at the launch site at Higgs Farm in Price, Maryland with team members Veer Pandya, Carter Forry, Matt Sheehan, Luke Walko, Andrew Whitman, Kyle Abrahims, Wyatt Nace, Jacob Guinn, David Williams, and Josh Staley. The rocket on the pad weighed 38 pounds, a bit more than the 34.5 pounds that was predicted, but that was to be expected with the added mass from the epoxy and expanding foam that was put in the rocket. For the first launch, we used the Cesaroni L1350 C-Star motor that has an impulse of 4400 Newton - seconds. As the head flight master counted down, we all waited in nervous anticipation and in shock as it was ready to go airborne. The rocket began to smoke and the rocket flew beautifully straight off the pad with a nice smoke tail behind it. The height reached was 5,956 feet, a bit more than the predicted 5800 feet. Once the rocket was recovered though we realized that the Labquest was programmed for a shorter time than we had anticipated and it was not able to record any useful data as it was on the pad inside of the rocket when it was recording. We still had plenty of time and worked to launch the rocket a second time. On the second launch, we used the Cesaroni L3200 Vmax motor which has slightly less total impulse but has a significantly quicker burn time 12 rocketsmagazine.com Carter Forry, Jacob Guinn, Kyle Abrahims, David Williams, Josh Staley, Wyatt Nace and Luke Walko walking the rocket out to the pad prior to the maiden voyage. than many other rocket motors, which means that it goes faster for a shorter period of time. The rocket was pulling about an estimated 30gs coming off the pad. The rocket took off perfectly straight and went up approximately 300-400 feet when we had a catastrophic motor failure that blew apart the back half of the rocket immediately above the fins, destroying the scientific payload, and electronics bay, but also splitting the rockets’ back half into two piece. The motor casing was sent back to Cesaroni with a warranty report. At the time this article was written, the result of the investigation was not known. The full front half of the rocket is intact as well as the two parachutes. Our goal at this point is to secure additional funding, buy a new Labquest and sensor, buy additional parts and rebuild the back half, launching again at the fall MDRA Red Glare event in November 2014. We as a team realize that through failure comes progress and have come to compare ourselves to the famous Rocket Boys led by Homer Hickham in the movie “October Sky”. He built and tested hundreds of rockets before he found one that worked and soon turned all that experience into large gains going onto win the national science fair and work for NASA. We all one day dream of working for NASA and to help our space program go further and explore new worlds every day. If the lack of NASA funding and support did not stop us, this will not either. Our resolve is stronger. “The future belongs to the people who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”- Eleanor Roosevelt The 2015 program is about to begin and if there is anyone interested in sponsoring the team or donating to the cause, please contact Brian Hastings at [email protected] information can be found on the 2014 Spring Grove SLI project at springgroverocketry. weebly.com ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 13 THE BIRTH, LIFE AND DEATH OF THE FULL SCALE “P”ATRIOT

By Greg Kreiger Team SCAM

Finally on the pad, minutes away from flying

When I was first getting into the hobby of high-power rocketry, my quarter-scale Patriot was my favorite bird to fly. For years I always asked the question of whether or not a full-scale Patriot was possible. After I helped Dennis Watkins launch the first O motor in Indiana, at Thunderstruck 3 in 2012, the talk of building a full-scale Patriot became even more real. A few months after Thunderstruck 3, I found out I had a noncancerous brain tumor, which needed to be removed. This took a lot out of me, as brain surgery is not something to take lightly. With a lot of prayer to the Lord and a very awesome group of skilled doctors and nurses, my surgery went well. Dennis Watkins, whom I had got hooked into the hobby many years before, came up to me and said to find out what we would need and how much it would cost to build the full-scale Patriot. After this the next question was to see who all in the club would be interested in building another group project, splitting the cost. Well, that’s all it took, as many of the group members wanted to be part of something big. After the decision was made to go ahead and take on the build of a full-scale Patriot, the question of how to construct it was asked. Through a couple of meetings with the group, we came up with a design that we thought would be durable while keeping the weight down. Since the rocket was 16 inches in diameter, we decided to construct an inner wall system. This would allow us to maximize the strength we needed while at the same time keeping the weight to a minimum. To construct this, we had Mike Gross draw the rocket full scale on a CAD program; after that was done; the files were then sent to George MacAleese, who owns his own CNC machine. We then cut centering rings and stringers that would interlock to an inside 12-inch tube. Designing this system was such a team effort, and it paid off. Someone in the group mentioned how this was like putting a plastic model kit together. After we had the internal structure built and bonded together, we took the 16-inch-diameter sono-tube that had been fiberglassed and marked where the fins would be going. Then Mike Law and Greg Kreiger took turns with the dermal tool, cutting the slots out. After this was complete, it took pretty much the whole team working quickly to spread epoxy on the inside of the tube and on all the stringers. The team them took the fiberglassed outside shell and slid it over the internal structure. This same process was used for the payload section. The nose cone was a pretty cool project on its own; once again, after getting a profile for the nose cone, 14 rocketsmagazine.com Greg standing next to the booster section for size

The Payload section between the booster and nose cone

The Booster section

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 15 Foam covered in fiberglass to make the nose cone

Filling in the low spots before painting

16 rocketsmagazine.com George MacAleese cut CNC circles of pink ridged foam insulation. After that was done, the rings were glued together in the tapered shape of a nose cone. Then there were strips of heavy fiberglass laid down to give us a nice strong shell. After the heavy strips were laid down, we used lighter fiberglass to give it a smoother finish. When we were done with the fiberglass layers, we sanded the nose down to give us an even smoother surface. After that, we filled in with Bondo any ridges that were still noticeable. After the Bondo cured, we sanded the nose cone smooth, and it was ready for prime and paint. After the two flights we saw that the nose cone was a testament to how well we build it, as both times it stuck in the field upon landing with no damage. The finishing was typical of what anyone would do for their high-powered rocket, but on a larger scale. This was accomplished through the hard work of the whole team. To get the finish smooth after the fillets were poured, we roughed the body tubes up with sandpaper and then cleaned off all of the dust with rubbing alcohol. After this we put some spackle all over the rocket to fill in any imperfections in the fiberglass. Once again, we sanded it all back down using a higher-grit sandpaper, and we then followed up with the rubbing alcohol once again. After it was all clean and dried out, we thinned out some epoxy, and then brushed it all over the rocket. It worked somewhat like self-leveling concrete and gave the rocket a very smooth finish for paint. When this was all complete, we packed it all up and sent it off to Mike Gross’s house for painting, and Mike did a fantastic paint job on the bird, which pictures can’t show. The decals, by Mike Hayes from Sticker Shock, were also applied at that time. After a few months of a team-project proposal, designing, and actual construction, the full-scale Patriot was no longer just a dream. It had grown into a reality. The last step needed was to do some ground testing and to receive our Class 3 waiver from Washington, D.C. After the ground tests were complete, we hauled the huge bird over to Mike Gross’s house for paint and decal application. He thought the rocket might take a week to paint, but that turned into just a few days, as he was working very hard and fast to see the finished paint scheme come to life. After the painting was done, the team then hauled the bird back to Mike Law’s for final preparation for the long trip down to Thunderstruck 4. With much thought and coordination, the Patriot fit very nicely and firmly into the trailer. We had to ensure that none of the paint was scratched and no components were broken. As a club we were really hoping to launch the Patriot on the Saturday of Thunderstruck 4, but as we looked at the forecast and were getting the Patriot unloaded on Friday morning, the decision was made early that we would be going Friday, in the early afternoon. When starting to prepare the Patriot that day, we found that everything was going together well, with no problems. Every member of the team was contributing to getting this huge bird together for the flight and double-checking each other’s work to make sure we did not overlook

Recovery system testing.

