The NSL is fast approaching.  Reminiscent of days far gone past, The Rush Valley Pony Express Station will live again to host wayward travelers from parts unknown. Only this time the only weapons allowed will be checked by the RSO.  Known today as the Pony Express Test Range (PETR), the Utah Rocket Club (UROC) will host an all out assault on the skies above Rush Valley.  In preparation, I plan to assemble a sport replica missile of the Russian Air-to-Surface missile, Kh-31, and a build from scratch a 4" diameter dual deployment V2.

Hellfre 7 will be held September 14-16, 2001 on the Bonneville Salt Flats. To me this is rocket nirvana. Wide open go for it kinda launching.  I'll be sure to launch most everything I have. If I find time this Summer I plan to upscale a Quest Aurora TR3 model rocket kit to 4" diameter high power.

Only time will tell if I can build and test it in time for Hellfire. Stay tuned!

Parts and thoughts come together to create flying low and high power rockets. I hope to have a few parts together in time for these upcoming launches.

I am planning an entry in the Sport Scale Level 1 competetion at the NSL2001 which I have named "Kryponite".   It is a scaled down version of a Russian KH-31 guided air-to-surface missile. The idea for the upscale came from a Launch Pad Rockets kit - "Krypton". The month of May and the NSL is fast approaching with little work begun on construction. I have been busy collecting the parts and materials needed for construction. A large amount of hand crafting will be required to achieve the detail necessary on this bird.  This missile has a design history dating back to the early 1960's.  Information about the history and size have been hard to obtain since the riginal design and manufacture was based in Russia. 

Launch pad Rockets, Kh-31 "Krypton"

Russian Zvezda Kh-31            Boeing XM-31

 

A second project in the works I hope to have for NSL is a 4" diameter dual deployment V2.  I found the plans on the web, "4" V2 and I knew I had to build this one. This one is totally a scratch built assembly with a twist. The typical limitation of a small V2 rocket is the small area available for recovery components. I just have to do things the hard way so I wanted to build this V2 with dual recovery compartments. The originial plans were followed except the V2 has been modified to fit an Olsen M2 altimeter and segmented to two compartments for the chutes. At only 36 inches this one should rock steady to over a mile and back close to home. 
 
 

I now have all the parts cut sanded and ready for practice fitting. The tubes are glassed/sanded and primed. I assembled and epoxied the motor mount into the tail section.  Fins are next.

See the 2V2 Project page for all the details

AURORA 4.0 Up-Scale

I have been dreaming about this one for a while now. Wouldn't it be great to have a large glider ride up on a four inch booster. The glider alone is tricky - but why not.  All the kit parts have been measured and assembled in RocSim. Most of the parts have been ordered. I had Kelli at work scan the 1:1 drawing of the balsa parts for the glider. Then rescaled it up 405%. 

Days and nights have passed as work consumes the inner desire to build and create Aurora 4.0. Finally, the urge has hit - is it because the challenge is on with Hellfire 7 so close?

See the construction update on Aurora 4.0.