Vehicle 76

The design of Vehicle 76, a sport model with payload section, is loosely based on the smaller Vehicle 9, previously covered here. Vehicle 76 was built in 1999, using various Vaughn Brothers, Estes, and Aerotech components. It utilizes plywood through-the-wall fins with a thickness of 2.3 mm. It measures 650 mm in length and 66 mm in diameter and is intended to be flown with 29 mm F and G composite motors.

The nose cone, 205 mm in length, conceals a tubular payload section with a length of 180 mm and a diameter of 42 mm. At the time, it was tailored to the altimeter I used most often, the Missile Works RRC2. The payload section is fully removable, for ease of altimeter access. The rocket is recovered by means of two silk parachutes.

Top photo shows Vehicle 76 in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2016. Lower photo was taken in Thalwil, Switzerland, after completion of the rocket in summer of 1999.

Vehicle 79 (Redux)

Vehicle 79 Dominator III ranks among my favourite rockets in my fleet. It is an uncomplicated rocket to fly, and its simple design provides a consistently impressive performance on F and G composite motors. Vehicle 79 was constructed from a variety of US Rockets and Aerotech components, featuring through-the-wall plywood fins, a custom-made aluminium baffle unit, and a payload section with a length of 315 mm. Top photo was taken at my former workshop in Thalwil, Switzerland, on November 22, 2010.

Lower photo shows Vehicle 79 on a friend's aluminium launch pad, on the occasion of our "last launch of the century", held on December 22, 1999, in northeast Switzerland. We flew our rockets from 2 to 5:30 pm; the temperature fluctuated around the freezing point. This was our seventh flight that day and thus our last flight of the launch and of the century. Vehicle 79 was powered by an Aerotech 29mm F20-7W Econojet motor. The payload flown consisted of a Missile Works RRC2 altimeter and a custom 9V piezo sonic locator. The flight was perfect and loud, and the RRC2 indicated an altitude of 1274 ft.

N Project: 4" Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Rocket, Part 1

Construction of the 4" glass fibre/carbon fibre N-motor rocket, the final of three flight vehicle designs built by our team for the BALLS 10 experimental launch held at Black Rock Desert in Nevada, in 2000. All three rockets were designed by the project's initiator, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Professor Eugene Trubowitz, who subsequently invited me to be a main partner in logistics, financing, construction, and launch.

Powered by an Aerotech N2000 motor held in a Dr. Rocket 98 mm aluminium N motor case, this 4" rocket was to comprise glass fibre lower and upper airframe sections, three carbon fibre fins, and a custom-made carbon fibre and steel nose cone. The rocket's design resulted in a length of 2336 mm and a diameter of 101 mm.

Top photo shows the very early stages of the rocket's construction at Professor Trubowitz' home, in July of 2000. The carbon fibre fins have been aligned and attached to the lower airframe section with epoxy adhesive.

The next step, undertaken at the machine shop of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, involved preparing a mould for the manufacture of laminated fillet strips. Centre photo shows these laminated fillets after attachment to the fin/airframe joint, in August 2000. One such laminated, formed fillet can be seen bottom left.

Lower photo shows Professor Trubowitz inspecting the provisional placement of the custom-made aluminium rail guide stand-off. The unfinished rocket in the foreground is the 4" aluminium/glass fibre/carbon fibre N-motor vehicle previously detailed on this blog.

Vehicle 77 Redux

A clear personal favourite in my fleet, the Enerjet Nike Ram-inspired Vehicle 77, photographed in northeast Switzerland on July 30, 1999, on the occasion of a flight powered by a 24 mm Aerotech E28-7T RMS composite motor. This flight took place in the early afternoon of a beautifully clear day, with low winds, and a temperature of around 30 degrees Celsius.

Launched off an Aerotech Mantis pad, Vehicle 77 carried a 6 volt piezo sonic locator. The rocket flew fast, very stable, and out of sight, to a computed altitude of slightly over 800 meters. The parachute deployed perfectly, but the rocket's payload section and parachute became entangled in a barn drain pipe upon landing. The tallest member of our little launch group was just able to pull it free, but the piezo sonic locator was lost during the retrieval, and the plastic parachute was damaged. Vehicle 77 itself survived in perfect condition.

