A bunch of free scale plans

Lacrosse dims, a photo by p_c_alway on Flickr.

Peter Alway has published a new batch of scale plans to his Flickr account. I embedded the Lacrosse as an example but you can click through to find the following: Redstone Block II Tactical Missile, Nike Hercules, Sidewinder AIM-9B, Sidewinder AIM-9B nose details, Atlas D, Hawk, Corporal, Atlas A, Blue Scout Jr SRV.

Last look inside Atlantis before the lights go out (plus more)

collectSpace has posted a series of cool photo's inside (and below) the Space Shuttle Atlantis.  I thought I had heard that NASA had already powered her down, but evidently the lights were on as of December 19th.  If I were in charge at NASM, I'd get with NASA and find how to provide external power and then mount cameras at strategic spots inside.  It would even be cool to let visitors zoom and pan the cameras.

In my earlier post about the Shuttle Motion Simulator being moved to Texas A&M, I asked rhetorically whether there were other Shuttle-era resources that were going to be used operationally (vs. ending up in a static display). Tonight, I learned about one.  The news played a story from a Houston TV station about the current and future use of the training pools at JSC.  Since the ISS is complete, the pools are idle.  An oil exploration training company is using them to train rig workers how to survive things like helicopter crashes.

50th Anniversary of the Space flight of Belka and Strelka - 2010

50th Anniversary of the Space flight of Belka and Strelka - 2010, a photo by audiopineapplepostcards on Flickr.

Shuttle memory

When I started at JSC, the landing imagery on the Shuttle motion base simulator wasn't computer generated (I assume it was at the end of the program).  Instead there was a multi-story model of the landing area.  There was a TV camera on an Y-Y-Z drive that would display the scenery in the simulator.  On the other side of the camera system was a huge bank of bright lights to ensure there were no shadows.  It was pretty impressive set up.  A quick search found nothing about this.

The Shuttle Motion Simulator finds a new home

CollectSpace reports that the Shuttle Motion Simulator (SMS) has been donated to Texas A&M University where it will be used to develop new space equipment and operations procedures.  It reportedly will be available to all majors as well as the public.  I find this so awesome.  This is the first Shuttle artifact that I've heard about, including the orbiters themselves, that will be more than a museum artifact.  I wonder if there are any other items that will stay 'operational'?

Using the SMS will be no small feat.  It is a complicated piece of equipment.  There will be hardware maintenance and operations will be non-trivial, both inside the simulator and at its controls.  I wonder how many lines of code are involved?  Maybe they will contract with the current NASA support contractor(s) to keep it going?   In any event, even if it was free it might be costly.

Monocopter Mk2

Monocopter Mk2, a photo by Alexander Kroll on Flickr.

Check out this cool carbon fiber monocopter. If you click through you will find additional photos.  You can also read all about it here.

Best of the Rocket Girls, Volume 5

I decided to move up this installment of the BOTRG to coincide with the new year. As with my top ten, if something new appears in the next few days, I will update this post!

Julie and Laura Shepard after the Apollo 14 splashdown, 2/9/71

Kari Byron and Katie Deutsch working on Discovery's 

LDRS-30 show (via Liberty Launch Systems)

The Flaming Christmas Tree v1.1

The newly revised recovery system is complete, as shown in the attached photo.  As I mentioned before, the upper portion is connected to the lower via two plastic tubes.  These are not optimal, as plastic doesn't like hot gasses.  However, it was designed (and I use the term loosely) to work once.  I just hope that, if the upper chamber blows apart due to over pressurization, that enough of said pressure is conveyed to the parachute tube below.  In any event, the rod will be oriented to send it away from the flight line.  Now I'm hoping for relatively warm mid-January weather!

The Dungeon's Top Ten of 2011

In no particular order....

1. Early in the year, I completed transferring reviews from the old EMRR (see the My Rocket Reviews Page).  I transferred (and updated) all but eight and, while I was at it, added a few exclusive reviews.  I've since added a few more, some of which were also sent to the new EMRR.  As of the end of 2011, the total number of reviews posted here is 231, with 20 that you will find here and only here. 
2. While on EMRR, the new site has shaped up well.  There are some things I still miss from the old site but there are many new features that make it fun: Photo albums; personal pages with 'who's-who' bios; a running timeline (take that Facebook!) of blog posts and your personal data; a well populated and sorted video archive; and, a new combined motors tool.  There are other new features, but these are the ones I have used the most.
3. I have to note the passing of the Space Shuttle Program.  The Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) were underway when I entered the workforce and I was involved off and on for many years.  I was fortunate to see several Shuttles on their 747 carriers.  Once on the ground and in the air three times.  However, somehow I never made a launch.  That makes me sad.  Here's the roll-out of Enterprise's and the landing of Atlantis/STS-135:
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   STS-135 Landing, a photo by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on Flickr.
4. I didn't build much this year. I guess I am as happy with the Goony P-51D as any.
   
