Rocket Rangers

 Fun Space Activities!  

Find Tons of Space Activities! Gravity Busters, Balloon Jets, Alka Seltzer Rockets, and lots lots more!  Visit www.spaceday.org. 

 Space Day Resources:

Cool Resources

NASA spinoffs
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html

Online Space News
http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html
http://www.space.com

Rocket Rangers! - If you’re hunting for a particular rocket, they are now easily found in many varieties at Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart and other Hobby Stores around the area.  One of the best locations for finding model rockets and supplies is HobbyMaker located off 183 in Bedford.  They also offer a 10% discount to Rocket Rangers.  

   List of  Potential Topics to Explore With Model Rocketry:

• Predicted rocket altitude vs actual altitude achieved. How good are your theoretical predictions vs  tracked altitude, what are the factors that go into making an accurate prediction?  
• Rocket fin size and location vs stability. How big must fins be to make a rocket stable,and why? What difference does it make where the fins are located, and why?

•  Effects of spin on rocket performance. What change occurs in the tracked height that a rocket reaches or the straightness of its boost if the fins are placed at a slight angle so that the rocket spins in flight, compared to an identical rocket whose fins are not angled?

•  Parachute shape and size vs performance. Which performs better, a round parachute with many shroud lines or a polygon shape of the same area with only a few shroud lines? How about a round chute with a spill hole in the middle vs a slightly smaller round chute with no spill hole and thus the same total chute area?

•  Streamer shape and size vs performance. Fly the same rocket design with a series of streamers of different lengths and widths but the same total area. Or use a series of streamers of identical size and shape but different materials. Which stays up longest and why?

•  Rocket weight vs altitude. How much difference does the weight of a rocket (with variable weights in its payload compartment) make in how high it goes with a given engine?

•  Rocket engine average thrust vs altitude. What difference does it make in tracked altitude performance if the same rocket is flown with two engines of very different average thrust levels (like the Estes A3 or A8) but the same total impulse and liftoff weight?

•  Rocket surface finish or shape vs altitude performance. What difference does a smooth surface finish vs a coarse one make to the drag of the rocket, and thus to its altitude performance? Or compare the effect of nose cones of different shapes, or of identical fins with and without airfoil streamlining.

•  Multi-staging vs single staging. Which goes higher, a two-stage design with a B motor in each stage, or a single-stage model with a C motor having the same total impulse as the combined total of the two B motors?

•  Aerial mapping by photo interpretation of images from a rocket-borne camera.

•  Building and flying a radio transmitter that sends roll rate (or altitude, or air temperature) back from a rocket in flight.

•  Design and build an electrical launching system for rockets, perhaps with special features such as igniter continuity check, automatic countdown, or capacitive discharge for igniting clusters.

 Visit the TCU Monning Meteorite Gallery!

Just click Here 

  Two codes completely describe each Estes rocket engine:

1. Color code: Provides at a glance the specific application of the engine:

   Green - Single Stage
   Purple - Upper Stage (on Multi-Staged Rockets)
   Red - Booster Stage
   Black - Plugged for special applications  

2. Alpha-numeric code: Provides the engine’s performance information.

Top 3 Manufacturers of Rocketry Kits
Estes-Cox Corporation  1295 H Street;  Penrose, CO 81240   Phone: (719) 372-6565  http://www.estesrockets.com 
 
Quest Aerospace Inc.  5012 E. Hidden Valley Drive; Cave Creek, AZ  85331  Phone: (800) 858-7302  http://www.questaerospace.com

Custom Rocket Company  PO Box 1865; Lake Havasu City, AZ 86405-1865   Phone: (928) 505-0374  http://www.customrocketcompany.com
 

 Popular or Recommended Rocketry Links:

http://www.acsupplyco.com/estes/estese2x.htm

http://www.discountrocketry.com