High powered rocket
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High power rocketry is a hobby similar to model rocketry, with the major difference being the rockets flown are significantly larger.
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[edit] Types
High power rockets are generally defined as rockets flown by hobbyists on commercial motors ranging from H to O class. Some hobbyists also engage in research or amateur rocketry, which has the major difference of using motors built by the hobbyist. Because of the larger rockets and higher energies involved, more stringent safety procedures are required than for model rocketry. NFPA-1127 governs the construction and operation of high power rockets.
[edit] Associations
The Tripoli Rocketry Association and the National Association of Rocketry are the major organizing and governing bodies for the hobby in the USA, providing coordination of launches, certification of members, and launch insurance. In other countries, there are other organizations.
[edit] Propellant
High power rockets are normally powered by commercial APCP (Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant) based motors or nitrous oxide-based hybrid motors.
These rockets normally fly to altitudes ranging from 1000 to 30,000 feet (300 to 10 000 m), with the highest Tripoli altitude record currently standing at 93,000 feet (28,346m) above ground level (AGL) by Gene Nowacyzk. Combined with their larger size, they require more sophisticated recovery systems than do model rockets. High power rockets are frequently flown with sophisticated electronic avionics packages used to record flight data such as altitude, and control recovery.
High power rockets are normally constructed from materials such as phenolic resin, fiberglass, carbon fiber, and other composite materials and plastics. Motor casings are normally machined aluminium with ablative phenolic or paper liners.
[edit] Recovery
Due to the extreme speeds (often over Mach 1) and high altitudes (often over 10,000 ft.), some high-power rockets use two parachutes. At apogee, an altimeter deploys a small drogue parachute which stablizes the rocket as it falls and slows it somewhat. At a preset altitude, the altimeter deploys a second, larger parachute which slows the rocket to a safe recovery speed. This greatly reduces horizontal drift, but is much more complicated than standard parachute recovery.
[edit] External links
- Canadian Association of Rocketry
- Asociacion de Coheteria Experimental y Modelista de Argentina - ACEMA - Argentine Association for Experimental and Model Rocketry
