Who all is going to LDRS this year (Labor day weekend in Kansas?)
When I learned that they arranged for a 50kft waiver, that tipped the balance for me.
To help encourage people to take advantage of the waiver, I'm sponsoring a contest to see who can get over 40,000 feet with the lowest total impulse. The name isn't finalized yet, but the leading candidate is "The Smallest Way to 40k." If you have a better name, let's hear it.
First prize is a new Raven altimeter and 38mm av-bay. Here are the rules:
1. Rocket design must be approved by the LDRS committee, with applications turned in at least 30 days in advance. This will include review of simulation data to ensure that the rocket design will not exceed the 50,000 foot waiver. This application process is separate from the evaluation of compliance with contest rules, which will be performed by contest personnel.
2. Certified motors must be used, and the total impulse calculation is based on certification test data from www.thrustcurve.org.
3. Altitude data from a commercial altimeter will be reviewed to verify that the rocket maximum altitude was between 40,000 feet and the 50,000 foot waiver, based on output from any commercially available altimeter that is advertised to be accurate over 40,000 feet.
4. All portions of the rocket must descend safely, using the designed recovery device for each stage.
5. Staging is encouraged, but the following airstart best practices must be followed if any airstarts are used for the contest:
-The airstart ignition logic must prevent ignition in the event of an anomaly during boost. The recommended method is to ignite the airstart based on measured altitude, with the altitude threshold set to at least 1000 feet.
Other methods may be approved after review. Ignition based strictly on time after liftoff detection does not meet the anomaly detection requirement.
-Each airstart ignition circuit must use an arming switch that is separate from the altimeter, in order to keep the firing circuit open until after the rocket is upright, the altimeter is on powered on and deployment charges are verified as armed.
6. In the event of a tie (same motors used), the entry that is closest to 40,000 feet wins.
I'll be flying in the contest too, but I'll give away the Raven and av-bay as long as at least one other person has a safe flight that meets the contest requirements.
Looks like a GREAT contest, Adrian. FWIW, I think Kloudbusters has a standing 50K waiver.... so if you ever have a monster project that needs some room to run, think Argonia. Not the best recovery environment, but 50K waivers don't grow on trees 😯
Nice contest, good of you to sponsor that!
Thanks, John.
According to some posts on the TRA email list, the 50kft waiver for LDRS this year only happened after months of difficult negotiations. I think I remember hearing they had one to 45k before. Last year at aiarfest it was 30 or 35 k, IIRC.
Firing up rocksim now to see what it might take. This would be my first multistage (not counting Estes motors).
8) Adrian, What about a dart? Tim
8) Adrian, What about a dart? Tim
Bob isn't comfortable with them, so darts are a no-go.
Great idea for a contest, but since I utterly refuse to go to any launch with that many people, its not likely I would go to any LDRS in order to fly it. I've got the project for it, but you'll have to go to BALLS to see it fly.
Great idea for a contest, but since I utterly refuse to go to any launch with that many people, its not likely I would go to any LDRS in order to fly it. I've got the project for it, but you'll have to go to BALLS to see it fly.
Thanks, Warren. I'm thinking that Thursday or Tuesday are likely to be a lot quieter, if you're tempted. I didn't realize until last night that the launch was that many days!
Firing up rocksim now to see what it might take. This would be my first multistage (not counting Estes motors).
I'm glad to hear you're entering. Getting people like you to step up to a staged project is just what I was hoping for.
Mine isn't staged, it's just a bare-assed absolutely minimum diameter, minimum length M project on an M795 moonburner. RASAero sims it to somewhere in the vicinity of 46K. It is essentially a test flight of a longer version designed to fly on a 6XL grain 98mm motor at BALLS. All the little tricks are here - motor as coupler, main chute deployed from nose, properly designed fin fillets/strakes (visualize 10-15% of semi-span) and two very tightly packaged electronics packages - one for deployment/data-logging and the other for GPS and telemetry downlink. Currently total length of this bird is under 62". I'm also considering lathe-turning the booster airframe down a tad between the fin slots to accommodate the 3 layers of tip-to-tip layup without having a bulge. Still working out the details on that as well as cutting the fin slots.
Well, I'd go ahead and do that if I were you.
Lots of folks out there that will take you up on this challenge Adrian. And for what it's worth, there's rarely much of a wait on the away pads Warren. Kloudbusters do an absolutely awesome job hosting, even with all the extra BS from Discovery Channel crew and groupies.
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