The Rocketry Show Podcast: Recent Episodes
LittleBeth Media
The Rocketry Show is hosted by three rocket geeks, CG, Gheem, and Daniel The Rocket n00b. As a team, we strive to entertain as well as inform you on the topics of Model and High Power rocketry as well as STEM relates activities built around amateur rocketry. We will occasionally delve a little into the world of
The Rocket n00b joins us with his guest James Duffy, and they will talk about their experiences building a fun and challenging rocket kit that they enjoyed, The Estes Souyz Pro series kit! James and N00b take a few moments to share with you some tips for your build version.
CG Updates us on his upcoming test launch, and we talk rockets, of course!
Mentioned in this episode:
The Rocketry Forum
The CG, Gheem and The Rocket N00b catch up with the organizers of LDRS-44 to talk about this year's event...and to talk rockets, of course!
Mentioned in this episode:
The Rocketry Forum
Note: This show was recorded a little while ago. After the session was done, our studio went through some needed updates, which delayed production and recording schedules.
In this episode, CG, Gheem and Daniel catch up on the latest (as of this recording) rocket news as well as the status of their projects, and the changes to the show moving forward.
CG discusses the new Rocket Flight Computer progress. Here are some screen shots of his new interface software written in Python to connect, program, and download data from his Flight Computers.
Check out our website @ https://therocketryshow.com for images from CG's projects.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Rocketry Forum
This was recorded several months ago, and CG's finally getting it posted.
The next episode is about two weeks out, where CG has LOTS to follow up on, and it has a LOT to do with the delay getting this one posted.
Enjoy!
Mentioned in this episode:
The Rocketry Forum
In this episdode, we welcome Steve Taylor from The Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA)
Each year, ESRA accepts over 150 collegiate teams from around the world to compete in the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) for the prestigious title of overall winner!
Each team designs, builds, tests and launches rockets with a payload size of up to 2.2 Kg and target altitudes of either 10,000, 30,000, 45,000 even up to 100,000 feet! Rockets are typically 4 to 8 inches in diameter and 8 to 20 ft. long. Multistage rockets and all chemical propulsion types (solid, liquid, and hybrid) are allowed. The goal is to have participants learn their skills by doing (motto: Learn by doing) in a safe educational rich environment.
The IREC has been an annual occurrence since 2006. The competition achieved international status in 2011 – when schools from Canada and Brazil joined – and has continued to grow rapidly ever since. More than 1,800 students attended the 2024 competition, representing over 120 schools from 22 countries on 5 different continents.
ESRA has operated the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) since 2006.
Competitions have been held in the following locations:
2006-2016 - Green River, Utah
2017-2024 - Spaceport America, New Mexico
This year, it happens at 2025 - Spaceport Midland, Texas.
For more info, Visit: https://soundingrocket.org
Mentioned in this episode:
The Rocketry Forum
We welcome Special Guest Randy Millikin of RailButtons.Com!
Randy Millikin of RailButtons.Com joins us to talk about his products, and to talk rockets with us.
Some background on Mr. Millikin:
I began my hobby of rocketry in the early to mid 70’s and stopped once I discovered girls, cars and got my first bass guitar.
I launched my last rocket for many years somewhere around 1976.
But then one day around 2003, while surfing the web, I came across Aerotech’s website and discovered this interesting thing called, High Power Rocketry!
I remember thinking, WOW...M motors!
The biggest I ever flew as a kid was a D, because E’s were not made yet (or if they were, I couldn't afford them!)
I thought to myself, “ I need to find out more about this!”.
With that information filed away, I finally was able to attend a launch in 3 Oaks Michigan in 2005.
I went with my 6 year old son and my father. I was blown away and haven't looked back since.
I ordered a few Estes kits that I built with my son and flew them at the school yard near our house.
That brought back so many great memories that I just had to start building bigger rockets and fly them with bigger motors.
About a year and a half later, I got my TRA Level 1 cert in 3 Oaks.
The next year, I was able to get my Level 2, again in 3 Oaks, and a few years later, my Level 3 at LDRS28.
So why am I doing this?
Matt Strum started selling railbuttons in the 90's and had a very successful on-line business for over 10 years.
When he decided to stop selling railbuttons, it left the hobby with fewer (and more expensive) options.
After exchanging some email, he helped me with information about how he was able to provide the hobby with such and inexpensive choice for railbuttons.
It is my goal to keep supplying inexpensive railbuttons for our hobby and keep Matt's vision moving forward.
He was able to sell thousands and I hope to be able to do the same for many years to come.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Rocketry Forum
CG and Andrew visit Steve Eves' workshop where many local High Power rocketry enthusiasts had a party. We talk to Steve, Chris Pearson and a few fellow rocketry folks with a few fun conversations.
Enjoy!
Mentioned in this episode:
The Rocketry Forum
Welcome to another Rocket Friends episode (Formerly called Workshop Talk)
In today's episode it's a Rocket Friends general rocketry discussion. We're joined by our good friend Andrew Kleinhenz and we cover a broad range of topics including:
-Becoming a Prefect of a Tripoli chapter for the first time
-The full story of "The Fainter of Goats"
-
The resolution to the AP supply issue from Aerotech
-
Speaking of...the right way to get into motor making
-
First time @ Airfest thoughts
And more! Patrons, stay around after the closing theme for a cute short story at the end!
"The Fainter of Goats " rocket...which has an amazing story that we share in this episode!
Mentioned in this episode:
eRockets
eRockets
The Rocketry Forum
Welcome to the Season 11 premiere of The Rocketry Show!
In this episode, we talk to Tom Fetter on a deep dive on why do our rockets turn into the wind?Tom's done a lot of research, and was excited to join us to share!
Mentioned in this episode:
eRockets
eRockets
The Rocketry Forum
CG and Gheem gather for another test episode drop.