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 17 Air foil buttons Payload with altimeter

Going on the pad with help

On the pad one step closer to flight

Everything on the field at the start of assembly

18 rocketsmagazine.com something. Finally we received the okay from the LCO to go ahead and haul the Patriot out to the away cell. Fortunately for us, the tilled fields were dry, and we were able to drive the booster and the heavy launch tower to the pad. We got the payload sections out to the tower. On our arrival, the reality of putting this huge bird on the rail and sending it soaring into the sky was starting to really set in. It was like the feeling you get when going for your Level One or Level Two certification: Did we do everything correctly? Have we forgotten anything? We first put the booster section on the rail, followed by the payload section. After arming the on-board camera, we put the Patriot into its upright position. This took all of the team’s muscle to not only lift the rocket itself but also to deal with the weight of the launch tower. Arming the electronics was the final step; after getting good tones and beeps, we were ready to go. The group took some pictures and then left the area while Dennis Watkins hooked up the igniter. The countdown was initiated. With the push of the button, the P-8000 roared to life, and the noise was very deep. The rocket flew very straight. A few seconds after burnout, it was very apparent that we had a premature separation. As the rocket tumbled to the ground, we saw that everything was still connected. As the two tethered pieces got closer to the ground, the main charges blew, and the chute started to deploy, then, as quickly as it had deployed, the chute folded up again, and the rocket crashed into the ground. With an empty rocket weight of about 260 pounds, we were sure the damage was going to be extremely bad. Well, when we arrived at the scene, we were very surprised to find that the only damage was to the booster tube. Everything else was completely fine. As for the parachute failing, many might have thought it had become tangled as it opened, but it became very apparent that one of the three large ejection charges had singed the shock cords, and the force on the line when the chute opened had snapped one of the two, causing the chute to lose air. When we got back to the launch line, the question on everyone’s mind was; could we fix this beast and fly it again? The decision did not take long, and it did not take us long to rebuild the damaged booster tube and aim to fly again at Thunderstruck 5. For the second flight, we went up on the same P-8000 by Cesaroni. The rebuild pretty much consisted of stripping the body tube off of the internal structure of the booster section. We then fiberglassed a completely new tube, then slotted it to slide around the fins as we bonded it back on the internal structure. After that was cured, we added another hole in the altimeter bay to house another GoPro camera, and we also put an angled mirror to take video looking down the side of the rocket. When looking back on the first flight we wanted to do everything we could to prevent an early separation from happening, so we added a tube that would allow the air pressure inside the rocket to be regulated. Once again, it was off to paint, and we were just waiting on the class 3 waiver to come through and for good weather.

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 19 When we arrived at Thunderstruck 5 on Friday the wind was gusting at over 40 mph. Needless to say, no one was flying that day. We were able to get the Patriot out and prepped for the next day. With the easy design, the prep was fairly fast for the size of rocket. After the prepping was finished, there was nothing to do but wait for Saturday. When Saturday came, it was obvious that the full-scale Patriot was gaining some attention from people who had seen it fly the previous year, people who had heard about it from the previous year, and even people new to the hobby. I am pretty sure the favorite question we heard from people new to the hobby was “Does that really fly?” Well, after the long haul out to the pad, we set it up and waited for the countdown. The rocket once again roared to life, and it flew straight as an arrow. The flight went just as planned until the main charge. When the main blew, the chute never opened, and the rocket once again slammed into the ground. There was hope as we had built this rocket like a tank, and the rain from a few days prior had made the field very soft. Unfortunately this time we were not so lucky. The only thing that survived was the nose cone. As a group we had no complaints about the flights. In the hobby of rocketry there is always the risk of something going wrong, and the bigger, faster, and more complicated they get, the more chance there is of something going wrong. As a group we were are part of rocketry history in the state of Indiana, as we were the first to launch a Class P motor, back at Thunderstruck 4. More importantly, with hard work and sacrifice, we as a group launched a rocket weighing over three hundred pounds, and it traveled over 14,000 feet, twice. Now the question is “what’s next”? Lastly I would like everyone who had something to do with this project to be recognized in the article. So here is the team and some others who made this all possible, not once but twice. As for next year, there are some ideas starting to swirl about what we could do, but nothing solid yet.

Meet the team: Joe LaMaster Brian Ivanovic Tim Jones Greta Ivanovic George MacAleese Jason Ivanovic Justin Mullens Dennis Watkins Bill Hutson Mike Law Greg Kreiger Valerie Law Dave Wyss Seanna Law Mark Rodgers Mike Gross Craig Marmeyer Jenny Gross Brandon Gross Special Thanks to: Tim Hegemier Indiana Rocketry Club, Tim @ Wildman Hobbies, Greg LaMaster Mark Hayes @ Stickershock, Scott Case @ SC Precision, PJ Pilgrim

20 rocketsmagazine.com The chute is out but can’t catch any air Finally arming

Stuck the nosecone

Zipper to the first centering ring

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 21 TARC From the Team’s Point of View By Wyatt Nace

Spring Grove in front of the Capital

For us, the preparations for the 2013-2014 Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) season began during the summer of 2013. Throughout our team meetings, we developed several skills that allowed us to grow as individuals and learn the necessary teamwork, and engineering/design skills needed to pursue a career in the engineering field. Our teams began to meet in early October to prepare for the upcoming year and began to build our first rockets of the year. We began the year with five teams all focused on a common goal, which was first to qualify for the annual TARC Finals in The Plains, Virginia. We first designed our rockets on programs such as Rocksim and Open-Rocket to see how similar in configurations we could make our rockets to our ideas and past designs. We began to launch in the cold snow of November after configuring and making our first rockets. Our first rockets had some problems such as broken shock cords attributed to shorter than normal shock cord lengths trying to decrease mass and make the rockets as light as possible to stay under the 650 gram mass limit. We also seemed to have some problems with some stability and having the rockets take a straight flight path. Over the course of the school year we had some 150 launches across the five teams our school registered into the competition. Preparing to take flight at Nationals we also had ten rockets that ended up nose-diving into the fields, ending up getting stuck in the trees known as “The Rocket Graveyard” or taking a sample of our local water supply in the pond across the field from where we were launching. At the end of March when qualifying scores were due, we had a total of four teams make qualifying scores to go to advance to Nationals in May. Those teams had team captains of Veer Pandya, Albert Taglieri, Kyle Abrahims, and Todd Thoman. Our teams went to the Rockets on the Hill event the Friday before the National Fly off, where our teams were able to meet with congressmen and congresswomen about our journey, and about the STEM programs offered at our school. It was an excellent opportunity for our rocket scientists to spread awareness of our science programs, as well as the importance of these events. For some of us, we had to rush to the safety meeting on Friday immediately after the AP Statistics exam and were not able to attend the Rockets on the Hill event, unfortunately. At the safety meeting, we learned how safety-conscious the NAR was during events like these. On Saturday morning, a few of us woke up early to make breakfast. We got up at four in the morning, making two pounds of bacon, two dozen eggs, sausage, and hash browns in a small hotel room. After our breakfast, 22 rocketsmagazine.com The group photo

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 23 Recovery of one of the two they flew

Recovery of the other rocket we drove over to the TARC field and began setting up our tents. We played Frisbee and soccer while we waited for our launch window. We didn’t want to put our rockets together immediately because we wanted to see how the weather would change, because we found that weather has an extremely large impact on the performance of a rocket, especially when we were trying to launch to a height of exactly 825 feet. When our launch window approached, we constructed our rocket according to the weather, and passed through all of the safety checks. We put our rocket on the pad, and waited for the time to launch our rockets. Our first team had limited success as their rocket was twenty feet off and caught and updraft of wind pushing the time to 56 seconds ending their day with a score of 44. Our second team was the best of the day for us with a height only 7 feet off, but it caught a very large updraft of wind and had a time of 59, ending with a score of 43 but if not for the wind would have been a top 10 score. Our third team experienced some difficulties when the parachutes did not open fully ending in a DQ, and our fourth team well was good off the pad, but somehow accidentally set the ejection charge late with the parachutes coming out only seconds off the ground. Overall both Kyle Abrahims and Veer Pandya’s team placed in the top 50 in the nation coming in 40th and 41st with respectable finishes. Our team displayed respectable efforts and with two teams returning next year as seniors we hope for some better finishes and have a better chance. The Rocket Scientists 24 rocketsmagazine.com The Founding of Tripoli: Its Earliest Days With notes from Robert C. Thwaite and other early members. Rewritten with additions by Francis Graham

What is now the Tripoli Rocketry Association, Inc. was founded December 1, 1964 in Rillton, Pennsylvania, by Francis Glenn Graham II and Joseph Albert Marks, Jr., and revived later with a meeting of Francis Graham and Curtis Hughes, and even later Tom Blazanin; but first started as the Tripoli Rocket Club of North America. This is how it came to be and a history of its earliest days. Often adults smile because their teenagers seem to think they know everything, and yet, have so much to learn. But what if that is the case, and as we age we become in many ways dumber, so much so that we come about to fail to recognize how brilliant teenagers are? Are we like Mork from Ork, aging into childhood? No, replies the wise adult, for if that were true, teenagers would not get into all the stupid trouble they get into. Yet is it possible adults sometimes underestimate the enthusiasm and intelligence of teens who apply themselves. In 1963, Francis Graham lived in a nice home in Rillton, near Irwin, built by his carpenter father. He week- ended with his grandfather of the same name, an amateur scientist. The bottom of the Rillton house was a living space in itself, and had a small library supplied by his grandfather. His friends, Jack and Gary Freeman, were science fiction fans with science-fiction books and magazines. Jack often read chapters from Frank Edwards’ Stranger than Science to all of us around a campfire. Francis also walked the 4 miles between Rillton and Irwin to go to the Irwin Public Library bi-weekly. However, because he lived 100 feet over the Township border, he was not permitted to borrow books and have a library card. His parents’ divorce also left him poor. The books Francis read were books about outer space, a passion he had since Sputnik. Particularly influential was Willy Ley’s Rockets, Missiles and Space Travel. He learned the founding of the German Space Rocket Society, the VfR, was the pivotal event in outer space access. Nothing like it existed in the 1960s in the USA; model rocketry such as practiced by the NAR was not about space travel or space access at all, but instead flying models of space rockets. It is like model airplane clubs fly models of airplanes, where organizations like the Experimental Aircraft Association flies actual airplanes. Francis thought even back then that it might be a very good idea to have a modern space access enthusiast society that experimented with rockets that actually might slowly build up to space . This was quite a bold vision for a 13-year old. This is what makes one think he started out smart. Perhaps he reasoned too that, even if space was too far, rockets were gong to get a heck of a lot bigger and cooler than the NAR flew! On December 1, 1964, a meeting was held in the Graham’s furnished basement living room and there Tripoli was founded. Francis Graham was there, as was Joe Marks and his brother, George; Diane Baldridge , Bob Freeman, Mark and Kathy Graham; and Ray Brown. Tripoli was founded for the purpose of becoming a space access society, and to promote rockets, “the only way to get to space” at the time. The chief executive officer was to be the First Secretary; the President, if there was to be one, would be the chief public spokesperson of the organization. In this, Tripoli was a bit like the U.N . Francis was the First Secretary and Joe Marks became the Second-in-Staff.

