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New Rocket Competition!


dagabu

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Spring is almost here and we need some rockets!

 

To quote EEGUY: "It's winter time; and in my part of the country, this means it is time to experiment with new rocket firework designs. "

 

Here is the deal: I would like to sponsor a rocket competition and the winner will receive a Universal Rocket Tooling Set, free of charge up to 3# (1" ID) delivered to you! This is not just your average tool set either, the spindle will be milled from solid brass, it resists galling and according to Mike Swisher, brass is the best metal to make pyrotechnic tooling from.

 

Here are the terms:

 

Create a 2 stage rocket using two different fuels, R-candy, Black Powder, Whistle, whatever you want to use! Video the rocket from takeoff to the end of the display. Display a shell of your own, no commercial stuff!

 

The video footage will be judged by a straight up poll posted here in another thread. The winner is the one receiving the most votes.

 

Please PM me the link to your video and I will attach it to the challenge thread.

 

Deadline for entries is June 1st 2011.

Edited by dagabu
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Excellent. So I have one month to perfect my handmade tooling design, and a second month to perfect a two stage. Sounds like a challenge!

 

Thanks for funding the prize Dag. Tell you what, if you end up winning I'll send you one of my shirts free of charge. As APC's trademark rocket guy you should be able to compete for something as well.

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CPLMAC is the rocket guy, I am the annoying guy that challenges everything. No fair bribing the guy that posts the challenge (bribes are to be made via PM only ;) )

 

Oh, I forgot to tell you, I will be entering the challenge as well, I cant win but will submit my entry and hopefully will keep this thing moving. If anyone have no freaking idea how to pull this off, I will start a thread on two stage rockets and we can all try our hand at making some cool pyro stuff!

Edited by dagabu
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Sounds like fun. Since my first rocket was built a week ago, I should be able to pull off a 2stage payload delivering beauty that will win the competition hands down.:whistle::blink:

 

Now that you are all done laughing, it sounds like an awesome challenge that will encourage learning and knowledge sharing. Hopefully I will be in.

 

Thanks for putting up the prize dagabu!

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would adding tiger tail to the fuel count it as another fuel?

 

Good question, let me elaborate:

 

The specific chemicals must change so that the composition will have a completely different oxidizer (I.e. Potassium Perchlorate vs. Potassium Nitrate) or "fuel" (I.e. sugar vs. charcoal) from the other stage. E.g. APCP, R-candy, BP, Whistle, ALICE, PBAN, Zink-Sulfur, Double-Base, Hybrid Fuels and so on.

 

This challenge is not designed to be easy, it should be hard to perfect as the purpose is to learn something new about ignition and staging. Let me start you out by sharing my plans.

 

I am going to start with my most energetic fuel on the bottom stage and top it off with my mild but big tailed second stage.

 

I will be using a double stick guidance stick design for the first stage and fins for my second stage. The coupler is made from 70# virgin kraft paper and will be glued to the second stage, this is where the fins will be attached as well. This method of placing the coupler is not popular due to the gasses burning the coupler away but what the heeel?

 

I will not share my passfire at this time since it will likely change once I CATO a few upper stages ;)

Edited by dagabu
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Anything against tri-stage rockets? Once I can get my potassium nitrate I'll be able to try out some BP/R-Candy rockets. No press though ]= so nothing special like whistle from me.

 

I'm thinking about a long delay on my BP stage, with two holes at an angle touching the powder at the first part of the delay, then have two tubes going out from those holes with comets or stars in them creating an effect like we saw with BJV's 6" shell, then the gasses from the delay will exit those holes in addtion to the nozzle giving the rocket a nice spin. I'm thinking this should be my second stage.

 

I think I can really win this if nobody else submits anything.

Edited by Updup
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  • 2 weeks later...
The specific chemicals must change so that the composition will have a completely different oxidizer (I.e. Potassium Perchlorate vs. Potassium Nitrate) or "fuel" (I.e. sugar vs. charcoal) from the other stage. E.g. APCP, R-candy, BP, Whistle, ALICE, PBAN, Zink-Sulfur, Double-Base, Hybrid Fuels and so on.

At the moment I only have enough experience with 2 fuels BP & Sugar, and I'm still waiting for a friend to finish welding up my press. Would a 2 stage rocket with one stage being BP and one being a BP\Sugar mix(hybrid?) be ok??

How many entries can we make? 1 i assume..

Edited by Juiceh
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Anything against tri-stage rockets? Once I can get my potassium nitrate I'll be able to try out some BP/R-Candy rockets. No press though ]= so nothing special like whistle from me.

 

I'm thinking about a long delay on my BP stage, with two holes at an angle touching the powder at the first part of the delay, then have two tubes going out from those holes with comets or stars in them creating an effect like we saw with BJV's 6" shell, then the gasses from the delay will exit those holes in addtion to the nozzle giving the rocket a nice spin. I'm thinking this should be my second stage.