We're making sure everything is good to go for the new season. We got a question from a listener that CG thought would make a good topic for this test drop episode...
Mentioned in this episode:
The Rocketry Forum
CG and Gheeem get together to test our new podcast distribution setup before we start the new season by mid October.
We talk about what we've been up to the past couple of months as well!
Mentioned in this episode:
North Coast Rocketry
As we prepare for a new season of The Rocketry Show, we have some techicaql work to do...
This MIGHT cause a glitch in our feed that you might notice when we flip the switch, so to speak. Hopefully not!
CG explains in this short drop...
We remember one of the key founding members of Estes Rockets. Gleda Estes passed away earlier this year while we were out of production. We chose to dedicate an episode to her memory by listening to a re-enacting of the early years of Estes Rockets that she and husband Vern performed at NSL 2018.
Welcome to our first "Rocket Friends episode of the new show format. This type of show was formerly called "Workshop Talk".
In this episode we are joined with Bill and Rachel Daigle and they catch us up on their hobby adventures. Also in this episode:
- CG's flight computer project ticks along, and he talks about how that is shaping up.
- Gheem is grilled by all of us on what it's like to have his High School rocket team accepted into the NASA Student Launch competition this year.
Enjoy!
What's it like to send your hobby rocket to near space? Our guest, Kip Daugirdas explains.
Kip is a Level 3 rocketeer, and he'll share his experiences and share some inside tips on the topic.
He can be found on Twitter: @kipdaugirdas
If you wish to follow Kip's Youtube channel, you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@kdaugi
A bit delayed, but here we are!
In this episode, we do a quick review of NARCON 2024, and we give a look behind the curtain to tell you what has been going on...
On this episode, our guest is Vance Martin, an amateur radio operator who goes under the callsign N3VEM.
Martin became involved in rocketry as a kid in the typical way; seeing model rockets at the local hobby shop, and discovering the hobby with a friend.
As he moved into middle and high school, he discovered mid and high power rocketry through online rocketry communities.
While in college he built a PML 1/4 Scale Patriot rocket to use for his Level One, but was unable to find a nearby club to certify, so his L1 rocket sat collecting dust over the years.
After college, Vance discovered ham radio, and earned his amateur radio callsign N3VEM, and built a portable station in his vehicle so that he could play radio while being out and on the road for work.
As seems to be a pre-requisite for Ham Radio, Vance also became a software and hardware 'tinkerer', so for him, building radio-related projects turned out to be a lot of fun, and is still what he calls his 'primary hobby.'
Vance became a Born-Again-Rocketeer about a year ago, when his two older kids found the Patriot rocket stashed in the corner of the family storage room. They asked 'What is this!?!' "...and just like that" says Vance " we started building up a fleet of little Estes kits."
Vance decided that it would be fun to combine the two hobbies, and start tinkering with radio and electronic payloads for their rockets. "I knew that 'off the shelf' stuff was available, but being a tinkerer, I wanted to build my own." he recalls.
He continues. "I wanted to target mid-power sized rockets with my projects, since I still live in the same town, and still don't have easy access to a club with a high-power launch site."
Vance enjoys his hobbies, and is having fun, saying "I'm still very much a rocketry noob, but I'm having a blast dabbling around with building the rockets, and hacking around at hardware and software for the rockets' payloads."
Vance's website is :
https://n3vem.com/blog/RadioRocketV2/
Are you really 'GO' to use your full FAA waiver?
Greg Young shares his experiences with this topic, and what he learned is an eye opening education for all rocketeers!
About our guest...Greg shares his background in rocketry...
My rocketry experience started in 1961, at the ripe old age of 10years, when I ordered, built and flew rockets from Estes Industries. Try as I may, I was not successful at getting local hobby shops to carry rocketry supplies at that time, as the owners felt they were dangerous fireworks.
My flying continued until taking a hiatus during my college, and then post graduate years.
When my oldest daughter expressed an interest in rockets (while in 3rd grade) my flying resumed. I joined NAR, and TRA at that time and formed a local rocketry club, the Southtown's Amateur Rocket Society (STARS).
When my youngest daughter left middle school for high school, I wound up taking another hiatus, and the club disbanded.
My flying hiatus ended when my grandchildren expressed interest in rocketry. I rejoined NAR and TRA, and decided to go through the official high power certification program (something not required back in the 1980's when I flew) and am currently a level 3 flier.
I have been involved in 2 NY rocketry groups, one in Geneseo, the other in Penn Yan, and have served from 2016 through the end of 2022 as a member of board of directors, the VP, the waiver holder, the RSO and also served the Prefect of the former for part of that time.
I have served on the planning committees for LDRS 34, NSL 2018, and NARAM 62, and during those launches was involved on the field running the range safety operations.
Currently I have been involved with local youth (high school and college age primarily), and officially have mentored several school ARC teams which have gone to nationals, and most recently a high school team who was chosen to participate in the 2023 NASA student launch initiative and went on to the nationals in Huntsville.
I am hoping to get time to be able to fly more, and mentor more student groups going forward. They are, after all, our future...
Jeff Kodysz was a very talented rocketeer. His talents stretched from 3D printing, Lazer Etching, and he had a knack with making logos. He created the current logo for The Rocketry Show that you look at everytime you visit our website or listen to one of our episodes.
Jeff passed away a few weeks ago after a short battle with illnesses. He will be missed by his friends, family, and us.
We are all glad to have known him.
CG stops by to give a quick update on technical changes some of you may have noticed, and what that means.
The team talk about Narcon 2023, and we review this year’s calendar of big launch events so far…
Welcome! In the first episode of Season 9, we talk to Joe Pfeiffer of the Open rocket team, diving a bit deeper into the program’s features, and some use case items for advanced and High power rocketry.