A few weeks later, I replaced damaged parachute (it had likely been the wrong choice for such a rocket at any rate) with a nylon parachute by Rogue Aerospace.

Vehicle 75

Maiden flight of Vehicle 75, powered by an Aerotech E15-7W 24 mm composite motor, northeast Switzerland, July 30, 1999. The rocket was launched from an Aerotech Mantis launch pad and carried a custom 9 volt piezo sonic locator with a diameter of 31.5 mm. It was a delightfully flawless and high flight.

Vehicle 75 is purely a sport model; it measures 670 mm in length and 42 mm in diameter, weighing 124 grams. The airframe was constructed with Estes components, and it utilizes plywood through-the-wall fins. Vehicle 75 is designed to fly with D to F motors and is recovered with a nylon parachute.

Bottom photo shows Vehicle 75 in Zurich, Switzerland, in May of 2016.

High Power Research Magazine, Fall 1984

Front cover, sample page, and back cover of High Power Research Magazine, issue of fall 1984. High Power Research Magazine was printed in black and white (save for the coloured paper used for the cover pages), and it had a distinct underground fanzine feel. It was based in Cuba/OH, edited by Mike Nelson, and featured a number of individuals who were or became key figures of modern high power rocketry.

I received this particular issue as a gift from Vulcan Systems Inc., a composite motor manufacturer with whom I was corresponding at the time. For us living in Switzerland, any such publications were treasure throves of previously unknown and highly inspiring information on advanced rocketry.

This 24-page issue of High Power Research Magazine contained high power rocketry news, numerous intriguing ads by emerging rocketry companies, kit and motor reviews, coverage of a launch at Lucerne Dry Lake, further launch reports, reader's letters, and - of course - a detailed feature on Vulcan Systems Inc.

Of note, among many other things in the magazine, is a photo of a younger Gary Rosenfield of Aerotech, during the Lucerne Dry Lake launch (centre image, photo top left).

High Power Research Magazine covers and pages © by High Power Research Magazine, Cuba/OH, 1984.

N Project: 4" Aluminium/Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Rocket, Part 8

The final instalment in the series of photos depicting the various stages of the construction and launch of our 4" aluminium/glass fibre/carbon fibre N-motor rocket in autumn of 2000.

Top photo shows the smoke trail after launch on Saturday afternoon, September 30, 2000, photographed from the LCO's position. Propelled by the Aerotech N2000 motor, the vehicle literally leaped off the launch pad with astounding speed. The rocket ascended perfectly straight and stable, and the scattered smoke trail was thus caused by the range of winds at various altitudes over the Black Rock desert. Our team had previously calculated an approximate peak speed or Mach 2.2 and an approximate peak altitude of 10 kilometres.

A few moments after launch, however, two bangs could be heard from above, and observers further away saw the motor case fly through a cloud of debris and continue upward, still under power. At around two kilometres of altitude, as the rocket accelerated within the supersonic speed range, the glass fibre section of the airframe failed where it was connected to the motor case and electronics bay. The motor case with its welded aluminium fins subsequently continued a fairly stable flight to apogee.

The lower four photos show the recovered remnants of months of design, work, and financing. Almost all parts of the rocket were found, and we were thus able to reconstruct and confirm the sequence of events. As previously noted in this series, the electronics bay assembly was likely too delicate for the aerodynamic loads to be encountered.

The high-speed break-up shredded parts of the glass fibre airframe section and even sheared off a large section of the carbon fibre nose cone. It was difficult to determine how much of the damage at the top of the motor case was caused by the break-up and how much by the motor case's subsequent impact on the hard surface dry lake.

All electronics as well as the Rocketman drogue and main parachutes were damaged beyond repair. At least two of the aerodynamic fillets covering the aluminium welds were devoid of paint, indicating strong movement and stress, likely caused by the impact on the ground.

In spite of this dramatic result of the flight, I felt the entire effort was well worth it. Not only did it amount to a significant gain of theoretical and practical knowledge, it also was an experience to last a lifetime.

