More in-flight rocket videos tomorrow night… maybe!
My in-flight model rocket video, taken with an $8 keychain camera, has been very popular online. You can see it above and if you want to learn more check out the page on the amazing $8.00 keychain camera.
I have a few of the keychain cameras lying around and built a couple of models that should yield dramatic in-flight video. I say “should” because I don’t know if I will get either of them back. Both are built for speed and altitude- each should hit at least 2,700 feet. (if you have ever seen the CN Tower in Toronto, that’s about 1.5 CN Towers high.) My club is having a launch event so I am going to launch them then.
Besides my friends in my rocket club I have a friend who is going to help me track them by standing downwind when they launch. I figure I have a 50-50 chance of recovery with each one so I am hoping at least one will be recovered so I can post the video tomorrow. I have a sonic locator for one of them so it may help the odds. I’d be happy to sacrifice one to the rocket gods in order for one to be spared!
Longshot
The Longshot, seen above, was built from parts I had lying around. It has a plastic fin unit because under the thrust of the E15 composite motor going into it balsa would get shredded into confetti. It should hit at least 500 mph. I am sending this one up first. It has a huge recovery streamer to help us see it on the way down.
Astro 2
The Astro 2 is my own design and is two-stage D12 to E9 power. (It is twice as long as you see above, I have not mounted the upper fuselage yet.) This one is as skinny and lightweight as the engine size would let me make it and I didn’t spend much time finishing it because, again, I may not get it back. Just a single coat of flourescent paint and up we go. If I get the video back from this one it should be a hoot. The D12 won’t take it up unduly fast because it is lifting the weight of the upper-stage E9 engine, but it should separate around 500 feet going 300 mph when the E9 kicks in. The E9 has a longer burn with lower thrust and will take it up very nicely without shredding the fins. It will coast 8 seconds before the recovery device deploys.
I’ll take some videos of them taking off so you will get to see something one way or the other. Check back Sunday night for my report, and hopefully some cool videos from way high up!
Questions? Email Don