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 25 Tripoli Philosophy

Independent philosophical thinkers face a tough time, as those of you readers who are such well know. Liberals dismiss you as conservative, and conservatives berate you as liberal. Both can imagine that you are dangerous. The people in early Tripoli, many science-fiction fans, were seized by what might be called the Copernican epiphany, the euphoric realization of how big the Universe is, and that the stars are suns with retinues of their own planets. But there is more: for the first time, and a decade had not yet passed in 1964, it was possible to access this greater Universe, and the mode of access was the rocket. So it was absurd , with this vast Universe and an ability to leave Earth, that humanity would choose to remain on this tiny rock. While Tripolitans would begin with model rockets, they would be experimental, all; and there would be a future progress with no limits, through to the time space access was routine. That was the plan. This formed the basis of what might be called the early Tripoli philosophy. At that time, the USSR and USA had substantial big government space programs, and, in spite of the difference in governing ideology, they were run in pretty much the same way (Some Goldwater-era conservatives pointed out that going to the Moon was NOT a function of the federal government specified in the US Constitution, and that taking tax money for that purpose was unconstitutional. But they were ignored.) The idea of a private corporation investing in space exploration, seen in “Frau im Mond” and “Destination Moon”, had not yet happened in 1964, although communications satellites were soon to slowly pave the way to privatization. So the pathways to participate in space exploration in 1964 were to educate oneself in science or engineering and join a government program. This was the option in the USA and Russia in 1964. But even though government programs and private for-profit corporate programs could be options, there was a third possibility. In The New Industrial State, John Kenneth Galbreath lists the reasons why people cooperate to do things. Coercion is a reason, and is a big part of dictatorships; pecuniary reward is a big one in free enterprise countries. But also there can be voluntary cooperation among persons who gain satisfaction for attaining a common goal. Galbreath cited as an example villagers who volunteer together to drain mosquito-infested swamps to reduce disease. It seemed very logical that this common enthusiasm, which drove the VfR in prewar Germany, could be done in an organization of rocket enthusiasts in the USA as well. Tripoli began with this idea in mind.

The Name

Tripoli meant “Three Cities”, from Pittsburgh, Irwin and Rillton; its symbol was a stylized curvaceous Gothic “T”, the Crux Tripolia. In any case, Tripoli was certainly distinctive as a name. And Tripoli would not have sections or chapters; no, it would have prefectures with geographical boundaries, each headed by a Prefect. And other strange titles were made up: no Treasurer; the official in charge of keeping money would be a subautocrator. Together with Chief Scientist, Membership Commissioner and such other strange titles it all added up to a workable division of labor.

26 rocketsmagazine.com The First Tripoli Rockets

Some early Tripoli powder rockets, remains or parts thereof, from 1964. Experiment #1, the first Tripoli rocket, is the one shown diagonally.

Diane Baldridge, present at the start of Tripoli, introduced the Tripolitans to James Clair, a medical student who not only had a knowledge of chemistry , but resources too. He donated chemicals and know-how to make gunpowder to a group of young teens in this new Tripoli. This was a stroke of luck! Francis’ gunpowder concoction had a bit of magnesium powder too, and was not as rapid burning as FFFFF is today. He stuffed it in a metal pen top with a screw on cap that served as a nozzle; and attached this to a long wrapping paper tube in the front as a front-drive engine, with the tube as a “stick”. On December 9, 1964 he lit the fuse with his fellow Tripolitans present; and it went “Pop!” up a foot in the air. This was Tripoli’s first rocket. Soon came Joe Mark’s Marko I Styrofoam boost glider on a model rocket engine. Other rockets followed of varying sophistication, including one which had pressurized gasoline and air in a copper tube. Its ascent in 1965 was like a single cylinder backfiring and flying out of the engine block. But it was an ascent. There were some other very unsophisticated “rockets” as well. With a little bit more adult guidance it would have dawned on Tripolitans earlier that they did not have the technical skill nor technical means to build rocket propulsion units in 1965-67. That onus would be lifted later with the March , 1969 Gloria Mundi, essentially a slightly modified Fort Sill Beta amateur rocket. But by late 1965 it was pretty clear Tripolitans were stuck with model rocket engines for a while. Tripoli’s earliest stages were in Rillton, Pennsylvania, and this article is largely the story of Tripoli right after its founding. But the only other original member from Rillton who continued on after August, 1966 besides Francis was Raymond Brown. Tripoli would have become defunct then if it were not for the meeting of Francis Graham and Curtis W. Hughes at that time at Norwin Junior High West. One of the great fortunate handshakes, the Hughes-Graham meeting really is the start, or re-start, of Tripoli, but it embodied much of the earlier philosophy. Without the collegial effort of Curtis Hughes, Art Bower, and Kenneth Good, and later Ernest Scavincky and Allen Reed, Tripoli might never have happened. Curtis Hughes became the President and Chief Scientist of Tripoli.

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 27 In 1965-1967 it was possible to build airframes around model rocket engines manufactured by Centuri or Estes, including “F” engines. With High School machine shops at their disposal (shop teachers were just happy for the student enthusiasm) Tripolitans could build substantial rockets of metal or any other material. In those days, there were no red flags. Each member who had a garage or basement workshop was obliged to give it a unique name. Francis had the Experimental Ballistics Works; Arthur Bower’s was the Aerodynamics Institute of Terrestrial Rocketry, later shortened to Walrus. This naming thing is a good idea for every Tripolitan, even today.

Case Study of a 1967 Rocket: The Victoria

The problem with model rocket engines is that they are puny. Early Tripolitans Francis Graham, Arthur Bower and Curtis Hughes began to experiment with extreme staging and clustering, just a bit later Kenneth Good would join that regimen. A six-stage model rocket called the Rocketship Chris took off from the old strip mine area called Lake Orcus that became one of Tripoli’s launch sites. But it went horizontal; Kenneth later came up with rack rockets in 1970 that were better than staging. For smaller rockets, Curt tested them in his backyard; it was called the Hughes Raketenflugplatz. Another site was Launch Site A, an old blimp field in Irwin; and then Lake Orcus, an abandoned strip mine with a square kilometer of nothing near the Youghigheny River. Francis then was reading about the Krushnic Effect, that ruins thrust when you line up rocket engines inside a tube and fire them sequentially down the tube. Such a method would enable large rockets to built using “F” engines, if only this effect could be thwarted. In his book, G. Harry Stine had attributed this to some standing wave phenomenon; but Francis corresponded with Lindsay Audin, an early NAR scientist, and learned it was due to a simple underpressure effect when an engine fires down an empty tube. It might be possible, Francis thought, to overcome this problem by keeping the inside of the aluminum tube pressurized. This could be done by having the spent engine fit inside the tube like a piston and be ejected by the gases of the next engine under pressure. Off Francis went to the Norwin High School machine shop to fabricate the rocket, which he named Rocketship Victoria after a girlfriend. The four-foot aluminum rocket used 5 “F” engines lined up; each was quick-burning and fit like a piston. On the top, was a spring loaded thrust measuring system; a parachute was omitted, as it just didn’t seem necessary to the experiment. Decades later rocket pioneer Frank Kosdon would also only add parachutes as an afterthought.

28 rocketsmagazine.com The Rocketship Victoria, an aluminum rocket.

At the Victoria dedication: left to right: Curtis Hughes, Francis Graham, Vicky Kudzey, Kathryn Graham. April, 1967. Photographer was likely Marlene Miller.

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 29 Chief Scientist Curtis Wayne Hughes, prefect of Irwin, inspects Victoria fin alignment. The Victoria still exists today. Graham and Hughes were then age 15.

