Make: High-Power Rockets

Table of contents

1. Preface
   1. Conventions Used in This Book
   2. Using Designs
   3. O’Reilly Online Learning
   4. How to Contact Us
   5. Acknowledgments
2. 1. Mid- and High-Power Rocketry
   1. What Is High-Power Rocketry?
      1. Rocket Motors by Total Impulse
      2. Rocket Motor Labels
      3. Low-Power Rocketry
      4. Mid-Power Rocketry
      5. High-Power Rocketry
      6. Amateur Rocketry
   2. Joining a Club
   3. The Flight of a Typical High-Power Rocket
3. 2. The Level 1 Rocket
   1. Should You Build This Rocket?
      1. One Rocket for Level 1 and 2?
      2. Cost per Flight
      3. Rocket Kits
   2. Designing High-Power Rockets
      1. Choosing a Simulator
      2. Getting Started with OpenRocket
      3. Simulating Flight
4. 3. The Level 1 Rocket Continued
   1. Parts and Tools
      1. Where to Buy Parts
      2. A Detailed Walk-Through of the Parts List
      3. A Detailed Walk-Through of the Tools and Supplies
   2. Building the Rocket
      1. Cutting the Fins
      2. Cutting the Payload Tube and Motor Mount Tube
      3. Installing the Motor Mount and Shock Cord
      4. Installing the Fins
      5. Adding Launch Lugs and Rail Buttons
      6. Installing the Aft Centering Ring and Motor Retainer
      7. Installing the Quick Links
      8. Building the Payload Bay
   3. Painting Callisto
   4. Tuning the Simulation
5. 4. The Level 1 Certification Flight: Preparations
   1. Getting Ready
      1. Following the Rules
      2. Preparing the Paperwork
   2. The Importance of Checklists
   3. The Level 1 Motor
      1. Buying a Motor
      2. Building the AeroTech H128W-M
      3. Building the Cesaroni H163-14A
      4. Preparing the AeroTech H135W-14A
6. 5. The Level 1 Certification Flight: Launch
   1. Launch Day!
      1. What to Take
      2. The Safety Code
      3. What to Expect at the Launch Site
      4. Preparing the Rocket
      5. The Flight
      6. Cleaning the Motors
      7. Disposing of a Motor or Ejection Charge Material
7. 6. The Level 2 Rocket
   1. Deimos: A Plastic Level 2 Rocket
      1. Deimos Simulation Files
      2. Building Deimos
   2. Phobos: A Fiberglass Level 2 Rocket
      1. Some Thoughts on Fiberglass Rockets
      2. Cutting Fiberglass
      3. Building Phobos
   3. Flying Deimos and Phobos Using Single Deployment
      1. Motor Adapters
      2. What About the Shear Pins?
8. 7. Altimeters and Dual Deploy with Cable Cutters
   1. What Is Dual Deploy?
   2. Choosing an Altimeter
   3. Shear Pins
   4. Cable Cutters
   5. Building an Altimiter Sled
   6. Finding Altimeter Vent Hole Sizes
   7. Modifying Deimos or Phobos for Dual Deploy
   8. Picking the Size for Recovery Charges
      1. Predicting the Recovery Charge Size
      2. Testing Recovery Charges
   9. The Dual-Deploy Flight
9. 8. Dual Deploy with a Drogue and Main Parachute
   1. What Will You Need
   2. How Dual Deploy with Two Parachutes Works
   3. Converting Deimos for Dual Deploy
      1. Building the Electronics Bay
      2. Building the Second Parachute Bay
      3. Installing the Electronics
      4. Testing the Ejection Charge
   4. Flying a Dual-Deploy Rocket
10. 9. Selecting Parachutes
    1. General Rules for Recovery
    2. Packing Size
    3. Parachute Rocket Science
       1. The Energy of a Falling Body
       2. Parachute Aerodynamics
11. 10. Tracking Your Rocket
    1. Sonic Devices
    2. Directional Radios
    3. GPS
       1. What You Need
       2. Software
       3. Flying with the TeleMega
       4. Other GPS Solutions
12. 11. The Level 2 Exam
    1. Rocketry and the Law
       1. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
       2. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE, Often Shortened to ATF)
       3. The Department of Transportation (DOT)
       4. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
       5. The National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and the Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA)
    2. Motor Construction
    3. Igniters
       1. Clustering Motors
    4. Testing Rocket Stability
    5. The Level 2 Test
13. 12. The Level 3 Certification Process
    1. Prerequisites
    2. Project Requirements
    3. Your Certification Team
    4. The Engineering Package
       1. Introduction
       2. Construction
       3. Recovery
       4. Stability Evaluation
       5. Flight Profile
       6. Checklists
    5. Building Your Rocket
    6. Flight Day
14. 13. A Level 3 Rocket
    1. Ganymede
    2. Building Ganymede
       1. Cutting and Collecting the Fiberglass Parts
       2. Assembling the Booster
       3. Avionics Bay Construction
       4. Upper Parachute Bay Construction
       5. Shear Pin Holes
       6. Building the Shock Cords
       7. Installing Computers
       8. Ejection Charges
       9. Selecting Parachutes
    3. Flying Ganymede
       1. The Motor
       2. Checklists
15. 14. New Heights
    1. National Events
16. A. Places to Buy Stuff or Find Information
    1. Model Rocket Parts and Supplies
       1. Aero Pack, Inc.
       2. AeroTech Consumer Aerospace
       3. Altus Metrum
       4. Apogee Components
       5. Balsa Machining Service
       6. Cesaroni Technology Incorporated
       7. Estes Industries
       8. Featherweight Altimeters LLC
       9. Fruity Chutes
       10. Hobby Lobby
       11. LOC Precision
       12. Madcow Rocketry
       13. Missile Works
       14. PerfectFlite
       15. Prairie Twister Rocketry
       16. Pratt Hobbies, Inc.
       17. Public Missiles Ltd.
       18. Quest Aerospace
       19. Wildman Rocketry
    2. Clubs and Information Websites
       1. Author’s Website
       2. OpenRocket
       3. Rocket Reviews
       4. The Rocketry Forum
       5. ThrustCurve.org
    3. General Supplies and Hardware
       1. Ace Hardware
       2. Bolt Depot
       3. Country Brook Design
       4. Home Depot
       5. Lowes
       6. JoAnn Fabric Store
       7. OnlineMetals.com
17. B. High-Power Rocket Safety Codes
    1. National Association of Rocketry High-Power Rocket Safety Code
    2. Tripoli Rocketry Association Safety Code for High-Power Rocketry
18. Glossary
19. Index
20. About the Author