Sunday 30 October 2016

N Project: 4" Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Rocket, Part 2



Further images depicting the construction of the 4" glass fibre/carbon fibre N-motor rocket built for the BALLS 10 experimental launch held at Black Rock Desert in Nevada, in 2000. Top photo shows the custom made carbon fibre 4" nose cone with glass shoulder and steel tip. This beautifully immaculate cone was manufactured by Swiss Composite, based on calculations by Professor Eugene Trubowitz.

Centre photo shows Professor Trubowitz working on the rocket while we were performing a first trial assembly of the full (but still incomplete and unpainted) vehicle at the machine shop of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. Components of the other two rockets of the N project can be seen to the right: the red and silver 4" aluminium/glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket with its welded aluminium fins and, at lower right, a section of the carbon fibre fin can of the 6" glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket.

Lower photo shows the 4" glass fibre/carbon fibre N-motor rocket erected vertically for the first time, in mid-September of 2000. The red Dr. Rocket N2000 98 mm aluminium motor case can be faintly seen through the lower glass fibre airframe section. The steel tip of the nose cone is provisionally held in place by masking tape; it would later be secured internally by means of threaded steel rod.

No comments :

Post a Comment