The Victoria flew from Lake Orcus March 1, 1968. The rocket hurled upwards in a herky-jerky motion, merrily ejecting cases. Much later, static tests verified that this dynamosequental staging system not only worked but measured it. Essentially, the ejected piston-like spent engine case is blown out like it is part of the reaction mass. No Krushnic effect. However, later that year, 1968, other Tripolitans were learning at last how to make real amateur rocket propulsion systems, with potassium nitrate/sugar (caramel candy) and zinc dust/sulfur. Thus Tripoli’s modification of the Fort Sill Beta, the steel Gloria Mundi, came out of the Irwin Prefecture, and the caramel candy steel Vikar came out of the West Braddock Prefecture. Clustering or sequencing F engines was no longer a big priority, and Francis Graham’s experiments were eclipsed by these new bold ventures. The Vikar showed Tripolitans just how difficult it is to cast caramel candy propellant in long steel tubes and what happens if that casting is not perfect. Tripoli’s safety precautions were adequate and nobody was at risk when the overpressure happened. A Safety Committee served as a precursor to TAP. Later , in late 1969, the United Prefectures of Texas successfully flew the Vikar II at Fort Bliss under Army sponsorship. The Gloria Mundi was the real success of this new trend. Flown March 23, 1969 at Lake Orcus, it was very successful, and gave us inspiration for the difficulties ahead. College, families and careers wove in an out of early Tripolitans’ lives, but the dream continued. Then, in 1981, Tripolitans Kenneth Good and Curt Hughes met up with Chris Pearson and others at Kentcon. There was this new propellant called AP. But the story of the Gloria Mundi and the Kentcon synthesis needs to be told in detail as another story. It is important to readily acknowledge there were a lot of rocket clubs out there in those days; they flourished for a while, did some interesting things, and then became defunct as members went to college or pursued other interests. Tripoli was just one of them. It survived due to the tenacity of Graham, Hughes, Bower, Good and others, such as Tom Blazanin, much later. Today, it is largely a high power rocketry support and service organization; space access however is still a significant side-line as evidenced by the high stratospheric rockets at Black Rock, Nevada yearly. It has a long history. But this is how it was started by people barely in their teens.

30 rocketsmagazine.com Red Glare XVI By Neil McGilvray Photos by Neil McGilvray, Greg Gardner and Ken Potter

Spring in the mid-Atlantic means many things to many people, the realization of Punxsutawney Phil’s end of winter predictions, the blooming of the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC, and of course MDRA’s Red Glare launch on Higgs Farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. This event is the one rocketeers set their spring and summer launch schedules by. A MDRA Red Glare launch is, without any doubt, a must -attend event. The spring of 2014 ushered in Red Glare XVI and with it brought moderately warm and welcome temperatures with low to manageable wind velocities. Attendance was overflowing, with fliers coming in from Ohio, Indiana, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland. During the course of the three-day event, 680 projects left the ground, powered between A-impulse and clusters of N- and M-impulse motors. There were 56 research motors used to power various projects, accounting for only 7.5% of the rockets launched, but 26% of the newton-seconds. The research motors have been declining; unusual for the event was the lack of a single O-impulse or larger motor. The motto of MDRA is “Freedom To Fly,” the principle of the club’s existence. In essence it means Use authority; don’t abuse it. With that simple philosophy as the foundation of the club’s operation, extremely complex projects are evaluated; modified if needed, and allowed to safely fly. As with any rocket launch, every flight is “heads up,” and even the most skilled rocketeer will get their turn in the barrel, despite stellar track records flying the same rocket over the years. While the larger projects are MDRA’s claim to fame, the reality is that a majority of the registered fliers at Red Glare XVI were actually NAR members. Over the event’s three days, the average impulse was in the I-motor range. Of the 680 flights, 363 were in the low- and mid-power range, G impulse and below. The inclusive mix of smaller and larger is the main draw for many fliers, where you fly A and B motors, yet witness complex and often earthshaking high- impulse projects. MDRA provides the venue and all the launch equipment from ¼ A-impulse rods to 20-foot-tall hydraulic towers capable of lifting the heaviest projects you can put on them. The club handles all of the potential infrastructure needs, from pads to ladders to launch systems and extension poles to pull your rocket out of a tree. The flier only needs to advise the MDRA BOD what they plan on bringing, and the rest is taken care of in a logical manner. The larger and more complex projects are reviewed in advance of the launch through the Big Project registration requirement. Questions concerning the project and modifications are often dealt with long before the launch date, to avoid any safety problems and potential disappointments at the launch. Each year the club upgrades the infrastructure to provide the safest and most reliable systems possible. The PA has been upgraded to include 20-foot radio towers that elevate the speaker systems well above the trailers and pop-up tents that might otherwise tend to block or muffle the LCO broadcasts and other important announcements. Communication over the entire launch site is an important safety consideration at a large event.

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 31 In addition to communicating with fliers and spectators at the launch, MDRA stays in communication with local, state, and federal authorities. On Friday of Red Glare XVI, MDRA was visited by eight BATFE agents and administrators, who took part in a four-hour seminar on the who, what, when, where, and why of MDRA. The agents and administrators were walked through every aspect of safety, rocketry-launch operation, certification processes, motor assembly and operation, recovery, rocket construction, and various demonstrations of igniter functionality and propellant-burning characteristics. There were many good questions asked and responded to, to everyone’s satisfaction. The seminar concluded with lunch at the Road Kill Café, and some of Tommy Higgs ‘s world-famous chicken and a presentation of MDRA Challenge Coins to all the attendees. The launch on Friday included 54 low and mid-power flights and 91 high-power flights burning up 136,776 newton -seconds of power. Saturday’s activities included 219 low and mid-power flights, with the high-power contingent accounting for 147 flights. Saturday’s newton-second total was 380,078. The final day of the event, Sunday, wrapped up with 90 low and mid power flights and 79 high power liftoffs, with 102,591 newton-seconds going up in smoke. During the three days’ launch, 629,434 newton-seconds were expended, with an average impulse of 843 newton-seconds. One thing that makes Red Glare a great launch to attend is the diversity of fliers and projects. Over the years many of the long-distance fliers have come to know each other, and the launch develops a reunion-type atmosphere where rocketry friends catch up and tell each other lies on how well they have flown since the last time they met. The volunteerism has become second nature, with both strangers to the launch and close-knit Red Glare veterans lending a hand when called on. Setting up and breaking down go smoothly, as many of the fliers know the drill and realize that, with their help, the job is done quickly and efficiently, to allow for more flying time. It is in everyone’s interest to help. Like every launch, Red Glare is not void of challenges. There have been two perennial issues at the launch over the years. One issue is pushing the envelope in questionable conditions. With a 17,000-foot waiver, there are a handful of fliers that like to try and scratch the bottom side of the glass ceiling. This comes with risks, mainly drifting off the field and landing in the 75-foot-tall trees off to the northeast. The rockets are always discovered and eventually returned, but not without paying a price. The other issue is the cost for recovering a rocket out of the trees, which can approach three hundred dollars per rocket. The land the trees are on is not owned by the Higgs brothers, and the club is respectful of the rights of the private property owners. Tommy and Eugene Higgs have agreed with their neighbors that they will only use one insured and qualified tree climber when recovering rockets on their property. This adds incentive to prep your rockets like you want to get them back and to ensure you are deploying your main parachute when you want it deployed. Friday, April 11, 2014, was a beautiful day with clear skies, warm temperatures, and low winds. After the extended cold winter weather we experienced in late 2013 and early 2014, anything over 40 degrees was welcome and Red Glare XVI delivered mid-70s. Given the weather-restricted flying prior to this event, the Friday was amazing, with many fliers on site early and ready to go. The winter work in basements, in garages, and on dining-room tables was to be put to the test starting early in the day. Dick Stafford always shows up to a launch with a crowd-pleasing contraption. Red Glare XVI was no 32 rocketsmagazine.com Steve Bayak’s Fat Boy