You’ve found Episode 15 of the Model Rocket Show! This time around, we are talking to Neil Weinstock from the Open Rocket project about this useful software tool.
Neil Weinstock is one of the developers working on open Rocket, which is free open source model, rocket and high power rocket design and simulation software. Many folks find that it’s also a great tool for designing paint schemes too!
We’ll dive into what it is, where you can get it, and about some exciting new updates.
If you stick around til the end of the show, The N00b has a little something for you.
Jesse and Gheem give a news update for December. The next season of The Rocketry Show starts in January!
The full Rocketry Show team assemble to drop the latest news updates from the hobby AeroTech/Quest News AeroTech RMS K750ST-PS Rocket Motor Reload Kit New Product Information Release 7/11/22
AeroTech/Quest is pleased to announce the Tripoli certification and immediate availability of our new RMS Reloadable Motor System K750ST-PS rocket motor reload kit, AeroTech’s 2nd rocket motor reload kit designed to use the single-grain RMS-75/1280 hardware.
Perfect for heavy rockets launched from small fields, the K750ST-PS delivers 1,298.7 N-Sec (292.0 lb.- Sec.) of total impulse with a 1.74 burn time and an all-up weight in motor hardware of 4.29 lb. (1,945.9 g). It’s also a great booster for two-stage rockets, and features AeroTech’s aerospace-grade Super Thunder (ST) propellant formulation with a burn rate midway between Blue Thunder and Warp-9 propellant types. The K750ST-PS generates a peak thrust of 835.7 N (187.9 lb.) with an average thrust of 746.6 N (167.9 lb.). Super Thunder propellant displays a bright blue flame with prominent Mach diamonds and little smoke.
Although the K750ST-PS produces tracking smoke, it is a “plugged” motor that does not include an ejection charge and requires the utilization of an electronically-activated recovery system.
Diameter: 75mm (2.95”) Length: 266.7mm (10.5”) Propellant: Super Thunder Total Impulse: 1,298.7 N-Sec. (292.4 lb.-Sec.) Burn Time: 1.7 Seconds Peak Thrust: 835.7 N (187.9 lb.) Delay Time: Plugged Propellant Weight: 595 g (1.3 lb.) Loaded Weight: 1,947.5 g (4.3 lb.)
California State Fire Marshal classification and approval has been granted for the K750ST-PS RMS Reload Kit. It ships with a standard FirstFire Initiator, has a suggested retail price of $157.99 each and may be purchased by consumers 18 years of age or older with a minimum Level 2 NAR or TRA Certification, or by educational institutions, government agencies and licensed commercial entities.
Aerotech Discontinues some of its motors They are discontinuing several 24mm reloads as well as their 18mm and 32mm Glider motors typically used for gliders.
Here is the list of discontinued motors:
33400 C3.4T-P 18mm RMS-R/C (3-pak) 33400-12 C3.4T-P 18mm RMS R/C (12-pak) 40700 D7-RCT 24mm RMS R/C (3-Pak) 42300 D2.3T-P 18mm RMS R/C (3-Pak) 42300-12 D2.3T-P 18mm RMS R/C (12-Pak) 51103 E11-3J 24mm RMS (3-Pak) 51200 E12-RCJ 24mm R/C (3-Pak) 61203 F12-3J 24mm RMS (3-Pak) 91321 RMS-32/60-100 R/C Motor 91613 F13-RCT 32mm R/C (2-Pak) 91616 F16-RCJ 32mm R/C (2-Pak) 91712 G12-RCT 32mm R/C (2-Pak)
Though it is being discontinued for general retail, Gary Rosenfield notes that the D2.3T will be produced for international competition use as needed.
2022-23 NRC CONTEST EVENTS ANNOUNCED NAR Competition NRC Events for the 2022-2023 Contest Year The NAR Contest Board is pleased to announce the NRC events for the 2022-2023 Contest Year:
A Altitude A Payload A Boost/Glide Duration A Streamer Duration B Eggloft Duration 1/4A Parachute Duration
These events have been selected by the NAR Contest Board and the NARAM Contest Director per Sporting Code rule 13.1.3. The 2022-2023 Contest Year starts on July 23, 2022 and ends on the last day of NARAM. NRC flying ends June 30, 2023.
Dan Wolf
NAR Contest Board Chair
RESULTS OF the NAR 2021-2022 RULES REVISION PROCESS The 2021-2022 RCP process concluded as of June 15, 2022 and the results of the ballot are as follows. Appendix “D” in the sporting code states that proposals must receive a 51% yes vote in order for the proposal to become a part of the sporting code. The proposals that did pass become a part of the sporting code that will be revised and effective as of July 23rd 2022 for the new contest year, but have no bearing on NARAM-63. A total of 90 ballots were received. Some voters abstained from voting on all of the proposals.
Items in this news podcast:
SMT Designs releases all of their rocketry designs to public domain
Steve Thatcher: "With my upcoming LDRS 40 trip and TRA Tech session there on "3D Printed Modular Avionics Bays", I wanted to make an announcement, so here it is..."
Steve Thatcher says “I am in the process of releasing all of my rocketry designs to the public domain under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International”
You can read the licensing in detail at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
You can find the designs on http://www.tinkercad.com/ by simply doing a "People" search for "SteveThatcher".
Once you find the profile, click it to view the parts.
Steve has also tagged the parts with “SMTDESIGNS”, “AVBAY”, and “ROCKETRY”, but you will get more "hits" that way of other non-related parts.
My intent in doing this is to propagate the footprint standard I created for devices and batteries over the last years, so the rocketry community could benefit.
Thatcher says “I would also like to see my designs come to a greater use by making them available for no cost to those that have the required equipment.”
Steve asks that the footprints for carriers and platforms remain unchanged. Thatcher says”I recognize the need to change things when necessary, but changing footprints negates the universal benefit they provide. Take the time to look at my entire library of parts to get a system view of why things were done.”
