Drag racing? With a twist?

Morning all!

Anyone fancy a nice and cheap competition over the christmas break sometime? Something a little different from the norm? How about Model Rocket Drag racing?

The rules are simple:

1. The model rocket can be home built, a kit, or ready built model.
   
2. No RC is allowed
   
3. Model MUST remain in one piece for the entire flight.
   
4. It must be powered by a SINGLE Estes rocket motor (no larger than "C" class)
   
5. For a flight to be valid, the landing/recovery/crash must be in the same field as the launch
   

And that is it! The competition is either all launch at once, and the last one down wins, or the launch individually, and the longest flight wins.

The models are REALLY easy and quick to build, just a bit of card tube, some balsa fins, some foam/balsa nose cone and a streamer/parachute recovery device. The motors are nice and cheap (£5 for 3 for the smaller ones, I can supply them for a beer or two ) I have the launch equipment that everyone is welcome to use, so there is no expensive outlay needed either The only thing we need is someone to keep the times, soem rockets, and a day where the wind is not howling (although even that is not a must!)...

Anyone interested?

Cheers
Andy

Thank God for that I thought we had to dress like you in your avatar and run across the field

yeah count me in always a good laff when we play rocket science, I`ll order a kit now!

M

MArvellous!

Two entrants a competition doth make!

If you are shopping for bits and bobs, or kits etc, this place here: http://www.modelrockets.co.uk/shop/index.php are pretty good! If you want the full monty, launch controller, launch pad, and model rocket (pre built), look for the Estes Starter sets. You can pick them up for around £20 or so, and they work fine. Or, just buy the rocket kit, and use my launch pad/controller!

The Alpha 3 is a nice little mover on a C class motor...

Are you going to have a shot Brian? Just to show how cheap it can be, this sort of model would be VERY competitive on the flight duration side of things, all for £8! http://www.modelrockets.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=74_23&products_id=2690 All you need to do then, is add some motors (£6 or so for 3 flights)....

Cheers
Andy

I think not Andy I've seen you perform remember. Might just turnout in my tin hat and go out in the trenches as a judge on the day

We have an official timekeeper then!

Cheers
Andy

Good news guys!

We have a (small) prize for the winner Steve (of Steve Webb's models fame) has kindly offered a Multiplex/Steve Webb Models Fox chuck glider for the winner See here: http://www.rcmf.co.uk/4um/index.php?topic=68110

So, now you even have a small incentive to join in, and the Fox makes a wicked little RC conversion too (I'm really going to overuse this afro smiley soon!)

Cheers
Andy

shhhhhhhhhhhhh

Any idea of when it might take place so I can get me one of em ordered and put togeather?

i think the idea was to video the flight mel. unless it could be held at this years club fun day???

Ah, thanks for that leigh at least it gives me time to get something built now.

got some cutting done last night, after a little setting up the parts produces are spot on. very accurate.

building shall commence very soon!!!

Now I must admit it looks pretty good where did you get the cutting done then locally was it.

was thinking that maybe a hardwood block should be fitted into the wing where the wing bolts on

it was cut very locally, and cant fault the quality. started to assemble last night. ive got a man cold so i sat myself in front of the fire. is shaping up nicely. il get a pic up soon.

Is it a one off or are there kits to be had

Not wanting to give you another heart attack but you may have to pay, you'll have to speak to the designer, it's patented

Happy New Year when it gets here

Had some test flights of my entry on New Years Day. Uisng a cut down parachute (to windy to risk the full size one, it would drift for miles!) the flight times were not bad on the small motors, and way out of sight on the bigger C class motors!

I need to twaek my design a bit (more nose weight) for the big motors to get the maximum altitude, but I'm going to need a windless day to make sure it lands in the same county!

Cheers
Andy

PS. I'm really looking forward to seeing this creation of Leighs fly!

Here's a quick video of one of the test launches of my entry. Unfortunately the parachute deployment failed, and the flight was only about 25 seconds long For some reason the nose cone got stuck, instead of popping off, the build up of pressure in the model resulted in the motor popping out instead, turning it into a (a very poor!) glider! It wouldn't have been a valid entry, mainly because the motor popped out.

The slow motion bit at the end is quite interesting!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-GlEpzT6O80

Cheers
Andy