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 33

Mitch Guess’s Astrobee D Jerry O’Sullivan’s Terrier Smoke

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 35 Jart Drag Race

36 rocketsmagazine.com exception. Dick flew his Whirlygig-38 powered by an H-100 motor. The rocket lies on its side and spins around a central axis, with canted fins that provide lift for the flying machine by auto-gyration. The diameter of this particular concoction is 3 inches, and the length is about 36 inches. There are many other smaller Whirligigs in Dick’s collection, and it can be tough to tell them all apart. Dick described the flight: “This was an upscale of the 24-mm version that I often fly at MDRA. The rocket spun like crazy and lifted fast. Near the end of the burn, the centrifugal force was too much for the tint tube, and one end came off. The crowd shuddered as the fin headed for the flight line. However, by the time it got there, it fluttered down harmlessly.” William Cook certified Level One with his H-152-powered Torrential Mayhem. Tim Fritz blasted his Space Eagle into the sky with H-160 power for a successful Level One certification flight. Cameron Schiffett attempted to join the Level One crowd with his H-160-powered flight of Just the Tip. Christopher Steinwag unleashed his H-90-powered AGM-256 Pitbull for a Level One certification flight. Barry McGarvey tested the skies with his Level two flight with a Big Nuke on a J-330. Some of the H-powered fliers included Jim Hansen, who had a quick liftoff with his H-238-powered Minnie Magg. Bill and Melody Clune boosted their Black Thunder on an H-410. Olivia Biban lifted Boing, Boing, Boing, Boing, Boing, Boing, Boing off the pad with an H-152. Ben Abresch launched Queen Anne’s Revenge with the help of an H-143. Peter Abresch launched his nicely well-worn Shaken Not Stirred on a nice H- 180 for a nice flight and nice recovery, for another nice launch. While the flying was going on, Greg Gardner took time to finish his Pink Cheetah rocket with a paint job, applied at the field. Greg tried to assure the launch organizers that this was a first, as no other rocket had ever been painted at the field. Greg didn’t sway many of the organizers with his assertion. Other firsts included Andrew Diehl and David Reese flying a 3-D printer rocket created by Andrew, called Plastic, powered by an I-300. To the surprise of everyone but Andrew, the rocket held together and flew well. Randy Appelbaum actually flew a rocket and didn’t land it over a mile away in the trees. Randy launched his JR. on a Research I-300 motor. Not only did Randy keep the rocket out of the trees, he did so twice on the same day, at the same launch, with the same rocket, another MDRA first. Ted Chernok finally got a good picture of his fast flying Green Hornet on an I-366. Steve Eves flew a rocket that didn’t require a crane to place the vehicle on the launch pad with his I-420 flight of Talos. Friday also brought the mandatory Wildman Drag Race participants. It was a lineup of brains and brawn with Tim “The Wildman” Lehr, “Crazy” Jim Hendricksen, and David “Posthole Digger” Reese. The Drag Race was with Wildman JART rockets powered by J-293 motors. Not everyone played by the rules, as the Wildman somehow snuck an L-motor into his rocket and smoked the other two competitors off the pad. You can decide who owned the brains and the brawn; your actual mileage may vary. A few of the K-impulse flights included the likes of Mickey Rowe with his K-2045-powered rocket appropriately called Don’t Blink. David Weber had his big bad Honest John flying on a red flame K-695 motor.

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 37 Nick Southern blasted Southern Style off on a research K-669. Scott Szympruch lofted his PAC-3 on a research K-400. Jake Boyd called Scott’s research K-400 and launched his NOVA on a commercial K-400. Mr. Hawk Mountain, Alan Gorecki, cranked off his Vulcan 2 on a K-700. Dan Patell hammered his Bad Attitude with a K-600. George Kieley got his Extreme moving with K-740 power. Fred Taverni sent Sonic Karma to the next level with a K-540. The “brother” team of Rob, Alex, and Rick Lilley put their heads together to launch Loco Nut on a research L-1450. Mike Verbeek had his Phoenix take flight with the help of an L-780. Robert Anthony sent his High Flyer for a ride on a research L-1100. Bryan Sparkman boosted Red Bird on a research L-1000. George Kieley made good use of L-995 power to launch his big Patriot. Gary Tortora powered his Sting-6 off the pad with an L-995. Bob Utley took some time from his myriad of MDRA duties to do what brought the hundreds of fliers and spectators together at Red Glare XVI, fly a rocket. Years ago Bob teamed up with old- time MDRA member Bill Mantell and provided a motor for his well-worn Eclipse. Unfortunately for both fliers the motor casing and the rocket were destroyed within seconds of the launch button being pushed. Bob felt bad and eventually bought Bill a replacement rocket, a 4–inch- diameter Intimidator. Bill couldn’t accept the generous gift and gave the kit back to Bob to bring us to this day, the flight of Bill Mantell Space Trucker on a commercial L-777. Bob was going to risk his rocket to one of his own motors. The flight went better than expected, exceeding 9,000 feet with a nominal recovery. Jerry O’Sullivan has been flying his Terrier Smoke for many years with great success. Red Glare XVI was no different; the big white rocket flew well on a research M-2500. Dan Patell sent his Competitor 5 high into the sky above Higgs Farm with an M-2500. Mitch Guess flew his full-scale Astrobee D on an M-2055 for a spectacular boost of the model sounding rocket. Gerald Taylor wanted to reach for the stars, but watch what you wish for at Higgs Farm, as you just might get it. Gerald’s Sprite boosted magnificently on an M-4000 and quickly sailed out of sight. The tracking devices failed, and the rocket drifted into the trees to the northeast. As of this writing, the rocket had not been found and

Scott Szympruch’s PAC 3 Kathy Gilliand’s Hot Flash Glenn Reamy’s Hippy Avenger

38 rocketsmagazine.com Bob Utley’s Space Trucking

Barry McGarvey’s Level 2 rocket

Dave Gregor’s Jericho

most likely remains dangling dozens of feet above the ground. Steve Bayak has been working on his up-scale Fat Boy for years. He had planned on drag racing Dan Michaels ¾-scale Patriot with this 16–inch-diameter monster, but the competition never materialized, and Dan’s Patriot has since been returned to kit form. Steve and crew were still determined to put on a good show, and what better place to do it, than at a Red Glare launch? The 300-pound-plus rocket was prepped with three L- 2300 motors and a three M-1297 motors, all planned on being lit on the ground with a little help from thermite- enhanced igniters to ensure all six motors, equaling an O-Impulse, came up to pressure at the same time. When the button was pushed, the Fat Boy worked as planned with all six motors coming up to pressure and boosting the portly rocket up the 20-foot tower and high into the sky above Higgs Farm. The smoke and the flame off the six motors was an impressive sight as Steve’s rocket ascended. The recovery effort had a few of the rocketeers and spectators on edge, as Steve was using a pyro-release mechanism to deploy the big orange and black parachute at about 1,000 feet for a perfect recovery. Look to see this project coming to a field near you, once Steve saves up for six more motors. Saturday, April 12, 2014, was another perfect rocket-flying day with warm temperatures and low wind velocities out of the southwest. The inner pads were a beehive of activity throughout the day, with wave after wave of budding rocketeers and future astronauts expertly placing their rockets on the rods and rails, readying them for flight. The mix of big and small projects kept the enthusiasm and anticipation high throughout the day. The high-power pads were equally active during the day, with multiple certification attempts flown. Kevin Hogan rolled All the Marbles off the pad with an H-123 for his Level One flight. Patrick Gill made a much-needed statement with his I Hate Glitter powered by a long-burning H-90 for his Level One attempt. Brian Hastings launched Telsa 1 with H-135 power in his quest for a Level One certification. Tim Bear flew a Patriot with an H- 160 for his try at Level One. Cameron Shifflet was back at it with his H-144-powered Just the Tip. As the impulse increased, so did the Level Two certification flights. Andrew Martin made good use of J-350 power with his Warlock. Tim Fritz powered his Space Eagle with a J-357 for his Level Two flight. Donald Granger boosted American Dream with a J-290 in his pursuit of a Level Two certification. John Arcara whirled his Torrent into the sky on a powerful J-530 for his step up in the certification qualifications. Glenn Ramey succumbed to the need to fly bigger rockets and sent his Vashda Nerada screaming from the pad on a K-750 for his Level Two flight. Other K-impulse flights of note included Ted Chernok, with his K-480-powered Altitude Seeker. Mike ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 39 Der Red Max Dash