Steve will be available to answer questions through SMT Designs, and the SMT Designs facebook page. _______________________________
Tripoli News
During the LDRS 40 Member's Banquet it was announced that that the Tripoli Wisconsin Association, Tripoli Green Bay, and Tripoli Chicago will be hosting LDRS 41 at the Richard Bong Recreation Area located in Kenosha County, Wisconsin.
The event is planned to take place July 6, 7, 8 and 9, 2023.
More details and information will be coming soon.
_______________________________
New Unified TRA Safety Code
https://www.tripoli.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=795696&module_id=520420
Tripoli Rocketry Association unveiled its new “unified” safety code on May1 of this year.
President Bob Brown notes that: Under this safety code, there are no longer Commercial launches or Research launches, just Tripoli launches. There are some changes to the current safety code, such as a common safe distance table, a safety code for both model rockets as well as radio-controlled boosted gliders as well as other changes. Tripoli asks all members to please take the time to read the document in its entirety.
Mr. Brown notes that “While your first reaction will probably be there seem to be a lot more rules under this new document, in fact, almost nothing more restrictive has been adopted it’s just compiled into one document now.”
TRA notes that they owe a huge thank you to Steve Shannon, “who undertook the daunting task of compiling the information from the original four documents and writing (in plain English, not legalese) a document we can all understand and follow”. ____________________________________
Reminder on NARAM 63
NARAM-63 will be July 16-22, 2022. Sport flying begins on Saturday, July 16, and will run through the following Friday, July 22.
The US Team Flyoffs/North Coast Cup flying will begin Saturday, July 16, and run through Monday, July 18. NARAM competition flying begins on Monday, July 18, and runs through Friday, July 22. Friday evening, July 15, will include a sport flyers briefing as well as a US Team Flyoffs/North Coast Cup briefing and model check in.
Where is NARAM-63?
Springfield, Missouri, located in the southwestern part of the state, is this year’s host city. The Oasis Hotel is the official hotel of NARAM-63, and will host nearly all of the evening activities. The flying field is located west of Springfield. Sport Range Tripoli Mo-Kan will be running the sport range alo...
Conway Stevens shares his answers from questions from his Episode #115 guest appearance. This show was originally a Patron-only episode from last year.
The gang share updates on themselves, and the show.
Jesse talks about this old picture:
Young Jesse and his Saturn V
Sorry for the delay. Lots going on in our worlds, and we talk about it later in the show...BUT more importantly:
Mike Crupe joins us from Mac Performance Rocketry! We've learned about a new (to us) way to do rocketry!
CG gets pulled in big time, and you'll find out why when you listen!
Enjoy!
Join our guests, Bill and Rachel Daigle, who are known as father and daughter rocketeers from our neighbors up North in New Brunswick CA!
Bill Daigle on Sport Rocketry
Bill talks to us about his tenure as an officer of the Canadian Rocketry Association and his career as a hobby rocketeer! He even has graced the cover of Sport Rocketry.
Rachel tells us about how she was involved in the hobby at a young age and the joys of flying with Bill.
Bill and Rachel talk about their individual projects and shed some in
Rachel Daigle and her Big Bertha
sight into their largest scratch built upscales.
We talk to them about their road to CAR Level 4 in High Powered Rocketry.
It’s an episode full of fun and appreciation and we are happy to share this with you!
Bill and Rachel Daigle on set during the filming of an episode of "Trailer Park Boys".
Gary Rosenfield joins us to update us on some of the latest going on at Aerotech as well as:
Tips and tricks for selecting an appropriate motor for your high power certifcations. What he is up to for Hampster Dance 2022. Gary's project of digitizing a bunch of old super-8 footage of some historic & interesting high power launches from the early days of HPR.
All this along with some interesting rocket talk!
Happy Holidays, and Welcome to the latest episode of The Rocketry Show for the week of December 19, 2021!
This time around, we close out the year catching up on your voice and emails, and what we have been up to, and what's next for our shows.
One of our listeners mentions wanting to hear from John Beans and Joe Barnard. We talked to both of them in previous episodes. If you want to check them out too, then here are the links to the latest ones.
Latest John Beans Episode ( Episode 30): Latest Joe Barnard episode (Episode 103):
We also answer yoiur questions, like how to repair damaged fins on fiberglass rockets, how to get rid of the "fuzzies" caused by painter's tape peeling away the glassine surface from cardboard rocket airframes and more!
In this episode, Steve Thatcher returns to talk about what is new from SMT Designs.
He has been busy innovating new options for your rocket AV Bay needs for almost all rockets –including ones up to eight inches in diameter!
SMT Eight Inch AV bay with Dual Deploy mounting options
We think you should check these out!
Other products that Steve mentions include:
The "High G 3-75" bay
The SMT T-Slot AV Bay kit
We think you’ll enjoy this information, and Steve’s rocket stories as well.
Here are pictures of the rockets Steve mentions:
Steve's "Lady J" Rocket
Steve's rocket called "Stubby"
Enjoy!
Welcome to the first episode of Season 8 of The Rocketry Show!
We open this new season with a wonderful guest appearance from Conway Stevens.
We talk about some history of High Power rocketry, focusing a bit on the changes brought on after the 9/11 attacks. We cover other rocketry history related stories as well.
Mr. Stevens also disusses his experiences as a TAP, his latest projects, and his recovery from COVID.
This is a two hour long show that is sure to fill in the time we spent regrouping before resuming our show recordings. You’ll no doubt be replaying this one a few times!
Mr. Stevens mentions Soft Links as an alternative to metal quick links. Here is a link to some from one skydiving supply store, Chutingstar.com.
Enjoy!
Welcome to Episode 114 of The Rocketry Show!
In this Episode, we'll be talking about The Hot Nozzle Summer 2021 event with Jenna Kay Foertsch!
