sKarper is the rocket I built to take to XPRS and BALLS 2006 it was built to be launched on commercial and research motors. Mixing your own solid propellant in the UK is illegal, however over the years we have made friends with many US rocketeers and for BALLS 2006 we mix some of our own propellant with the aid of someone who has tried and tested recipes and plenty of experience to keep us right.
Construction
The body was 54mm glassed phenolic tube, minimum diameter
The nosecome is a standard PML nosecone
The fins are made from G11 fiberglass
Flight History
1. Rocket was flown at XPRS at Blackrock Desert in Sept 2006, it was flown on a K350 Loki motor which was kindly given to me by Scott Miller of SFSM Industries. I have lost the altitude data for this flight but it deployed safely and was recovered quickly.
2. Rocket was flown at BALLS at Blackrock Desert in Oct 2006, it was flown on a homemade PPE Motor which was approximately a J334. The motor worked perfectly and the rocket seperated at apogee as planned the rocket was recovered safely. I got no altitude data for this flight.
3. Rocket was flown at BALLS at Blackrock Desert in Oct 2006, it was flown on a homemade Everclear Motor which was approximately a K500. The motor worked perfectly and the rocket seperated at apogee as planned the rocket was recovered with minimal damaged which occured on landing. The rocket got to ????ft.
4. Rocket was flown at BALLS at Blackrock Desert in Sept 2007, It was flown on a homemade Dark Wing Duck V2 motor which was approximately a K460. The motor worked perfectly and the rocket seperated at apogee as planned, however the charge burnt through the shockcord and the electronics bay was lost, luckly the electronics and nosecone was found minus the battery on the electronics so no altitude data was obtained.
5. Rocket was flown at BALLS at Blackrock Desert in Sept 2008. It was flown on a homemadHeave Metal Special motor which was approximately a K635. The motor worked perfectly but the deployment charge not fired but rocket only got a crack in coupler and a damaged fin so will fly again.
6. Rocker was fixed and ready to fly at BALLS at Blackrock Desert in Oct 2009, but the weather was bad so It's back for BALLS 2010. It unfortunately had a strange squirrily flight and didn't deploy, it however came back flat and there was no damage.