Verbeek and his Honest John launched with a K-1105. Scott Tyrrell and Justin Gleiter used a research K-275 to launch their Standard ARM. Jake Boyd cranked his Dominator 3 on a K-500. Dan Patell blasted his Bad Attitude off the pad with a K-650. Fred Taverni hammered his Sonic Karma with a K-1100. Scott Szympruch had a nice straight flight with his K-465-powered AMRAAM. Skip Cutting flew his Patriot on classic K-550 power. Alex Dechenes and Rick Allen had Clown of Doom screaming into the sky with a K-1350. Ryan Mauver boosted Polaris with a K-600. Dave Lang launched his Formula 98 on a K-740. Andrew Cook spanked his 4-inch” Rocket with a research K- 900. Tim Lehr and Jim Hendricksen busted off their JARTs on K-2045s for some no-blink action. David “Last Place” Reese joined the mayhem with a lowly K-600 to challenge the two veteran rocketeers. Mark Emerson had Miss Maryland parade down the catwalk with a K-500. Jake Boyd blasted his Nebula off the pad with a K-1440 and air-started three G-107s. Mitch Guess went the research route with his K-555 boost of TMLG. The Damn Abresch Boys competed in Mach Madness with their K-2045-powered rocket of the same name. Spokesperson Peter Abresch described the over-hyped, anticipated, and originally reported attempt, “We analyzed the data from the Damn Abresch Boys flight on a CTI K-2045 VMAX that occurred Saturday, April 12, 2014, and have come to the realization that the initial data of 3363 f/s/s was inaccurate. This was suspicious from the start as it far exceeded our expectations. There were many mistakes made along the way starting with inaccurate flight simulation data to pulling incorrect data from the Raven Altimeter.” Peter continued to cry in his beer as he reported the “real” data readings, “To set the record straight, here is the correct data. The maximum speed was 1,443 f/s/s (mach 1.31), far slower than 2,050 f/s/s when the Damn Abresch Boys first flew on the Loki L-1400. The maximum altitude was a barometric reading of 9,768 AGL and an accelerometer reading 7,883 feet AGL. We feel it necessary to set the record straight, especially after presenting the wrong data to the enthusiastic, yet gullible, LCO who then announced it to the entire launch site multiple times.” Peter continued with his admission, “Some interesting data was attained: The Damn Abresch Boys pulled maximum 74.84 Gees just 6 feet above the launch rail, traveling 194 f/s/s. Motor burnout occurred .6675 seconds after ignition at an altitude of 431 feet. The maximum velocity of 1443 f/s/s occurred .7425 seconds after ignition at an altitude of 541 feet. The Damn Abresch Boys coasted to 9,768 barometric AGL altitude in 21.65 seconds before arcing over and separating and starting her drogueless descent. The main deployed at 263 feet. The Damn 40 rocketsmagazine.com Abresch Boys touched down undamaged 2 minutes and 41 seconds from ignition. Of course, more speed would have been better, but it was still a fun flight with extreme ‘in your face’ speeds. The video has been uploaded to MDRA’s YouTube channel. Brian Wadsley and Andrew Diehl still reign, but we will be back.” Mickey Spain wiped his Sith Happens off the pad with a research K-500. Glenn Diener got his Dark Star moving with a K-665. Steve Eves powered Orange Trouble with a K-350. Joe Vanlandingham tore his LOC 835 to pieces with a K-1100. Jerry Sullivan was slimming with his 98-mm-diameter rocket on a quaint K-450. The West Virginia University Experimental Rocketry Club was on site at Red Glare XVI to launch their Nova Curious on a K-770. Howie Druckerman used K-760 power in his Giz Gone Wild. Tim Lehr was on deck to showcase his L-1420-powered V-2. Team Harden put on quite a show with their two-stage Dominator 4. The rocket was powered by an L-3200 and staged to an L-1720, for a great flight. George Kieley launched his Extreme on an L-640 and later his Patriot on an L-851. Mickey Spain put his no-name rocket up on a research L-950. Tom Aument had his Black Mamba slithering up the rail with an L-1350 and again later with an L-3200. Mike Verbeek used L-1520 power in his flight of the Phoenix. Justin Gleiter pounded WMX with a research L-1300. Rick Comshaw flew Wild Thing Extended on a research L-666. Dave Lang boosted Sub-Lime on an L-645. Michael Kitto launched No-Epoxy on a powerful L-1175. Jeff Goldstein used a long- burning L-480 in his Extreme Red GPS. Randy Appelbaum powered Bad Appel with a research L-1500. Nick Southern cranked Terminally Ill with an L-1400. Geoff Howard succeeded in getting his much-anticipated Level Three certification with his M-1060- powered No Apparent Defect. Rick Comshaw mixed a research M-1025 to power his Ultimate Wildman. Andrew Cook had a great flight with his Little John on a research M-1700. John Ritz threw his Tomahawk into the sky with a research M-1600. Dan Patell was back for round two, on Day Two of Red Glare XVI with his Competitor 5. The rocket was 9 feet tall, 5 inches in diameter, and weighed in a mere 38 pounds with the research M-1900 White Trash

Dan Michael’s Honest John and thelast walk to the pad with it

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 41 Team Harding

42 rocketsmagazine.com Gary Tortora’s Formula 200

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 43 Scott Szympruch’s Bellatrix

44 rocketsmagazine.com motor ready to blast it off the 20-foot- tall MDRA hydraulic tower. Dan described the preparation for the flight, “This flight prepped like every other flight of this rocket. The flight was scheduled to be the eighth, which had previously been used as my Level 3 flight at Red Glare XIV on a Cesaroni M-840. The rocket had flown the previous day on a 98mm-7200Ns high test experimental motor to 10,700 feet and recovered safely after landing 1.08 miles away, over Route 313.” When the button was pushed, the rocket tore off the tower, but soon thereafter all hell broke loose. As Dan recounted the fiery episode, “It appears that the CATO was a result of several different issues. The first potential issue is that the motor case had a previously identified ’blister’ at the head end of the case. This blister was removed from the equation by adding fore spacers to make sure it was not subject to any pressure during the burn. After the firing it appears that this section is not what failed, but it’s possible that the case was compromised elsewhere in a similar fashion that was not readily prevalent. The second potential issue is that there appeared to have been significant burning of the ODs of the propellant grains. The third issue which may have contributed to the CATO was voids in the propellant, which should always be considered when an experimental motor CATOs. It does not appear that the CATO was pressure-related, but more likely that it was caused by thermal issues. This is consistent with the fact that it was not a detonation, but more of a burn-through type CATO.” Dan continued, “The motor CATO resulted in severe damage. All components except for the aft electronics bay bulkhead and electronics are reusable, believe it or not. I did need several helpers to get all of the parts back to my car. MDRA is the best club in the world, and Red Glare is the best launch, but if you have flown here, then you knew that already!”

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 45 Geoffrey Howard’s No Apparent Defect

46 rocketsmagazine.com Peter Cadra’s Iron Manny

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 47 Jerry O’Sullivan’s Iris

48 rocketsmagazine.com Scott Boeckelmann slapped his Philadelphia Flyer off the tower with an M-1400. Gary Tortora took aim with his Broken Arrow on an M-2505. Jerry Willis had better days before launching his M-1297-powered Jolter. Todd Harrison and David Reese slammed their Darkstar into the sky with a research M-4500. Scott Tyrell and Justin Gleiter blasted Specter high above the crowd at Red Glare XVI with a research M-2000. Pat Harden wishes he could turn back the hands of time after his flight of the Sevra Rocket on an M-1540. Dan Michaels had one of the premier projects of Red Glare XVI; his three M-Motor-powered Honest John. The 7.5–inch-diameter rocket was a typical Dan Michaels work of art, too pretty and well made to fly, but he does anyway. That is what they are built for. Dan had put the rocket up for sale, and Gerald Meux would be the proud owner after this last victory-lap flight. The motor selection was three M-1315s, all lit on the ground, augmented with thermite. When the button was pushed, there was the usual huge plume of smoke and fire, with nothing seeming out of the ordinary until the rocket was halfway up the tower. It was clear the rocket was moving too slowly, and the cause could have only been one thing, not all the motors had ignited. How could this be? They were easy to light, white commercial propellant lit with thermite, something Dan has mastered on many other cluster projects. As the rocket cleared the tower, the one functioning motor did not have the power to keep the rocket going straight up, and it began to tilt over on its side. As the big green rocket began to flounder, the second motor kicked in, accelerating the Honest John off to the southwest of the crowd, toward an empty field. As the first motor began to burn out, the nose started to dip, and the apogee charge fired. As the rocket was separating in the middle, at about 300 feet above the ground, the third motor lit and joined forces with the second motor. The payload section was torn from the booster and deployed the main parachute, which was tangled in the mayhem still unfolding. While the payload section was falling to the ground, the booster was picking up speed and altitude, again. When it was all over, the booster was about a mile away from the launch tower and had seen much better days. Needless to say, the sale of the rocket to Gerald was off, and Tim Lehr became the owner of the remnants of one of the finest rockets in high power. One man’s junk is another man’s gold. Look for the Honest John to reemerge from the Wildman’s secret workshop. Despite the unfortunate demise of Dan’s rocket, it goes to show that the best of the best will eventually get their turn to get some humility. It seemed inconceivable that the motors didn’t all come out to pressure at the same time; given the fact that thermite was used to enhance the ignition. The motors were lit when the button was pushed and the rocket started up the tower, the staggered pressurization was puzzling, indeed. This is a prime example why launching these types of projects happens in the middle of nowhere. While motors and typically research motors are seen as the Achilles heel of rocketry, it will always be the bits and pieces falling out of the sky that will cause the biggest problem. Fortunate for all involved, Dan’s rocket came down “safety” in an empty field, with the only injuries resulting in bruised pride. The launch went on, and bigger rocket and motors were paraded out to the away cell. Al Anderson launched his unpainted rocket he affectionately called Bubba on an N-4000. Gary Tortora throttled his Formula 200 with an N-5600, only to have the beautiful rocket be stranded in the trees to the northeast for weeks after the launch. Scott Szympruch mixed up an N-2200 to power his Bellatrix for a nice boost and recovery. Jerry O’Sullivan stepped up with his research N-4000-powered Iris to put on a clinic of pyro-release device recovery. Peter Cadra kept it low and slow with Iron Manny. The big beast of a rocket was to fly with a central N-

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 49 Justin and Scott’s Specter

50 rocketsmagazine.com Mark Allen’s Meg-Meg, cool shot.