The next day, Sunday, October 1, 2000, would see our team launching the sister ship, the 4" glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket.

Vehicle 57

First flight of Vehicle 57 Mimas, powered by an Aerotech E30-4T composite motor. The rocket carried a Transolve Ultra-Beep sonic beacon.

After an initial misfire upon ignition, the ascent portion of the flight was perfect. But upon parachute ejection, the payload section separated due to an attachment point failure. The main section of the rocket was recovered intact, the payload section and payload were found with some damage, and the nose cone was lost. Vehicle 57 was later fully repaired and still exists to this day.

Vehicle 57 measured 1070 mm in length and 56 mm to 42 mm in diameter, at a weight (without motor) of 131 grams. It was built in April and May of 1986, from Centuri, Estes, and Flight Systems parts.

Photos by Erol Ünala (top) and Daniel Zingg (bottom), northeast Switzerland, June 17, 1999.

N Project: 4" Aluminium/Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Rocket, Part 7

Top and second from top: in order to access and activate the BlackSky AltAcc recording accelerometers in the electronics bay on the erected rocket, we had to resort to driving one of our rental cars as closely as possible to the launch pad. This makeshift platform enabled Marco Schenker to turn on the electronics and confirm their operation. Dave Triano of Shadow Composites can be seen preparing the igniter (top photo, right).

Centre: with the rocket thus ready for launch, Dave inserts the igniter into the Aerotech N2000 motor.

The final photo shows a look back at the rocket waiting for the launch command on the pad, as our team receded to safety.

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

Top photo shows team members Eugene Trubowitz, Dejan Romancuk, and Marco Schenker weighing the fully flight-ready 4" aluminium/glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket at the BALLS launch director's position. The rocket and its N2000 motor came in at 17.1 kilograms. This weight also included the ejection charges, recovery system, and altimeter batteries.

After the weight check, the submission of the required papers, and a visual inspection, we were cleared to take the rocket out to the launch pads. The bottom photo shows Dave Triano of Shadow Composites (second from right) assisting us in inserting the rocket into guide rail of the launch pad.

Vehicle 9

First flight of Vehicle 9 on a conservative Estes D12-5 black powder motor, launched from an Aerotech Mantis launch pad, northeast Switzerland, May 28, 1999. This was a perfect flight to a Rocksim-computed altitude of approximately 380 meters. Due to wind drift, the rocket was initially lost after parachute deployment. Fortunately, we found it later that day, by chance.

The unashamedly Estes Astron Goblin inspired Vehicle 9 has a length of 414 mm and a diameter of 42 mm, with 2.5 mm balsa wood fins. It was built from Estes parts and is intended for 24 mm D and E motors.

Top photo taken by Erol Ünala; lower photo shows Vehicle 9 in Zurich, Switzerland, on June 7, 2016.

Vehicle 39

The very first rocket ever featured in this blog, Vehicle 39 A Enigma, photographed on the occasion of a return to the location of its first flight in northeast Switzerland, on June 17, 1999, 13 years after the event.

Vehicle 39 was launched on an Aerotech E15-7W composite motor, from an Aerotech Mantis launch pad. The Mantis had originally been developed by Enertek, a company established in the late 1980s by Centuri's Lee Piester, together with Gary Rosenfield, Bill Stine, and Paul Hans. Unfortunately, Enertek failed to get off the ground, so to speak, and this truly versatile launch pad design (along with other items) later resurfaced a an Aerotech product. As with all of my launch pads, I added a slanted umbilical mast to my Mantis, in order to attach the ignition wires and thus reduce the weight which often threatens to pull the ignitor out of the motor.

Vehicle 39's flight was perfect, as was the deployment of the booster and payload section parachutes. The rocket carried two Estes Transroc II sonic beacons.

Photography by Erol Ünala.

N Project: 4" Aluminium/Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Rocket, Part 5

Top: final pre-launch work at our BALLS X launch preparation area out on Black Rock dry lake, on Saturday, September 30, 2000. Marco Schenker (left), a friend from our teenage model rocket days, is holding the N2000 motor before insertion into the Dr. Rocket motor case which doubled as the lower airframe of the 4" aluminium/glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket.

