Project
605 Flight

Post-flight Analysis

• Finally, a good rocket design coupled with reliable engines. This design was a culmination of several older designs which, at the time, did not work because they were tested with other elements that failed. Four engines were clustered in the middle of two sections of 6" ABS pipe. 6" ABS caps acted as the engine bulkheads and were held together by four 1/4-20 fully threaded aluminum rods.
• ABS pipe seems to be the only material strong enough to stand up to the engine exhaust blowing through it.
• A 6' parachute was attached to a 10' x 3/8" bungee cord which was packed in the forward section of the rocket. A chemical delay element was used to set off an ejection charge that went off too late in the flight causing the parachute to pull away from the rocket.

Construction

• 6" ABS pipe.
• Nosecone was made from plaster and gauze and filled with 2 part marine foam.
• Fins were made from 3/16" balsa wood covered with matt board on either side.
• Four J300 engines were coupled in the center of the rocket producing a total impulse of 4800 Newton seconds.
• Total lift-off weight was 33 lbs.

Pros

• It went up!
• Lightweight - 33 lbs.
• Low cost - less than $100.
• Good design for future modification.

Cons

• Delay element went off too late but this can be corrected in future flights.
• The nosecone is too long. Making a new one that is about half the size will help the stability of the rocket even more.

Pictures

Video

• Flight 01

Drawings

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