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 51 3300 and three M-1297 motors. Only the central N-3300 lit, which limited the altitude of the 250-pound rocket to about 2,000 feet. The good news is: Peter has three M-motors to play with. Day Two of Red Glare XVI concluded with a large crowd of very satisfied fliers and spectators. The excitement around the pit area was palpable. The banter, the smell of Tommy’s chicken roasting on the open grill, the music playing between launches all made for a carnival-like atmosphere. Later that night the sold-out MDRA Banquet was held at the Grasonville VFW hall. MDRA could hold the banquet anywhere, but believes it is most appropriate to support the people that gave us the freedom we enjoy and keep with the theme of Red Glare. Sunday, April 13, 2014, completed the trifecta of perfect mid-Atlantic launching days. More rockets were being lined up and prepped early in the morning, with the expectations of this last-day high on the minds of the fliers and teams. As usual the lower-powered pads saw the most initial activity while the bigger rockets were being made flight-ready. There were multiple certification flights on this final day of Red Glare XVI, including Tim Bear with his H-160-powered Patriot. Doug Goodyear flew his AMRAAM on an H-225 for his quest of a Level One certification. Will Schworer stepped up with an I-195-powered AMRAAM to achieve his Level One goal. The Day Three fliers and their projects pretty much mirrored the Day One and Day Two flights, though the total numbers were less, as many of the long-distance fliers wanted to get one or two final flights in before they had to begin prepping for the long journeys home. Some of the flights representing the I-impulse included Norwood Truitt with his I-366-powered Skunk Works. Greg Gardner launched his Pink Cheetah multiple times on an I-195 and an I-455. Dave Weber sent Toober sailing for another record-breaking flight on an I-161. Mike Tyson finally finished his Day One preparation of

Dave Gregor’s Firenzy Joseph Abresch Jr. Sean Taylor

52 rocketsmagazine.com Neil McGilvray doing what he does best, talking to the BATFE

Little Man and launched the 54mm-diameter rocket for a high flight with an I-110. J-powered flights included Otto Burgess launching his Grumpy on a J-410. Dave Gregger boosted Jericho on a J-270. Toni Abresch saluted Sally Ride with J-425. Brain Wadsley and Andrew Diehl tried to launch a scaled- down version of their Mach Madness record-breaking rocket, Practically Cheating, on a J-650. But like those who preceded them with spectacular attempts, the rocket came apart at the seams and didn’t go according their well- scripted plan. The K-Impulse flights incorporated the efforts of John Johns with his K-550 powered Transonic II. Tom Devlin launched Away Time on a K-1100. The West Virginia University Experimental Rocketry Club put Nova Curious into the air again on a K-700. Fred Wallace flew Tree Hugger on a powerful L-2300 for a high, fast-moving flight. Gary Tortora finished up his day and his Red Glare with his L-1030-powered Vorlon 5. Alan Gorecki used l power to boost and subsequently lose his Vulcan rocket. George Kieley flew his Intimidator 6 with an M-1315. Colin Harris went for his Level Three certification after a day of preparation for the last flight of the day. The rocket was named The Lone Pine and was flown on an M-1315. The rocket tried to live up to its name, especially the lone part. The boost could not have gone better, but in the haste to get the rocket into the air, the nose cone was not secured as well as it could have been. At apogee the nose cone came off and deployed the main at apogee, setting up the rocket to drift over the horizon, beginning the long search on the Eastern Shore countryside. Many hours later, the rocket was finally recovered due to some inside, local knowledge, and the good will MDRA President Bob Utley has cultivated with the neighbors surrounding the MDRA flying fields. As Red Glare XVI was going into the history books, the launch equipment was broken down and stored away with the help of many willing hands. As the fliers slowly departed the field at Higgs Farm, plans were already being discussed what Red Glare XVII might be seeing. MDRA looks forward to the next launching challenge and to making their members’ dreams of rockets a reality when the leaves begin falling from the trees and the final crops are harvested in the fall of 2014.

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 53 Getting It Up Down Under– Flying with the Aussies Part 2–Level-Three Success By Mike Passaretti

Dave Couzens (l) and Mike Passaretti with his Aerobi 1 rocket

In Part 1 of this article I discussed the events leading up to my Level Three certification attempt at the Williams Wildfire Westernationals in Western Australia. There was an editorial mistake where a paragraph was left out after the test flight in Grass Valley and the first certification attempt at Williams the following month. The focus this article, Part 2, will be on the aftermath of the first attempt, re-grouping for a second go around and the remainder of my rocket related endeavors in Australia. My Level Three rocket was recovered and was for the most part in-tact with very repairable damage. The low level of damage occurred despite landing in a rock laden paddock with only a drogue to soften the blows. Needless to say I was not a very happy camper, however it knew it could have been worse. Dave Couzens aka Scoop, who was one of my TAP’s helped me wade through the thought process that followed to determine what went wrong. He assured me I would bounce back, and succeed at the next available launch opportunity two months later. There were however a few minor risks that loomed. M-motors are not as easy to come by in Australia as they are in the USA. At the time of my flight, Aerotech was the only supplier with motors available in Australia and stocks were limited. I had to secure another motor quick otherwise I would have to pay big bucks for a special shipment or go home in a few months as Level Two flier. The motor that I used for my second certification attempt was actually owned by another club member who sold it from me. The propellant grain boxes were covered with little gold stars, the kind you might see an elementary school teacher hand out for good performance. I’m still not quite sure what the significance of these stars was, but I’m sure there is a funny story behind it. While the festivities that ensued Saturday night at Williams would have been that much sweeter, I still had an amazing time meeting and chatting with the countless people that were there. The Williams launch brings fliers from all over Australia together. Due to the remoteness of Perth, almost all of the attendees have to fly in. This creates a small mountain of logistical considerations, not to mention the tall list that normally goes along with organizing such an event. As the WA prefect Dave takes on the brunt of the planning but has no shortage of help from his wife Mel and many others. WWW in 2011 was by far one of my favorite launches to date. While the flights tend to be the focus at most launches, it’s the people that you’re surrounded by that really make things interesting. 54 rocketsmagazine.com Dave Couzens bring back the rocket,.

Damage on first attempt

More of the damage

A week or two after my failed attempt at Level Three I found myself in Dave’s backyard re-performing the ever so important ejection charge ground tests. After reviewing all of the data available from my flight, things began to focus on why the main parachute & deployment bag did not eject from the airframe. It was obvious there was not enough force generated by the ejection charge. This had been ground tested several weeks earlier, so the question was why did it not work now? The first test that was performed was a re-creation of the original that was used to validate the rocket before it was flown. A slightly more methodical approach this time around revealed that 2.5g of black powder separated the NC (and two 2-56 Nyslon screws) but didn’t push out the main/ deployment-bag. How could this be? Head scratching began at this time. The back-up charge was fired separately, just if this were an actual flight and still the main/deployment bag did not come out of the airframe. I was in shock and the questions began to run through my head. What had changed? Did I really fly my Level Three rocket like this? What did I do differently in the first round of tests? A short while later it would become apparent that my original ground test was severely flawed. 2.5 grams of black powder was not enough to eject, let along reliably the main/deployment bag from the four inch airframe. The reason this was not discovered during the original ground tests is because the test was too complicated and therefore hid the fact that there was a fundamental problem. The original test was flawed because it did not test a single charge in isolation and its ability to eject the recovery system. The rocket was prepared with both the primary and back-up charges connected to the altimeters such that the avionics bay could be pumped down with the aid of a vacuum thereby creating a “flight-like” but unfortunately an unnecessarily complicated test. While, Dave, Neil and myself were futzing around with vacuum cleaners, garden hoses and black powder we missed the fact that when the nose cone separated BOTH the primary

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 55 Australia really is upside down