Jenna Kay Foertsch with her HotNozzleSummer staff shirt and Tee.
On July 23rd of this year at the FAR launch site in the desert of California, Tim Dodd, AKA The everyday Astronaut, stomped his foot down on an air powered rocket to kick off an event that has taken the rocketry community by viral storm.
Tim Dodd ( Everyday Astronaut) kicks off the event by launching a stomp rocket. Photo: by Matt of HNS.
The event known as "Hot Nozzle Summer" started out as a joke on Twitter by a number of young rocketry enthusiasts earlier in the Spring, but very quickly grew into a movement spearheaded by an energetic group resulting in a major launch that took place over the weekend of July 23-26. The goals of this group are stated on their website...
The Eujean rocket that Jenna mentioned. Photo by Kyle Lundberg.
"Hot Nozzle Summer is a movement within the amateur rocket community that seeks to break down the barriers that exist within the hobby and make it more accessible to new people, regardless of skill or training in rocketry or engineering. This movement celebrates all aspects of rocketry whether its getting a Level 1 high powered certification through NAR or Tripoli, or just shooting model rockets in the backyard with your kids this summer. You do not have to come to the live event to participate in the movement."
Primarily a social media phenomenon, the group's dedicated leaders pulled off an event that saw many rockets fly many of which were from people new to the hobby, or flying to achieve a higher certification level. Jenna Kay, one of the main organizers of the event joins The Rocketry Show to discuss how the event came to be, what challenges were overcome to pull it off, and what the future might hold for what has essentially become a movement to bring people into the hobby that has not been seen before.
HNS 2021 group photo. Photo by Jake Nixon
Also, for our supporters on Patreon, we're trying something different...stick around at the end of the show!
kKo7Y7WZOSxxoREaEjRT
Welcome to Season 7, Episode 113!
In this episode:
Jesse joins us with his interviews & wrap-up reporting of NSL 2021 and LDRS.
He managed to get some interviews from NSL as well!
Gheem was on vacation during this production, and CG talks about what to expect the next few weeks while The Rocketry Show is in "summertime rocket season" mode.
Matt Abbey, Event Director for NSL 2021
Matt Steele and Frank Burke at NSL 2021
Jesse and the LOC Precision crew
Jesse with Gary Rosenfield and Dane Boles of Aerotech
Neal Baker preparing for launch!
Jason Turicick, Dave Barber, and Stanton Ewert of LOC Precision join us to talk about what's new at LOC, and their appearance on Season 2, Episode 9 of The Secret of Skin Walker Ranch!
Stanton Ewert of LOC
Jason Turicick of LOC Precision
While CG, Gheem, and Jesse regroup after a whirlwind production schedule the past few months, Daniel, the rocket N00b has been busy producing new shows for our sister show, The Model Rocket Show.
We've posted the latest episode here as well as bonus content for The Rocketry Show listeners.
The full show notes can be read at TheModelRocketShow.Com website.
Enjoy!
Joe Hill joins the crew as we discus our rocketry projects, high power, rocketry music, and more!
Joe enjoys makin' music too!
Joe Hill: Ready for launch!
CG and Joe discus the construction of CG's new avionics bay for Ares. The picture below shows the antenna (on the right), and the kevlar extension that keeps the metal bits away from the telemetry transmission antenna...
A picture of Ares' new avionics and telemetry module under construction. The antenna is to the right.
We start up this workshop talk episode with another member of the next generation of rocketeers, Xyla Foxlin.
Xyla has a degree in Engineering, is an aircraft pilot, and loves partaking in any craft that involves building things.
Gheem ran across her while looking at Joe Barnard's latest adventures at F.A.R (Friends of Amateur Rocketry) in the deserts out west which sparked a new hashtag on the Twitterverse, #HotNozzleSummer.
Xyla was one of the names popping up, and she decided to get her level 2 certification at FAR with a very interesting rocket called "Fifi".
We talk about this build, and her broad background in robotics, rocketry, boats, and craftwork that led to this project.
Her video for her "Fifi" build can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKqrQUHYgrM
The Oklahoma State University rocket team “The Space Cowboys join us to talk about their first place placement in the Argonia Cup contest. They talk about their rocket, the payload, and some of their greatest challenges in making it all happen.
A member of the Space Cowboys prepping the glider for flight...
Also Bob Brown joins us to talk about The Argonia Cup, The Argonia Kansas rocket club Kloudbusters, and Airfest!
The Rocketry show wins an award! We talk about that as well!
Matt Steele has been busy, and Northcoast Rocketry has new kits and more as a result!
Matt joins us to discuss.
Matt Steele
We also dive into the mailbag to answer your questions, including a really good question from one of you on the LEUP regulations.
Enjoy!
Tyler Palmer joins us to cover a wide range of topics and interests. We all found this session to be fun and informative!
Enjoy!
The rocketry show gang gather to review their plans for the 2021 rocketry season, and we crack open the mailbag, and take a deep dive into some listener feedback.
Loading new motors into Open Rocket tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsppUGQULJA
Jesse's unboxing video:
https://youtu.be/KSWkG3HlrxU
A picture of Gheem's project
Some pictures of Jesse's projects:
Welcome to Episode 105 of The Rocketry Show!
This time around, we are joined by Tim Van Milligan of Apogee Components! Tim hangs with us to talk about some new projects from Apogee, including some insights into the direction of RockSim!
Tim Van Milligan and his X-15 rocket.
We also find time to talk general rocket shop too!
In Episode 104, we are joined by Toby Vanderbeek in our second workshop show in the new format!
We talk rockets, and a little about what toby has done with his work on rocketry with his https://www.vander-burn.com Vander Burn-rocketry project.
Vanderburn Estes Goblin fin upgrades. Listen to the episode to find out why!
