N Project: 6" Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Rocket, Part 4

Final construction activities on the 6" glass fibre/carbon fibre N-motor rocket at what was then the machine shop of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, in September 2000.

Top photo shows the author of this blog (left) and Professor Eugene Trubowitz after the first full assembly of the still unpainted 6" (152 mm) rocket. The length of the rocket was 3000 mm. The design of the rocket provided for the integration of the Dr. Rocket N2000 98 mm aluminium motor case as a load-bearing structure. The release of the Rocketman drogue and main parachutes was to be guided by a BlackSky AltAcc recording accelerometer with dual deployment. The rocket was expected to exceed a speed of Mach 1.

Centre photo: the three rockets of the Balls 2000 N project assembled and displayed together for the first time. They were subsequently transported to an automotive paint shop we had contracted. Far left is the 4" glass fibre/carbon fibre/aluminium rocket, second is the 4" glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket, and far right is 6" glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket.

Bottom photo depicts concluding work on the freshly painted 6" rocket. Only the main body of the rocket was painted, the carbon fibre fins and carbon fibre/steel nose cone were deliberately left unpainted. In order to precisely drill the necessary mounting holes and access ports for the internal altimeter bay (to be installed last), the rocket has been temporarily wrapped with a large-scale, custom printed template.

All three rockets were shipped to the Black Rock Desert in late September of 2000. A number of circumstances during the preparation for the launch resulted in time constraints, however, limiting our team to only launching the two 4" vehicles of the project, while the 6" rocket remained unlaunched at the time.

N Project: 6" Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Rocket, Part 3

Construction progress on the 6" glass fibre/carbon fibre N-motor rocket at the old machine shop of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, in September 2000.

Top photo shows project initiator and designer Professor Eugene Trubowitz preparing glass fibre components for installation in the upper airframe section, which has just been cut to length. Same image as well as centre photo provide views of the magnificent custom-made 6" carbon fibre nose cone.

Lower picture depicts one of many test-fittings of the recovery system with deployment bags.

N Project: 6" Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Rocket, Part 2

Further images illustrating the construction of the 6" glass fibre/carbon fibre N-motor rocket designed for the BALLS 10 experimental launch at Black Rock Desert in Nevada, in 2000.

Top photo shows Professor Trubowitz test-fitting an aft metal flange to the 98 mm Dr. Rocket N2000 aluminium motor case at what was then the Leonhardstrasse machine shop of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, in September 2000.

Lower two photos show the main carbon and glass fibre components of the rocket laid out after the installation of the fin unit and before cutting the upper airframe section to length.

N Project: 6" Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Rocket, Part 1

Detail shots of the carbon fibre/glass fibre fin unit destined for the 6" glass fibre/carbon fibre N-motor rocket constructed for the BALLS 10 experimental launch held at Black Rock Desert in Nevada, in 2000. The fin unit was designed by the project's initiator, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Professor Eugene Trubowitz.

Top photo shows trial assembly of the fin unit components in Zurich, Switzerland, in June 2000. Second picture, taken at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in July 2000, shows the fin unit components epoxied and fitted with laminated fin joint reinforcements.

Bottom photo shows finished fin unit epoxied into 6" glass fibre booster section of the rocket. Also visible are the integral fin unit access ports and the epoxy joints inside the booster section. To the right of the 6" rocket lies the aluminum booster section of the N-Project's 4" aluminium/glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket. The welds joining the aluminium fins to the booster section have been faired with as of yet unsanded fillets.

Black Rock Desert N Project

The three rockets of the N project, photographed at what was then the Leonhardstrasse 21 machine shop of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, in September 2000. From left: 4" aluminium/glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket, 4" glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket, and, behind it, 6" glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket. All three rockets were designed to be powered by Aerotech N2000 composite motors in Dr. Rocket 98 mm aluminium motor cases.

The N project was conceived by Professor of mathematics Eugene Trubowitz, who generously invited me to be a main partner in this extraordinary endeavour. We were supported by a fantastic team of friends as well as Federal Institute of Technology students. Two of the rockets were eventually launched during the BALLS 10 launch at Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA, in September and October of 2000.