Mike coming back after a successful Level 3 flight

Flight number 2, successful

56 rocketsmagazine.com and secondary charges went off at nearly the same time. This could be attributed to the rapid and unrealistic re- pressurization of the avionics bay. The five+ grams of black powder gave off a theatrical kick as the nose cone and deployment bag were vaulted across Dave’s backyard. Fun to watch, but what I did not stop and say to myself was “that’s not a good test.” Hindsight is brilliant of course, but the important thing was that we had confidently honed in on a very serious problem. This was not a mistake I would be repeating any time soon. Lesson learned: Eliminate as many variables as you need to focus your test on the area of your project that is in question. Anything else will only cloud your ability to make sense of the results you set out to identify. Don’t over complicate your tests, decide on what you are trying to validate through testing and don’t stop until you answer the question you set out to answer. Testing can see time consuming, but it can alleviate a world of hurt down the road when there is a lot more on the line. Now that the problem had been identified, it was time to employ a solution. What was also evident by this point was that the main parachute and deployment bag were a tight fit in the four inch airframe. To help encourage the new ejection charges do their job, I opted to get rid of the deployment bag and use a 72” canopy instead of the larger and bulkier 84” version. To further increase the ability of the ejection charges to do work, a very rudimentary but effective cardboard piston or “Scoop-cake” was created by Dave aka Scoop, (hence the naming) and employed for testing. Three grams of black powder now reliably ejected the main parachute recovery system and the results looked much better. Three back-to-back tests were repeated and the results were the same each time; the nose cone was separating cleanly and the main parachute was being thrown out with just enough force to straighten out the fifteen foot long shock cord. With this major question now answered, I was just about ready for my second attempt. The next Williams launch was in September and I was long ready to go. I changed out the GPS/FRS unit this time around and opted for an Android smart phone running an application that broadcasted GPS position through text messages. These transmissions relied on the cell phone network but knowing the service was better than average at Williams, I felt confident it would work well. With the application running, the phone was wrapped in bubble wrap and stuffed inside of the rockets nosecone above the Contour GPS HD camera which would also go along for the flight. The September launch was a much smaller big event than June but there were still a number of spectators lined up to see what the WA rocket guys had in store for them that weekend. Also flying that day was Rich Termini and his wife Samantha. Sam was also going for (her) Level Three same day and would follow up my flight with her towering 8” diameter, 14 foot tall beautifully painted “Lucky 7” rocket, powered by an Aerotech M1500G. The flight went off without a hitch and while it landed in tree, was still a successful flight. Perhaps more importantly this was the very first Level Three certification in Australia by a female! Congrats again to Samantha for this first of a kind accomplishment! I prepared my Level Three rocket with the help of several people, doing my best to stay focused and not let my nerves get the best of me. The winds started to pick up slightly and this began to make me mildly nervous. I did my best not to rush through my checklist and make a stupid mistake, I stopped several times to ask Dave to double check my work – this is something simple that can be invaluable. With the HD camera running and the

Group photo at Williams launch

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 57 Android phone transmitting coordinates, I began to walk the rocket out to the pad. The winds were pretty stiff at this point, but not strong enough to create a safety concern and delay the launch. It was time to go and this rocket was going! After a gut-wrenching delay from one bad igniter, the four inch rocket jumped off the pad under the power of the coveted M1298 White Lightning propellant turned slightly into the wind and powered almost completely out of site to nearly 13,000 feet AGL. There were a few in attendances that had come to see their very first amateur rocket launch and needless to say they were not disappointed. With a stream of GPS coordinates coming in on Dave’s phone, we watched the recovery system deploy as planned and followed the rocket all the way down to the tree line on the horizon. Barring any unforeseen problems, this was a successful certification attempt. With the last coordinates entered into a GPS hand unit, Mel and I hoped in her car as she navigated her hometown farm roads to get close enough to the paddock where we believed the rocket had landed. A short walk up a narrow tree line separating two fields led us directly to the rocket where it lay, recovery system stretched across a beautiful and soft green field. Touchdown! As I gathered the pieces of the rocket and began to inspect for damage, I felt the nosecone vibrating which needless to say startled me. It turned out to be Dave calling my only cell phone which was now in the nose cone; he wanted to know if the rocket found and if it were OK. He then tried Mel’s phone, she handed it over to me and I reported on the great news. When we got back to the launch site, I was immediately given a celebratory beverage as Dave eagerly walked over with a permanent marker in hand ready to give me a ceremonial and traditional forehead “tattoo.” It was official, I was to be Level Three certified and with the distinction of becoming the very first non-Australian to certify Level Three in Australia! Several weeks later Nic Lottering one of the “Queenslanders” contacted me through THE Australian Rocketry Forum (ausrocketry.com/forum) and asked me to come out for his Level Three launch in November. For several months Nic had been working on a rather large project, a 10.5” diameter, 11 foot tall 80 lbs (on the pad) up-scale Sledgehammer. One of the most impressive points about this rocket is that it was completely scratch built and did not use any pre-made components. Nic crated everything himself, which is always an impressive feat, especially at this scale. We all followed along as he posted detailed updates on the forum and were anxiously awaiting the launch. For those of us that know Nic, he is a very smart guy who loves his Bundee (Australian Rum – sorry Nic, that stuff is pure gasoline!). He’s also a remarkable craftsman who leaves no stone unturned when he approaches a project, paying attention to every minute detail. His projects are really fun to follow along with; some might question how he has so much spare time!? I had met Nic, his brother and his wife only a few months earlier at the WWW launch but we had already hit off. Without thinking twice about it, I decided to fly to Queensland from Perth to follow along in the final stages as he prepared for his Level Three certification. Nic and his wife Margreth picked me up at the airport and welcomed me in their home a few days prior to the launch. Also in town that weekend from Western Australia was Dave and Paul Kelly “PK”. Dave and Blake were Nic’s TAP’s and PK had made a surprise visit to support Nic and his massive project. The launch would take place at one of the the Queensland Rocket Societies fields, this one is near the town of Jimboomba. Nic’s flight was only expected to go approximately 4000 feet under the KBA M3500 and this field was perfect for that. Much of The plan

Nic Lottering and Robert Winchcomb making the tube

Fins attached to the body tube vacuum made fins

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 59 How the motor tubes and fins mount

Layers of fiberglass going on the foam core

Clear coat on the body tube

60 rocketsmagazine.com The finished nose cone

After sanding the fiberglass

Check out the shine

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 61 Nice red flame of the flight above: the recovery left: group photo before flight

62 rocketsmagazine.com the preparation of Nic’s up-scale Sledgehammer took place at this home prior to the launch; this always makes things easier on the field as you only have to focus on the final critical steps of preparation. Needless to say that many people had turned out to witness the flight. This would have made me increasingly nervous if it was my project but Nic seemed to take it in stride. That didn’t stop PK from deliberately bringing a spare quick-link with him out to the pad though. At just the right time, with the rocket pointed skyward, armed and ready to go – he handed it over to Nic and said “found this on the ground by the pad, thought you might want it.” Nic of course smirked and had some choice words to describe PK, but I like to think that he was nervous for just a split second! Shenanigans aside, it was time to get back to the flight line and see if certification was in store for Nic today. With the crowd corralled at a safe distance, on their toes and anxiously awaiting the countdown completed and the M3500 exploded the 80lb rocket off the pad as it climbed skyward under a brilliant red flame. The airframe tilted slightly, just as much as one might expect for a large rocket on its way to a comfortable 4000 feet, arcing over every so slowly arriving at apogee for a perfectly timed separation event. The recovery system deployed as planned and the rocket touched down softly just a few hundred yards away. Nic and a small team set out to go retrieve it and we all anxiously awaited their return. Not long after, they returned and Nic was all smiles – that day just got better, he was now Level Three! Nic would of course receive his permanent market tattoo, which he would don at the nearby restaurant where everyone collected for celebratory drinks and food. I had hustle out of town to fly back to Perth that evening on a red eye flight to make it to work the next day. I had a really great time that weekend, it’s always nice to see others succeed their hard work to pay off and I thanked Nic and Margreth for asking me to be around for a small part of it all. I was scheduled to arrive home from Australia the Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving 2011. As luck would have it, I needed to fly back out Thanksgiving evening for the Mars Science Laboratory launch in Cape Canaveral. The Atlas V rocket carrying the Curiosity Rover and some of my very own handiwork was scheduled for to lift-off that Friday morning. That week, in the midst of literally days of travel time, while severely jet lagged and full of turkey, I thought back about all of the great times I had in the previous months. My level three project, touring WA wine country for my 30th birthday, flying a rocket with 850 feet of shock cord (that’s another story), helping Nic with his Level Three, having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with my new Aussie family, the inception of several BALLS projects and many, many others. Australia is a beautiful place, so far away but so incredibly worth the effort it takes to get there. Our rocketry counterparts, many of whom were mentioned in this article have taken on the massive feat of holding an international launch in 2015. The event has been dubbed “Australian Thunder Down Under.” It goes without saying that I will make the journey to the Queensland yet again to visit all of my friends and support the launch in any way I can. I really hope that other fliers from the US and beyond can make it as well. My sincere thanks to all of the great people I came across during my stay in Australia. Had I decided to shelve rocketry that year and wait until I had returned, I really couldn’t imagine how dull my stay would have been. So many great friendships, projects and memories have ensued. To all my Aussie friends, see you in the field!

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I4 63 Sold at Amazon.com hardback or E-Book

64 rocketsmagazine.com