   
   


5. The Big Brute is dead.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Long live the Big Brute!
   
   
   



7. Bob Utley twisted my arm into compiling/writing the Product News section of ROCKETS Magazine.  My first installment appeared in the issue that was published at the end of November. You can check out my recaps of all the issues here.
   
   
   
   
   
8. My Big V2 History post became my most popular post of all time, having been #1 for almost a year.  And, it yielded what I consider my best banner too.
   
   
   
   
   
9. MDRA hosted the launch of two humongous 1:9 scale Saturn IBs.  I had to be out of town so I missed the launch.  Still, I'm proud of my club.
   
   
   
   
   
10. I've continued to enjoy new- and old-space alike.  Armadillo continues to be one of my favorites and the X-37B is pretty darned cool.  And, at the 11th hour, Stratolaunch burst onto the scene.

Now, if something crops up in the next 4 days, I'll add a number 11!

SC Precision airfoil rail guides

I just got sample set of SC Precision's new 10-Series Airfoil Rail Guides for 1" rails. Thanks Scott!  The larger 15-Series guides debuted at Red Glare XI and seemed to be a hit.  Scott's rail guides are CNC machined from black Delrin to a true NACA airfoil shape. This shape is more aerodynamic than standard buttons and are lower profile as the mounting bolts are counter sunk.  A pair of black socket head screws are included. The pointy back end is reported to make it easier to mount your rocket on the rail, a claim I will test at the next launch! I stole a photo of the loose buttons from Scott's site and added a photo of the buttons mounted on my Landshark 2.0.

Stiga post mortem

Armadillo employee Ben Brockert has posted a ton of details about the Flight of the Stiga.  The Stiga was 32' tall, 15.25' dia.and weighed about 1,600 lb.  It pulled 3.85 G's on its way to Mach 2.47 and 135,400' AGL.  Their report was very transparent, providing the good as well as the bad.  It suffered a hard deployment which lead to a zipper in its 0.090" thick aluminum body tube, partially separated the body above the motor, and led the bottom being a bit crunched.  All and all, I'd say that was at least nominal :)  Here's a shot of the zipper.  That's one strong recovery harness!

R2K noticed this blog post and graciously gave me a link back.  To return the favor in a somewhat circular fashion, I'll quote some of his comments, which I think are significant and an omission in my original (very) short recap:

The rocket shut down more than 10 seconds early because it had passed a pre-arranged downrange distance. That is a great safety feature, and also means that it could have broken mach 3 and gotten closer to 200,000 feet if it burnt the tanks dry. (The last 10 seconds would, assuming no throttle or great loss in motor isp at high altitude, the best 10 seconds of all.)

Flaming Christmas Tree upgrade is underway

I searched high and low and didn't come up with the 'U' shaped tubing that I needed.  The radius was just too small.  So, I built an enclosed cavity above the motor mount in question using piece of an old cardboard yarn bobbin.  It is roughly a quarter of a conical section and follows the tree's hypothetical contour.  I am mounting a BT-60 parachute tube below the motor mount in question.  The two parts will be interconnected with 2 flexible plastic tubes.  That's kludge a on top of a kludge!

The yearly NORAD Santa tracking post

You and your kids and their kids and so on can track the Jolly Old Elf's progress here.  Merry Christmas!

USAF jet collides with Santa's sleigh

USAF jet collides with Santa's sleigh, a photo by wortenoggle on Flickr.

NOTAM FAIL? Revenge by the family whose grandma got run over by a reindeer? Or, just a cool display between Easton and St. Michaels!

Space launches infographic

Via visual.ly.  Spotted on the Unwanted Blog.  Look below to whet your interest but follow the link to explore the details.

via

So, how will Stratolaunch stack up?