The gang talk about their favorite motors, rocket adventures, and CG gives a glimpse into his 2021 flight computer tests, and more!
Jesse's favorite propellant. This is the photo he mentions in the podcast.
Joe Barnard joins us to fill us in on his continuing adventures in thrust vector rocketry, including his latest twist: Landing under rocket thrust -- not parachutes!
Joe Barnard and his "Scout E" Rocket
You can dig deeper into his adventures by visiting his site, BPS.space.
Also,
Jesse talks about his home paint booth, and the gang talk about what they are up to. Listener feedback from the last couple of episodes We talk briefly on the sale of Mach1 Rocketry
The University of Akron high power rocket team, The Akronauts traveled to the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) site for a two staged High Power rocket launch attempt.
Unfortunately, they had issues with their second stage, and the flight did not go as planned. They share with us what they learned as of when we recorded this episode.
Ryan Dippolito and Jon Davis getting the rocket ready for launch.
The UA Team's Submerged Data Concentration Unit Payload that is sadly in the side of a mountain
Also:
The Rocketry show team rip into the virtual mailbag to review your emails.
One of the items discussed during our mailbag segment is the website called the "Rocketry Calculator". You can find it at https://rocketrycalculator.com/rocketry-calculator
We also remind our audience about the Rocketry Show tee-shirts! You can find them here: https://shirts.therocketryshow.com
Here are a couple of pictures of listener Josh Yates and his son showing off their new shirts!
Josh Yates and Son sporting their tee-shirt!
Josh Yates showing the awesome large log on back
The Rocketry Show gang try a slightly new format for the workshop shows. We are now inviting fellow rocketeers to the workshop to teach us some of their tips and tricks, and to just talk rockets.
Our first guest is Andrew Kleinhenz, friend to both CG and Gheem, Andrew taught us many of the tricks we have built our rocketry tricks around. He with us, answers these questions sent to us from listeners of the show!
Shear Pin Questions:
How do you figure out how many pins you need? Any issues with the LOC-high power type cardboard tubing and small size 2-56 or 4-40 plastic screws for shear pins? Do you use any reinforcement on the cardboard airframe and components? What size do you recommend? Mid Power, to High Power
Cardboard and Fiber Glass recommendations for shear pins
Where to place them? Any math equations or an online calculator? Do you test those with ejection charges first?
Fig. 1. Shear Pin view.
Fig 2. Another view of Andrew's shear Pin.
The Band of CA used to reinforce the cardboard. Note: The shear pin remains from the last flight is still in the hole. Note the lack of stress around the cardboard airframe.
Marco Polo Tracker
What actually is that type of tracker? Approximate cost? Where do you buy it? Difficulty of use? What is the range of the unit? (How far away can your rocket be from you and still get data)? Advantages of this and disadvantages vs others on the market
Andrew using the Marco Polo tracker to find his rocket in the bean field.
Andrew's rocket in the bean field...found thanks to the Marco Polo.
Gheem and Andrew on igniters.
We had some folks today launching some upgraded BT-55 Goblins today… they used those igniters that came with the package… What would the Rocketry show gang have used?
Gheem's pile of dipped commercial igniters.
Close up view #1 of one of his dipped commercial igniter.
Close up view #2 of Gheem's dipped commercial Igniter
The entire Rocketry Show team gather for Episode 100 to look back on some of their fond memories, and talk about their projects, and more!
Here is a brief "100 Episodes" scrapbook!
Daniel, James Barrowman, and CG!
Col. Rick Searfoss
Steve Eves
The n00b sanding fins during the show...
Gleda Estes, Gheem, CG, and Vern Estes
Virgin Islands TARC Team
Gheem and his composite B motor from Quest
Robin Thurman - AIA, CG and Gheem
Gheem, Daniel, and CG at NARCON 2019
We are pleased to have Cris Erving, founder of Eggtimer Rocketry with us on this episode!
We discus the Eggtimer products, and also give lots of tips and tricks to help you figure out how to solder one together!
Some pointers:
) If you're a beginner, use a 20 watt soldering pencil for best results. This one from Weller is a nice one:
Weller soldering pencil
Fancy temperature controlled irons are nice, but not if you are a soldering newbie! the wrong temperature settings will either not work well, or can destroy the electronic components you are trying to solder.
2.) Practice soldering things together first. Cris says go ahead, and use the eggtimer kit for practice. If that thought makes you nervous, then get one of these surface mount soldering practice kits.
Surface Mount solder training kit.
IMPORTANT: We'd suggest reading your excellent Eggtimer Rocketry kit manual all the way through to get a feel for what you are practicing for!!
3.) To ensure success, use as little solder as possible! The bigger the blob, the more likely it will flow to another pin, and short out your connections!
4.) Do not overheat. Some parts can be damaged by having the soldering tip touching them for longer than 30 seconds. In fact, this is a nice simple video that is pretty good:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qps9woUGkvI
Good luck!!
Welcome to episode 98 (TRS-6.98) of the rocketry show!
John Thompson joins us to talk about the NAR Level 2 certification changes that are in effect as of November 2020 The NAR and the Board of Trustees have been working diligently to support the update of the NAR level 2 testing. It has not been updated since 2012 and quite a lot has changed for the better in the ever-expanding hobby.
The new 2020 Level 2 Written Exam Study Guide will be available for download from the High-Power Rocketry page on the NAR website starting October 1, 2020. The 2020 Level 2 Written Exam Packets for Sections and Certification Teams will be available starting October 15, 2020. Information on obtaining the new packets will be made available before that date. The new 2020 Level 2 Written Exam use will start on November 1, 2020. Due to the new exam format, a new HPR Certification Application will also be available for download from the High-Power Rocketry page on the NAR website. The new application will also be included with the new exam packets. The 2012 & 2017 versions of the Level 2 Written Exam will be valid/accepted if taken on or before October 31, 2020. After that, only the 2020 version will be valid/accepted. A member failing the HPR Level 2 exam may now retake another version immediately. If the member fails a second exam, the member must wait a minimum of seven (7) days to attempt the exam again. The Level 2 written exam administrator/proctor must now be minimum Level 1 certified.
