Swiftest-Highest-Strongest-Greatest

My project is to build a 2 stage booster / sustainer rocket  capable of using 29mm through 54mm RMS motor hardware to attain a new Washington State Altitude record past 11,500 feet. Also,  to use the same rocket to go from  being a novice to becoming a  NAR  member and working up through a level 3 certification.  

I was inspired after viewing Darrell  Mobley's Terrier Sandhawk  project, and that Public Missiles Ltd. was making a Terrier booster to go along with the Mini BBX rocket.  I thought the booster would be easy to modify for my goal and project.

Lesson 1 It's always not easy! After posting several emails to Mr. Andrew Waddell at PML  I found out that my design concept was not the same as theirs, which would not allow me to use different size 29-54mm diameter and length 360 - 2560 Newton seconds motor casings.  See pictures below

Needless to say I thought my concept would work. So, here comes the Research & Development of the Citius  Altius  Fortius  Maximus!  First was extending the fin can for both the Booster and Sustainer  to accept the longer motor casings by modifying PML's Kwik switch motor mounting system and recovery devices from 10.5" to 30".  Second was to add a 24" Mid section for housing the PML 's CPR 3000 in the sustainer, which increased the overall length of the rocket  to 87 1/8" vs. 61.5" as it would be in stock form. Third was selecting flight electronics provided by G-Wiz partners . I have chosen to use their LC Deluxe 800 model because it is not prone to Mach-induced errors. And fourth was to add a sonic locator because of the tall wheat fields that we fly from in Spokane WA. This was accomplished by modifying a Radio Shack personal protection siren; it has an output of 120 Db -  i.e. very loud!

Confession Time What was I thinking! How can I go to a level 3 without going to a 75mm motor casing (which requires at least a 3.5 " airframe, right?) So lets go all the way to 98mm which will necessitate going up to at least a 3.90  or to a  5.380 air frame if we want to mount fins on a through-the-wall type of design.   So What's a Newton? It's a metric measurement of thrust; 4.45 Newtons = 1 pound. There are 80 pound-seconds in the 360 casing. {Courtesy of  Dr. Rocket's web page}

 Update Oct 28 2000 After assembling the rocket Citius  Altius  Fortius  Maximus!  weighs in at  4.016 Lbs. This is in the 29mm motor configuration. 

Update Nov. 05 2000 After writing Mr. Waddell at PML  asking when the Terrier booster  kit  for the Mini BBX may be released, I received his reply (" David, the Terrier booster is still coming along. We had a neat idea for the interstage coupler that we feel is worth delaying the Terrier a little bit longer, but it should be out relatively soon.")  I decided to try my hand at it to see who can come up with the better idea (FORD or CHEVY?)  Please go to booster page to see my hen scratching.

Update Nov. 19 2000 After reading Tripoli's  Nov. issue of High Power Rocketry  magazine I have found out that when going for certification through Tripoli that all rockets have to be of a non complex nature,  What does this mean?  No clustering of motors or multi-stage rockets. NAR's rules say nothing of this when certifying for  L1 or  L2, but  you defiantly have to when trying for L3. This has put several kinks into my plans, but as a tried and true Yankee I will see what ingenuity is spawned by the mother of invention! The plan revised: the Sustainer can handle both 29 and 38mm motors. For level 1 I will fly a Aerotech 29mm I 200w, and for the level 2 flight I will use a Aerotech 38mm J 570w. For level 3 I will design and build the 5.380" booster  in such a way that allows it to be a booster and a rocket in the same airframe. After obtaining L3 certification with the 5.380" airframe I will couple the 5.380" booster and 2.152" sustainer to form Citius  Altius  Fortius  Maximus!  I will fly the booster on a Aerotech 75mm M1315 w and the sustainer on a Aerotech 54mm K 700  with both motors. Early wRASP sims show flight profiles of  an Altitude of 34,500+ ft., a Mach 2+ based on a std. day,  with the rocket pulling 25+ G's.

Update Dec. 7 2000 Well I have finely gotten my act together, and can claim membership to NAR # 78678-SR. Also I purchased the G-Wiz LC 800 Deluxe flight computer and 38mm 1080 motor casing for the J570 motor.  I have mounted the flight computer on sheet of ABS plastic, drilled holes through one side of the air frame and into CPR 3000 compartment, to allow for reading of  the Light Emitting Diodes ( LED's) on the flight computer circuit board from the outside of the rocket via 1/4" dia. clear acrylic rods,  For more Info see. Electronics Page

If you have any Questions or Comments please E-mail me at Airdale@icehouse.net

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Started October 6 2000