Parabolic Arc just posted this cool graphic to compare Stratolaunch with other US space launch systems.  The graphic is sorted by LEO lift capability.  Visit the Arc for the actual numbers and a similar graphic that includes international launchers.  As you see, Stratolaunch is a bit apples and oranges.  But, at least the apples and oranges are to scale.

Holiday wishes from Mr. Sulu

Just has to share this.  I grabbed it from George Takei's Facebook feed.

Video of the Flaming Christmas Tree

Although not published on the main page, the photo gallery for MDRA's ESL-163 is being populated.  You'll find Peter's video of the Flaming Christmas Tree of Death (and a still photo, too). W00t!  There's also a video of the G64 CATO in the Hat of Death.  No w00t here :(

Stratolaunch, what is is good for?

Some would say , "Absolutely nothing. Uh-huh!"  When I heard about Stratolaunch Systems and its founders, I was excited largely because it would just plain be cool for such a system to exist.  The reactions I've read have been varied, however, it sure seems like the naysayers far outnumber the advocates.  Is it just me or haven't the number of people who seem to take glee in bashing things increased over the last twenty years or so?  The Internet must be to blame (?)

Transterrestrial Musings has an interesting article which points out what I viewed as the system's main attribute: operational responsiveness. It will will able to be quickly called to duty, launch preps will be hidden under a solid roof, roll out can be scheduled any time, and most if not all orbit inclinations can  be supported.  Rand further explains how this be an ideal carrier for the X-37...and other secret missions.  His article ties all this together nicely.

VJ-100 manned rocket

Retro Mechanix relates the story of Stanley Hiller, Jr, an award-winning helicopter genius who also designed a manned rocket.  The source article originally appeared in the March 1950 issue of Mechanics Illustrated.  It reports that a sub-scale model of the VJ-100 used a Rolls Royce turbo-jet engine and an unspecified 5,000 lbf rocket.  It was being tested at Wright Field, Ohio but obviously never went much further.  Those are some crazy forward wings/fins.

Noticed in ROCKETS Magazine

I noticed an interesting ad in the latest issue of ROCKETS. An individual is advertising inert, cold war era soviet missiles and liquid rocket engines as follows: SA-6 Gainful, SA-2 Guideline, SA-5 Gammon and the liquid engines. Good for museums and private collectors alike.  Only an email addy is provided and I am not inclined to promote these items.  But it does bring up the issue of real rocket hardware.  I'd kind of like to collect some but, like Level-3 motors, it is surely out of my hobby budget.  Except for maybe a Smokey SAM. But, I can always dream.

Reworking the FCToD

As I mentioned in the launch report, the Flying Christmas Tree of Death survived to fly another day.  For the up part, there isn't much to change.  I'll hope for less wind and maybe slightly angle the rod with it.  However, it is clear that I need another way to get a 'chute out.  My first thought is to nestle a piece of BT-60 below one motor mount.  This tube diameter should be big enough to hold the 'chute and still stay away from the exhaust.  The only rub is how to get the ejection gas from the top of the motor mount to the parachute tub below it.  That means it needs to make an abrupt u-turn.  If it can do that, I can figure out how to get it to the BT-60.  The good news is that the main goal is not to make a robust, often flown rocket.  A material like thin PVC would be good but rubber might be OK.  Ideas?

Avro Blue Steel missile

Avro Vulcan with Blue Steel missile, a photo by Lonely01 on Flickr.

The Blue Steel was a British air-launched, rocket-propelled nuclear stand-off missile. I find it's lines quite pleasing. There are plenty of photos out there.  A good subject for a stubby model rocket (less than 10:1 L/D). Front winglets would require lots of nose weight.  Upscaling the fins wouldn't hurt the look.

ROCKETS Magazine, August 2011

I'll first address the timing of this issue - it's late.  The guys at ROCKETS have had some glitches and have gotten behind.  However, they report no serious problems and expect to catch up in 2012.  Next, I'll point out the highlight of this issue - I have begun supporting the magazine by submitting material for the Rocketry News section!  The untimely passing of the owner of Rocketry Planet, Darrell Mobley, left the editors without a steady flow of material.  Bob cornered me at a launch and, knowing that I wasted my time on this blog, twisted my arm.  So, I volunteered to help out.  Since I wasn't plugged in to many HPR vendors and wanted an outlet for any excess material that I acquired,  I reached out to Rocketry Online via my old relationship with TRF (ROL is run by TRF mod Kevin Trojanowski).  [BTW, Darrell also was the original developer of ROL.]  Now that this is out of the way...on to the contents of this issue.

