N Project: 4" Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Rocket, Part 3

Top photo: Professor Eugene Trubowitz is examining one of the fresh arrived Rocketman parachutes at the machine shop of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, in late summer of 2000. All three rockets of the N project used Rocketman main und drogue parachutes.

Second photo from top: the two custom threaded forward closures of the Dr. Rocket 98 mm aluminium motor cases used for the two 4" rockets of the project. We were very fortunate to be granted to use the tool machines of the Institute for any such special modifications required in the course of our project.

Lower two photos: first trail assembly of the electronics compartment for the 4" glass fibre/carbon fibre rocket. The design of the electronics compartments for both 4" rockets was identical. The mounting base for the electronics thus consisted of an aluminium ring/shoulder, screwed to the modified forward closure. This arrangement further provided a mounting point for the glass upper airframe section.

The circular white insulation foam disc was intended to shield the electronics from the head emitted by the subjacent N2000 composite motor. Again, four threaded steel rods served to hold four custom- made aluminium mounting bridges, to which the two BlackSky AltAcc dual deployment recording accelerometers would subsequently be attached.

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 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.

N Project: 4" Aluminium/Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Rocket, Part 3

Detail work on the 4" aluminium/glass fibre/carbon fibre N-motor rocket, at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, in September of 2000. Following the application of black and red paint to the rocket at an automotive paint shop, we began assembling the electronics compartment. The main mounting base for the electronics consisted of an aluminium centering ring and shoulder, screwed to the modified and threaded forward closure of the aluminium N2000 motor case. This construction also served at the mounting point for the glass upper airframe section.

The second photo from the top shows Professor Eugene Trubowitz during a test assembly of the upper airframe section to the lower half of the rocket with the still empty electronics compartment. A piece of white insulation foam can be seen on the aluminium centering ring; this was designed to shield the electronics from the head emitted by the motor.

Threaded steel rods then served to hold four custom-made aluminium mounting bridges, to which we attached the two BlackSky AltAcc dual deployment recording accelerometers. The AltAccs were intended to trigger the release of the Rocketman main und drogue parachutes.

Moreover, the threaded steel rods also provided the mounting points for the sealable aluminium top bulkhead/shoulder, which, in turn, held the two pyrotechnic release modules and the aluminium recovery system strap retainer bars. The entire assembly was beautiful and tidy, but, in hindsight, perhaps a bit too delicate for the loads it would encounter.

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.