I'll take a crack at writing down the rules, and people can modify:
Goal: The goal of the contest is to safely and successfully fly one rocket with D, E, and F motors in 2010, to the highest combined altitude for the 3 flights.
1. The rocket shall be identical for all 3 flights. The only allowable differences between the 3 flight configurations are the motors, and any necessary motor adapters. A motor adapter is not allowed for the F impulse flight.
2. The altitude for each flight shall be measured by a commercial barometric altimeter.
3. The entry fee is $20, which must be paid before the first flight. The entry fee covers one flyer for the duration of the 2010 Hi-DEF triple shot contest.
4. The three flights can be performed in any order.
5. In the event of damage during a flight that requires repair, the rocket is disqualified, and any flights leading up to the failure do not count toward future entries. The same rocket may be re-entered after repair, but the repaired rocket starts with a clean slate.
5. In the event of damage during the flight that requires repair of the rocket, the repair to the damaged portion may be performed as long as it does not change the dry mass by more than 5%. The flight that damaged the rocket does not count toward the total, but the rocket may be re-flown with the same motor.
6. Before each flight that counts toward the total, the hi-DEF triple shot contest must be noted on the flight card.
7. After a successful flight, the rocket's reported altitude will be observed by at least 2 NCR members, and the rocket's mass will be measured with the motor (and motor adapters, if necessary) unloaded. The unloaded mass must match for all three flights within 5%.
8. All flights must take place at NCR events (North site or Atlas site)
[OR]
8. All flights must take place at a Colorado rocketry event in which at least 2 NCR members are present.
Adrian,
Thanks for pulling this together.
1) is there a particular reason the F motor can't use a motor adapter? It wouldn't be efficient, but would there be any unfair advantage?
2) I agree with 5a, not 5b. Would there be another entry fee?
3) I'm not sure about restricting to NCR launch sites... I'm leaning toward any site with 2+ NCR members present to stay more in line with club altitude record procedures, whether Colorado or not.
What about altimeter failure, not rocket damage? Can the flight be remade or is it a full do-over.
These are pretty good rules. I think we should lean more toward participation than stringency. I also think these Triple Shot rules could be used for G,H,I contest as well.
Chad
Adrian,
Thanks for pulling this together.
1) is there a particular reason the F motor can't use a motor adapter? It wouldn't be efficient, but would there be any unfair advantage?
Generally, the optimal mass will be higher for the higher-impulse motors. Since we're not weighing the motor adapter when we're checking to make sure the mass is the same for each flight, someone could game the system by making a heavy "motor adapter" to improve their F shots. The same thing goes for E, I suppose, but the E6 is an obvious motor choice for everyone, and the optimal mass to fly it is really low.
Alternatively, we could include the motor adapter in the weight or just say that it's not in the spirit of the contest to make any motor adapter any heavier than it needs to be.
2) I agree with 5a, not 5b. Would there be another entry fee?
I think we should skip the extra entry fee, to reduce the chances that people will drop out if they have a failure.
3) I'm not sure about restricting to NCR launch sites... I'm leaning toward any site with 2+ NCR members present to stay more in line with club altitude record procedures, whether Colorado or not.
I would personally like that, too, since I'm planning to fly an F attempt at Hartsel regardless, so that would save me a flight. But other people may want to be able to see all the contest flights without having to go to another club's launch. I'm fine either way.
What about altimeter failure, not rocket damage? Can the flight be remade or is it a full do-over.
In the event of an altimeter failure and an undamaged rocket, (anything's possible, I guess), a do-over should be allowed.
I think we should lean more toward participation than stringency. I also think these Triple Shot rules could be used for G,H,I contest as well.
Chad
I agree.
In general, unless there is an overriding reason subject to wide discussion, consensus, probable vote at the annual meeting, and in the end, the judgment of the executive committee (President, Prefect, Contest Director, etc.), ALL contests are limited to NCR sanctioned launches.
Club altitude records are the sole exceptions to this and are limited to those venues with waivers that exceed those available at NCR venues. (eg. BALLS, XPRS, some LDRS venues, etc.) and to the Hartsel launch site of our sister TRA club, Tripoli Colorado. (Hartsel is allowed due to the very close relationship between NCR and TC and a long history of club members from both clubs flying at each others' events.)
The reasoning behind this is that the purpose of club contests is to encourage membership in NCR and promote participation at NCR launches.
Warren
Rules need to be explicit whichever way they bend. Seems as if each and every contest is different enough to warrant specific and explicit options/rules for the contest to be properly administered. If there are two or more NCR member witnesses for the flights, I don't see a problem with including the flight in a contest if the rules allow it. On the otherhand, if the contests are only open to NCR members, then maybe the flights need to be at NCR events.
I would have thought the Contest Director collects and sorts the options/possibilities and then makes a decision, in writing, as to how the contest is supposed to be done, based on criteria and common sense that is fair and reasonable. Once official rules are published - play by the rules.
Joe, could you email me your current version of alphabet contest rules so I can edit and post. The new Hi-DEF contest rules ARE posted as of yesterday and the Triple Shot (H-I-J) contest rules will be posted tonight or tomorrow. I expect the new-Icarus contest rules to be posted by the end of the week or early next week at the latest. Single Shot and Super Single Shot have been pulled down from the contest rules page and as soon as Jeremiah and I and the two new programmer volunteers can get together we will update and change the contest results page to reflect our current contests
By the way, the Contest Director (moi) did make a decision a few years ago just as you said. It's just too difficult to track contest flights made at other venues and directly goes against the concept that these contests are NCR contests intended to promote NCR membership and participation at NCR launches. Hartsel is grandfathered in just as I said due to so many of us flying there and so many members of TC flying with us. BALLS, XPRS, and other venues with waivers higher than 35K are OK because they're all about club member bragging rights.
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