The first feature is the final installment of Frank Hermes' series on his Coast Optimization System.   He describes actual flight tests of the completed system, which includes a RocketTiltometer integrated with a Raven flight computer.  Next up is launch coverage of NERRF 7, which was held this past summer at METRA's Pine Island, NY launch site.  NERRF, like Red Glare, is a regional, 'indy' launch that gathers participants from far and wide.  The action then moves from NY to Colorado with a report on the exploits of  United Launch Alliance (ULA)/Ball Aerospace student interns.  How I would have loved to have been able to intern with high power rockets!  The student teams built some cool rockets and payloads. Their Stars 'N' Stripes flew on an 'N' motor and featured reverse mounted 'H' motors to limit its altitude.  This is an idea worth copying.  Moving further west, we hear all about the Northwest Xtreme Rocket Show 2011 in Brothers, Oregon.  Finally, Wes 'Dr Zooch' Olezsewki explains BiNCS (Bite N Crumple Syndrome), and how to avoid it.  I call BiNCS 'Estes Smiles'.  Even when they are on other vendors' kits.

Launch Report 2011-8

Location: Higgs Farm, Price, MD (MDRA ESL-163)
Weather: mostly cloudy; high was 41; wind 10+ mph
Total flights: Today - 5; YTD - 62
Total motors: Today - 8; YTD - 80

I broke my standard rule of not flying when the temperature isn't 50 degrees or so.  I wanted to see if my FatBoy29, which I thought I had lost at Red Glare XI, had been found.  Plus, I had a magazine to pick up from Bob and the Flaming Christmas Tree of Death was itching to be flown.  It was cloudy on the drive over but, as I turned off of US301, the sun was out!  Well, it didn't last long and the brisk wind made it nippy.  Nevertheless, I accomplished all three of my goals :)  I was shocked at how many rockets live in the lost and found trailer.

My flights:

1. Flaming Christmas Tree of Death on 4 x E9-4 - The boost started fine but it quickly weather cocked.  This was pretty much expected because of the huge fin surfaces.  It was on the way down as the motors ejected and the kluge parachute mechanism didn't work.  I assumed it would be a pile of junk but, to my amazement, the only damage was to the foam Santa, who was impaled and squashed (see photo below).  Videographer extraordinaire Peter Abresch caught the flight and should submit it to the MDRA gallery.
2. Hat of Death on an G64-P - In the oddest...er...flight of the Hat, the G64 hopped out leaving the rocket on the rod.  The front closure burned through, which caused the motor to eject. The motor spun wildly and landed about 6 feet from the pad.  Both closures are dead, the case is iffy, but the Hat itself was undamaged.
3. TLP Rapier on an F24-7 - The rocket boosted with the wind and I anticipated a very long walk.  Luckily, the delay was quite long and I had reefed the 'chute.  Thus, the walk was tolerable.
4. Quest MLAS on an Estes C6-3 - Nice flight but one fin cracked.
5. Estes BLU-97B Cluster Bomb on a D12-5 - Nice flight.  With the weather cocking, the delay was a little long.  Even with the wind, it stayed on the main field.

LAUNCH Mag On-Line Edition - updated?

My news reader had a half dozen or so hits from LAUNCH this morning, including Walt Cunningham's op-ed, "A Tribute to Happy Warrior."  This was at least new to me.  If interested, you might poke around the site.  No time now...off to MDRA...

Mercury 7

Mercury 7, a photo by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives on Flickr.

Test Site-Sycamore

Test Site-Sycamore, a photo by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives on Flickr.

General Dynamics/Convair Astronautics
Test Site at Sycamore Canyon - Atlas 2D Firing at S2

Test Site-Point Loma

Test Site-Point Loma, a photo by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives on Flickr.

General Dynamics/Convair Astronautics Test Site on Point Loma. Click through for additional photos of the facility.

Mohr Rocket

As spotted on High Power Rocketry.

"Engineer Ernst Mohr of Wuppertal, under the auspices of the German Rocket Society, developed a sounding rocket that was designed to reach altitudes of 50 km. A solid rocket motor with 7800 kgf would take the separable payload section to a speed of 1200 m/s. The booster had a diameter of 0.30 m, a length of 1.7 m, a total mass of 135 kg including 75 kg of solid propellant. The payload dart was 56 mm in diameter, 1.25 m long, and had a total mass of 15 kg. 