Who can be on the certification team? (additional background)
The certification team consists of two individuals who are a minimum of 18 years old and are members in good standing of the NAR. The certification team members must be unrelated to the applicant. Members of Tripoli, unless they are also members of the NAR, cannot participate on a certification team. At least one of the team members must be already certified to a level equal to the certification level being attempted, e.g., a team member must be certified at Level 1 to judge another individual’s Level 1 certification attempt. Level 1 certifications may be administered by a single NAR Level 2 certified individual; the two certified individuals requirement is waived in this case. Certification attempts must be witnessed in person by the certification team. Video recordings of a certification flight are not acceptable.
We also take a couple Listener Questions - What should I do to prepare for a Level 1 certification attempt? - What attributes should a field or piece of property have for rocketry considerations?
Checklists are important!
John Thompson's checklist
CG Fills us in on the results of his DEMO-3 flight
CG announces the goals of DEMO-4, and unveils his Block 6B flight computer.
CG's Block 6B Rocket Flight Computer (RFC-100), ready for mission DEMO-4 (top)
CG's Block 6B Rocket Flight Computer (RFC-100), ready for mission DEMO-4 (Bottom)
Gheem finds a neat product that helped him with his rattle can paint project
Other topics discussed:
The rocketry Show celebrates 6 years of service Some hints on the upcoming Episode #100
In this episode, CG talks about how his electronics developments have come along Specifically, what he learned from the first test flight of Mr. Bean (DEMO-1 mission), and the successful
CG and Mr. Bean
second launch (DEMO-2) where his code & flight computer successfully controlled a flight event! His journey to his Level 2 certification is underway! Read the details here.
CD and Gheem @ "Mission Control"
Jesse's Level 3 project starts to take shape! He gives us some details, though he's a bit secretive on the details right now!
Another view of Jesse's L3 Rocket
Jesse's tube glassing work on his L3 rocket project
Welcome to episode 6.96!
We are joined by the University of Akron's "Akronauts" rocket team!
https://youtu.be/GdPte4BRgZU
The following team members met with us for this episode:
Team President - Emily Armbrust
Chief Engineer - Blake Bowser
Treasurer - Olivia Renkel
Former Chief Engineer - Mattew Reppa
Project Manager - Jon Davis
The Akronauts formed in 2014, and have been involved in a number of national STEM focused rocket competitions, including NASA Student Launch(USLI), and Spaceport America Cup
The group presents a fun and detailed overview of what their team is all about, and a couple of their recent competition projects.
The UA Akronauts NASA Student Launch Overall Winners and Awards 2020 University Student Launch Initiative Top 10
Overall Winner: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 2nd Place: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 3rd Place: University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama 4th Place: University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 5th Place: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 6th Place: University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana 7th Place: Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 8th Place: Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 9th Place: Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 10th Place: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
You can visit their website at https://akronauts.org/
Welcome to Episode 6.95!
Gary Rosenfield joins us to talk about new high power rocket offerings from Aerotech, and to talk to us about high power rocketry as well.
Gary Rosenfield
He also talks about Hamster Dance competition that he has been into lately, and if you're looking for more information on that event, you can look here: http://www.rimworld.com/tripoligerlach/hamsterdance/about.html
And at their new Facebook Group called Hamster Dance Flyers here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/690838108136308
Hamster Dance 2 Launch Report
Hamster Dance 4 Launch Report
Hamster Dance 5 Launch Report
After the interview, Jesse and CG talk about their projects. CG gives more information he has found in his post-test flight of his rocket electronics system, and talks about a spinoff project!
CG's mini altimeter project
Jesse has evolved his tube glassing techniques, and talks about
CG Holding his mini altimeter.
them, and much more!
Welcome to episode 94 of The Rocketry Show
We’ve been on a roll with great guest interviews lately. The team take a quick break from that this episode to focus more on the results of a few rocketry projects they’ve been working on!
Jesse has been ‘fiberglassing’ a new kit, and building more rockets, but more importantly, recently launched his LOC Precision “Big Nuke. He tells us all about those, and more!
LOC Precision Big Nuke 4, which Jesse has reviewed on the show, flying on an Aerotech K550W to 3189ft! He finally got that in the air on July 17, 2020
Jesse is still putting finishing touches on a Executioner clone. Fiberglassed 29mm and full Dual Deploy Capable.
Level 3 project planning including sizing, figuring weights, and which composites to use for each purpose!
Gheem has been building a beautiful X-15 kit, and he catches us up on where he is on that, as well as a few more projects.
Gheem’s SNGAero X-15 Grande finishes and ready to fly!
Gheem’s original Estes Pro Series launch controller modified to use lipo batteries
On July 25, 2020, CG finally got to test his Radio Telemetry system. Because of all of the “Covid 19 delays, this test ended up being a “full up test, which means about 5 tests (each would normally have been their own launch) all happening on one launch.
Liftoff of CG's Mr. Bean rocket, marking the first test flight of his flight computer / GPS / radio telemetry system!
He’ll share how that went!
The receiver & antenna for CG's telemetry system.
We also pull some of your emails from the Mailbag that we didn’t have time to get to on earlier episodes!
Matt Steele joins the show to kick start the first of at least a couple episodes on staging techniques for Model Rockets.
Mr. Steele is a longtime rocketeer, owner of North Coast Rocketry, and is a Professional Rocket Scientist!
