The introduction of the Alphabet contest was popular enough to warrant a repeat, especially since the Prize Pot won by John Wilke will be converted/rolled over to a 3 Dogs Rocketry $300.00 Gift Certificate and primer for the kitty this year. Thank you John Wilke!! This contest stresses reliability and maximum performance as a tie breaker. Participants will be using the same rules for this contest as in 2009 with the addition of one caveat – any and all rockets used by a competitor have to have been personally built by the entrant (group project built rockets not allowed). Entry fee remains the same - $20.00 to participate this year. Pay entry fee to the contest administrator – Joe Hinton.
• Prize to be the sum of entry fees and 3 Dogs Rocketry coupon.
• $20.00 entry fee per person. No contest entries accepted after close of waiver Monday, May 31st, 2010.
• Over the course of the year, entrant to launch (NCR sponsored launch dates only) and successfully recover declared contest rocket(s). Successful recovery based on integrity of flown rocket(s) for immediate Return to Flight status (NO field repairs allowed excluding less than one inch of airframe zipper).
• Any and all rockets used by entrant must have been personally built by entrant - Group project built rockets not allowed.
• Rocket(s) to be powered by any commercially available motor(s) only, in designated motor class type, according to the Alphabet, flown in the proper sequence [any A motor, any B motor, any C motor, etc.] starting with A class.
• Maximum impulse available for each letter class could factor in contest tie breaker.
• Clusters and/or staging of the same motor class is optional and allowed. However, all included motors must light to count as a successful launch. For this contest, mixing motor classes is not allowed in clusters and/or staging.
• Each contest flight must be declared prior to ignition.
• Rocket must be recovered and presented for Return to Flight status verification prior to close of waiver on day of declared flight(s).
• Once a rocket has been flown and verified a successful recovery (two NCR club member witnesses) for each motor class, entrant moves up to next designated motor class/letter.
• At the time an entrant’s rocket is determined to be unsuccessfully flown (igniter misfires excepted) and/or unsuccessfully recovered, entrant must start the motor class letter progression over again from A.
• Participant who successfully achieves the most powerful letter of the alphabet flown and successfully recovered by the end of the contest year (February 7th, 2010- January 1st, 2011) wins.
• In the event of a letter (Motor class) tie, the participant that achieved the highest motor class with the accumulated greatest impulse used wins. In the unlikely event a second tie breaker is needed, the first participant that achieved the highest motor class with the accumulated greatest impulse used wins.
• Accumulated altitude of flights flown is optional.
Looks good, Joe - though I have a comment and a suggestion...
First, to clarify things, the 3 Dogs Rocketry gift certificate is $300. That was what was in the kitty last year, and I am indeed rolling that over.
My suggestion is that we add ONE more rule, and that is that a qualifying flight follows the cert rules (if you break the waiver, you fail. If you tumble recover, even though the rocket is fine, that is a failure, etc.) We had a number of flights last year - including at least one of mine - that would have DQ'd the flyer if they had been trying to certify. Seems like a good addition to the rules?
John Wilke
In the spirit of good competiton your proposed rule is a good suggestion but let's leave that up to the decision of the flyer. There have been many times when flights were capable of Return to Flight status that did not meet the rigourous standards of certification and the candidate had to try again. This is still supposed to be a fun contest. The pathway in the pursuit of excellance has enough challenges.
Last year, there were several contestants that had a great chance of winning if not for unfortunate circumstances yet those were odds and possibilities that everyone had to include in their calculations. Or should have. This year, the challenge has the same possible pitfalls - weather, fire bans, waiver limitations, other obligations of time, energy and resources.
Contests involve risks and opportunities and a little bit of luck. Let's see what happens.
But I will edit my article and previous entry to reflect the change from non-descript Coupon to a $300.00 Gift Certificate.
I'm guilty of a tumble recovery, and I agree that in keeping with the idea behind the contest (reliability) this should be disqualified. Unless of course that's the "designed" recovery method. The only other thing I would like to see is the second tie breaker being whoever got recycled the least number of times. There again reliability. Either way I'm in.
How about for the highest impulse total rule be changed to a combined highest impulse in each motor class used. That way if someone always flew 90% impulse motors A-M and someone flew 90% A-L and then an 80% M the person with the 90% M would have the edge.
Edward
So did anyone start climbing the ladder in February?
Art
I did, so did a few others. I went A through G back to A. My G flight separation at apogee. I'll be back at it in April.
Ron
Ok guys, we have three launches left at the North Site this year. What's the scoop with the Alphabet Contest? Who wants to challenge me? 😉 I know your out there Chad, I know you want the prize 🙂
Yeah, but I'll have to get my Level 3 to get past L.
K-bird is ready, and it can fly an L... but I'll have to do my magic at the November launch. I'll keep you honest, but probably won't challenge you this year.
I am up to L but I have not flown the M yet. I have an M arranged for Oktoberfest but I am not sure if I will fly it 😉
Just kidding, of course I will fly it! Keep me honest or be the first to take my place when my bird goes crashing to the ground, knock, knock knock.
Art
You have a Challenger. 😀
I too have completed my L motor and am planning an M shot at O'Fest.
This will be my L3 attempt as well as an Alpha Bet shot. 8)
Wanna Drag Race?
Not sure how the tie breaker works, you may want to bring an N rocket too. 😉
I am looking for a second Tap for my L3 attempt, JW being the 1st.
Interested? I would be obliged.
I will be your second TAP. I don't have an N motor so it looks like it is either going to be a tie or one of us is going to be crashing a rocket, let's hope it will be a tie. If it is a tie I think it comes down to who has flown the most newtons right Joe? Dennis, what L did you fly and what M are you going to fly?
Ok, so it was an L777WW, what K did you fly?
Thanks Art! For being my 2nd TAP.
The K650RR listed on the launch log is incorrect.
The correct motor was an AMW K605RR.
I was leading in total newton seconds after K. 😀
Your L2200MG (99.6% L motor) put you on top. 🙁
Right now I have fiqured you to be leading by 394.4 Ns. 😡
My plan for my Alpha Bet M and level 3 cert is an AMW 1350WW.
A baby M more suited for the L3 cert flight than a Alpha Bet tie breaker.
This has been the plan from the begining and I am sticking to it.
I am kind of showing my hand, but it is late in the game and just you and me left. Call ❗
What M are you flying ❓ Any one will do. If it comes back in one piece.
The Cert flight is my top priority and I hope we don't have to use the tiebreaker on "L". Come on Rain
Wow, so I was really nervous there for a few seconds and actually, I am going to show my hand here as well. I am planning an M1297W (5,417 newtons as best I can tell). I was nervous because I was pretty sure that you were going to beat me in the tie breaker by flying a bigger “M” but you still fall just behind me *if* we both fly successfully. IF
This is a tricky game, the winner will not be determined until the end. You have me on the edge of my seat sir, something I was not hoping to do but my hat is off and if you take the prize then you will certainly deserve it! As Chad would say, “I will keep you honest” though should you take the prize.
🙂
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