Second photo from top: the author of this blog, inserting the greased N2000 motor while Marco Schenker is holding the motor case. Team member Erol Ünala (left) is filming the procedure.

Third photo from top: our esteemed friend and US partner Dave Triano of Shadow Composites (left) and project initiator Professor Eugene Trubowitz (second from left) are seen preparing to seal the motor case with the forward closure. Team members Marco Schenker and Erol Ünala are looking on.

Bottom: Eugene Trubowitz securing the upper airframe to the loaded lower airframe section. Team members Marcel Busse (left), Marco Schenker (right) and Dejan Romancuk (far right) are standing by to assist.

Second photo from the top by Zane Reed Johnson; all other photos by the author of this blog.

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

Top: the near completed 4" aluminium/glass fibre/carbon fibre N-motor rocket, photographed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, in late September of 2000, the week of the launch. The rocket was then placed and secured in a flight case, together with its 4" glass fibre/carbon fibre sister ship, and flown to Reno, Nevada. After spending a couple of day purchasing additional tools and supplies in Reno, we transferred the rockets and support equipment into cars and, on September 29, 2000, proceeded to Gerlach, Nevada, at the edge of the Black Rock desert/dry lake.

Centre: securing the attachments of the recovery system before installing the BlackSky AltAcc recording accelerometers at one of our rooms at the generously named Bruno's Country Club in Gerlach, September 29, 2000.

Bottom: the Aerotech N2000 motor before installation in the motor case, photographed at our BALLS X launch preparation area out on the dry lake, on Saturday, September 30, 2000.

Vaughn Brothers Rocketry EX-18

Vaughn Brothers EX-18 two-stage minimum-diameter model rocket (intended for 18 mm motors), photographed on an Aerotech Mantis launch pad in Thalwil, Switzerland, in May of 1999.

The EX-18's high-performance design was vaguely reminiscent of Centuri's equally striking two-stage Stiletto model rocket, but the Vaughn Brothers kit was rather more basic in its contents (evident already by the plain face card), in spite of containing advanced materials in the shape of glass fibre fins and Kevlar shock cord. The result was a beautifully immaculate, robust rocket, however.

Vaughn Brothers RK-019 EX-18 face card © by Vaughn Brothers Rocketry , scanned from my actual kit.

Vehicle 69 With Estes AstroCam 110

Photo flights using Vehicle 69 with a standard Estes AstroCam 110 forward-looking aerial camera, northeast Switzerland, June 17, 1999. The rocket was flown three times that day; all flights were flawless and stable and returned one analogue photo each. In addition to the camera, the payload also included an Estes Transroc II sonic beacon to facilitate locating the rocket after landing.

The launches were conducted from one of the formidable Aerotech Mantis launch pads. The first flight utilized an Aerotech E15-7W single-use composite motor, the second was conducted with an Estes D12-7 black-powder motor. Vehicle 69's final photo flight of the day made use of an Aerotech D13-7W RMS reloadable composite motor. The rocket was initially lost upon recovery; we only managed to find it after a lengthy search.

The red hue visible on the right in the aerial shot is an old school analogue photo development artefact. Top photo shows Vehicle 69 in Thalwil, Switzerland, on June 8, 1999.

Last Launch Of The Century, Part 2

Late afternoon maiden flight of the newly completed Vehicle 81 C Into The Pandemonium during our "last launch of the century", northeast Switzerland, December 22, 1999. Vehicle 81 C was the third variation of a design originally sketched in late summer of 1999, and the first version to actually be built. It measured 1173 mm in length and 66 mm in diameter, and it was powered for this flight by an Aerotech G35-7W Econojet 29 mm composite motor.

The payload carried in the nose cone compartment was a Missile Works RRC2 altimeter for passive altitude determination. The flight was extremely stable and near flawless, and so was the recovery sequence, using Rogue Aerospace and Top Flight parachutes. Minor damage suffered by the rocket at parachute ejection and touch-down was subsequently repaired.