 

I think I can really win this if nobody else submits anything.

 

LOL! I think I would like to see the video even if it doesn't work! I am not seeing the idea in my mind so lots of pictures would be needed. ;)

 

At the moment I only have enough experience with 2 fuels BP & Sugar, and I'm still waiting for a friend to finish welding up my press. Would a 2 stage rocket with one stage being BP and one being a BP\Sugar mix(hybrid?) be ok??

How many entries can we make? 1 i assume..

 

Sorry, it must be a complete change of either fuel or oxidizer to make it a different fuel. R-candy - BP are completely different. Enter as many times as you would like, the judging will be done by everyone and winner takes all. Don't be discouraged, there is time to get your fuels down.

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What about a MIRV design? I'm specifically thinking of an R-candy or ZnS first stage carrying three small stingers with headers. Potential timing problems abound, but we do these thing not because they are easy, but because they are hard (flash-back to January 1961, Kennedy inaguration speech).
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...we do these thing not because they are easy, but because they are hard (flash-back to January 1961, Kennedy inaguration speech).

 

Exactly!! If there is not a single success in all of the entries (I darn well better have five at least) then the best CATO or failure will be the winner. This is about research, go make one and video it, you have NOTHING to lose!

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BUMP!

 

Spring is almost here and we need some rockets!

 

To quote EEGUY: "It's winter time; and in my part of the country, this means it is time to experiment with new rocket firework designs. "

 

Here is the deal: I would like to sponsor a rocket competition and the winner will receive a Universal Rocket Tooling Set, free of charge up to 3# (1" ID) delivered to you! This is not just your average tool set either, the spindle will be milled from solid brass, it resists galling and according to Mike Swisher, brass is the best metal to make pyrotechnic tooling from.

 

Here are the terms:

 

Create a 2 stage rocket using two different fuels, R-candy, Black Powder, Whistle, whatever you want to use! Video the rocket from takeoff to the end of the display. Display a shell of your own, no commercial stuff!

 

The video footage will be judged by a straight up poll posted here in another thread. The winner is the one receiving the most votes.

 

Please PM me the link to your video and I will attach it to the challenge thread.

 

Deadline for entries is June 1st 2011.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Spring is almost here and we need some rockets!

 

To quote EEGUY: "It's winter time; and in my part of the country, this means it is time to experiment with new rocket firework designs. "

 

Here is the deal: I would like to sponsor a rocket competition and the winner will receive a Universal Rocket Tooling Set, free of charge up to 3# (1" ID) delivered to you! This is not just your average tool set either, the spindle will be milled from solid brass, it resists galling and according to Mike Swisher, brass is the best metal to make pyrotechnic tooling from.

 

Here are the terms:

 

Create a 2 stage rocket using two different fuels, R-candy, Black Powder, Whistle, whatever you want to use! Video the rocket from takeoff to the end of the display. Display a shell of your own, no commercial stuff!

 

The video footage will be judged by a straight up poll posted here in another thread. The winner is the one receiving the most votes.

 

Please PM me the link to your video and I will attach it to the challenge thread.

 

Deadline for entries is June 1st 2011.

 

Bump!

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  • 2 weeks later...

BUMP!!

 

Not a single entry so far... Come on men, lets shoot some rockets!!!

 

-dag

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Your other set (cough, cough) and the new sets went out yesterday morning priority, you should have them in your gubbies by weeks end. :whistle:

 

-dag

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So many projects, sorry for the delay. I'm going to try and have one ready to go for the next MPAG shoot on the 21st. With the start of the landscaping season it hasn't been a great time of year to experiment.
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Can't until my tooling arrives :)

I've got to get permits first and then I most certainly will join in...

 

 

 

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Don't worry, I'm cooking up something too. Just haven't had the chance to put the finishing touches on it yet.
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  • 4 weeks later...

Hey! I want a shot at this contest... Sigh, but it's probably going to be cancelled because there is nobody to compete against...

 

Edit: Oh crap, would have only one day to perfect a rocket anyway.

Edited by usapyro
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Here is my would-be entry:

post-939-0-31481000-1306737388_thumb.jpg

 

 

If I weren't under a wind advisory with, "Breezy, with a south wind between 20 and 28 mph, with gusts as high as 43 mph" I would be sending Dag the video tonight. Hopefully this wind will die down soon so I can get this thing launched.

 

Ps. Definitely not my best shell, but oh well, it was kind of rushed and it should be alright.

Edited by WonderBoy
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If we need to let all this bad weather pass, we can delay the end a week.

 

I have yet to catch up to my orders and haven't put my two stage together yet so the extra week is fine with me as well. ;)

 

-dag

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My testing is done. Just need to get out of the tractor long enough to build a small shell and a two stager, woohoo. There is no chance I'll win, but you guys all need a good laugh. I know I do.
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