Payload: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb) to a 50 km altitude.
Status: Retired 1959.
Gross mass: 150 kg (330 lb).
Payload: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb).
Height: 2.95 m (9.67 ft).
Diameter: 0.30 m (0.98 ft).
Thrust: 76.00 kN (17,085 lbf).
Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). "

Via Astronautix.com

Fantasy aircraft Friday

Found on TRF.  Source links with photos. I'd like to see someone try a flying version of these.

Via Paper Modelers forum

Via the paperhobby blog. Plan link included.

World's first permanent hobby rocket launch site!

Rocketry Planet user Rocketball lets us know that nearly 2 years ago, the Australian Rocketry Association (ARA) section 6 successfully established the world's first permanent model rocket and high power launch site. Rockets can be launched 7 days a week during daylight hours with a altitude limit of 8,500' MSL and with no NOTAM required.  Awesome!  Way to go ARA6!

Rumors of Lovejoy's death have been greatly exaggerated

Spacey stuff on Thor's Day

Both of these come from Geeked on Goddard:  Ho-Ho-Hubble for the Holidays, and Comet Lovejoy plunging into the sun.  Check out the Hubble cosmic angel:

Photo gallery: new-space, new-old-space and old-new-old-space

DRB's latest gallery (as of post time, of course) features photos of Active Space Programs in Iran, Brazil, India, Japan, China, Israel... is it going to get crowded even without USA or Russia?

As the title implies, this features photos from the 'new-old' (i.e. state sponsored) players in the space game.  Some of these projects aren't that new, hence the 'old-new-old' in the title.  Finally, there's mention of Space Ship 2/White Knight as an example of new-space.  Of course, the latter is European ('new-old' ?) funded and U.S. built ('new') so it could have its own category.  Is your head hurting yet?

Any orbit, any time

That's the tag phrase of Microsoft founder Paul Allen's newly announced space venture, Stratolaunch Systems. Their twin boom mothership will use six 747 engines. The 1.2M lb beast will, along with it's rocket system,  be capable of delivering  manned and unmanned orbital payloads weighing up to 13,500 lbs.  They also allude to cargo transport missions with a 9,200 mile range. (via Space.com; video spotted via High Power Rocketry)

Scaled Composites + SpaceX...what a combo!

Higgs Boson fever

The search for the Higgs Boson has been in the news a lot lately and my feed reader exploded with reports today. Evidently, this spike was spurred by a big reveal by physicists at Europe's Large Hadron Collider. Here's a just a smattering of what popped up this morning.

WARNING: If you read all the following reports and follow all the related links, then your brain may explode like protons hitting each other at 99.999999 percent of the speed of light. Warning does not apply to particle physicists.

Credit: CERN

• Higgs vs. hype: a mini-guide - Cosmic Log
• Mass effect: maybe Higgs, maybe not - Bad Astronomy
• Do you have questions about the Higgs Boson discovery? Ask a physicist! - io9
• Standard Model - Wikipedia

Sport Rocketry November/December 2011

The main theme of this issue is NARAM-53, which was held last summer in Cincinnati, OH.  As with most contest coverage, I mostly liked gawking at the photos of the sports range and, in this case, PMC models.  There was also more NASA SLI/USLI coverage and a report on a grade school rocketry program in Massachusetts.  There is a nice build article on a Der Red Max variant and and excellent build article on Boris Katan's awesome Turbine Rocket Saucer.  This spinning saucer features 8 slightly canted and 4 highly canted 24mm mounts.  I am in awe of Boris' work.

BTW, I received this issue about a month later than expected.  I've subscribed to Sport Rocketry for many years and, for the first time, my original issue never appeared.  After three weeks, I emailed NAR HQ using the address provided on their website.  Marie got back to me within a week and the replacement arrived less than a week later.  If you have problems with your membership, don't hesitate to contact them.  Their staff is small so you may see delays due to illness, vacation, holidays, etc..  However, be patient and they will take care of you.

Only The Shadow knows

Air Command's The Shadow includes custom fiberglass tubing and nose cone, lots of machined parts, rail buttons, a custom launcher, and home grown electronics.  Sounds a lot like your typical state of the art HPR kit.  But, you won't find any pyro compounds inside - it's a water rocket.  The tubing had been tested to 300 psi (and maybe higher since I haven't read all the recent updates).  Can't wait for the video!