Our guest, Matt Steel
We first define ground rules you can follow to ensure the best probability for success. Rules adapted from professional Rocket Engineering Sciences. We think this will help hobby rocketeers a lot. The methods Matt Steele discusses can be applied any new rocketry project or technique.
After laying the ground rules, we jump into the first part of this episode on multi-stage rocketry.
Part two will appear in a few weeks after we have a chance to gather your e-mail questions on the subject.
Later in the show, we share our first peak into new beta firmware being tested for the Flight Sketch altimeter.
Thanks to listener Phil Parslow for suggesting the topic of multiple rocket stage launches!!
Scott Binder joins us to to talk about things at FusionRocket.Biz, and -more importantly- hangs with The Rocketry Show team to talk model rocket stories, and fun memories.
:-)
Scott's scratch built "sport scale" Falcon 9 rocket mentioned in this episode.
Scott's eye for detail is amazing. Check out the detail on the back end!
Launch day!!
Liftoff!!!
Later, CG, Gheem, and Jesse talk shop on the projects they are working on!
Enjoy!
Welcome to Episode 91!
Dave Barber and Jason Turicik join us to talk rockets, and about the latest going on at LOC Precision, a sponsor of the show!
Also, CG talks about the latest with his telemetry project as the first test launch nears!
ARLISS
Pushing the boundaries for student STEM programs, ARLISS is a unique rocketry program where members of the Level 3 High Power Rocket community team up with scientists worldwide along with several student organizations to allow them to design "soda can sized" payloads to launch to near space. These payloads are typically small electronic instrumentation packages designed to carry out whatever scientific experiments the students wish to perform!
ARLISS Launch
Ken Biba has been involved with the group for many years, and he joins us to discus ARLISS activities and more!
Typical ARLISS Mission Profile.
In this episode: CG and Tripoli Northern Ohio http://northernohiotra.com Prefect Chris Pearson discus high power rocketry safety tips to use during prepartion phases before launch. This advice encompasses all of the recent Tripoli recommendations as well.
Chris Pearson
We get some interesting thoughts & design modifications from a listener on CG's centrifuge tube ejection charges.
If you are looking for places to buy these tubes, here are a couple of links to what CG uses:
From Amazon.com
From Granger
One of CG's Ejection charge centrifuge tubes.
Also, CG and Gheem take their first peak at Rocksim 10!
https://www.apogeerockets.com/RockSim/RockSim9_Features
As you move into high power rocketry, one of the first things you will deal with will relate to dual deployment & the electronics around it.
We talk about it, and pass along some general advice along with our personal experiences.
Also in this episode:
The crew discus the Tripoli clarifications around remote electronic switches. CG discusses the state of his flight computer / telemetry project Gheem finds a very interesting avionics system that has him totally geeked. The team discus their favorite (hard wired) power (arming) switches for their flight electronics. Jesse discusses his AV Bay construction techniques.
Links for this episode:
Jesse talks about this video as a great primer on building avionics bays
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIzJiT4R9tc&feature=youtu.be
Pictures of CG's flight computer system.
CG's "Core Flight Computer"
The Core Flight Computer connected to he GPS receiver and data telemetry transmitter.
We unveil our new show, The Model Rocket Show. A show that focuses exclusively on Model Rocketry - Specifically, rockets that fly on G impulse motors and smaller. The show is hosted by Daniel, The Rocket N00b.
The Rocket N00b and his fleet.
In this episode, CG and Daniel, the rocket N00b make a major announcement.
Steven Skinner of Mach1Rocketry.Com stops by with some announcements of his own, and talks rocket shop with the team!
Been thinking about wrapping your air frames in a smooth fiberglass coating, and not sure where to even begin? Well, this episode is for you!
We'll talk about that, plus:
CG talks about his Rocketry radio telemetry project.
(Below) Pictures of CG's hand-built "Block One" Telemetry system flight computer. Official "Block Two" (printed circuit board) version coming soon!
CG's Rocketry Telemetry Receiver. (Yes, a typo on the name of the box in the pic). ;-)
The hand built "Block One" flight computer, ready for testing...CG's telemetry receiver.
CG introduces our Amazon store where you can easily buy Rocketry Show Tee-Shirts!
Links to buy TRS tee-shirts is here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084JHV6Q7 (US)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B084JJHPXW (UK)
We then move to the main topic, and that is all about techniques to fiberglass coat your airframe tubes to add strength, and a wonderful surface to apply your paint & designs.
More pictures for your reference....
Happy 2020! Welcome to Episode 85 of The Rocketry Show!
In this episode, we'll be talking 3D Printing for Rocketry with our special guest, Jeff Kodyz.
One of Gheem's 3D projects.
Part of Gheem's experimental fin can.
Lower portion of Gheem's 3D printed fin can
Gheem's Assembled Fin Can
Also in this episode, CG talks about his health scare that took place between the last episode and this one, and the n00b reviews some listener feedback.
It's our End of the year / holiday wrap up show, and we chose this one to share and respond to some of the e-mails from you, including an interesting theory behind the collapsed "stuffer tube" phenomenon CG mentioned in the previous episode.
We also dig into a fun rabbit-hole discussion over a couple of our camera pics for rocket photography, being proud of your rule stickler "old timers" in your local club, launching and recovering rockets on a frozen lake, and more!
The "infamous" stuffer tube. The collapse happened just above the motor mount.
Be sure to follow the links to our YouTube channel in the show notes to see the supplemental video for Episode 83!
Episode #6.83 show notes:
Gheem talks about a nice gift his TARC team received
Gheem's TARC team, and their really cool gift!
at a Tripoli Mid-Ohio launch, CG answers a listener question about ejection baffles, and Daniel the rocket n00b talks about his launchtime "oops", and reminds us all about range safety practices.
This is CG's video showing a couple of his current ejection baffle schemers. Nesaru uses both schemes as part as part of CG's experiments to test the effectiveness of each technique.
https://youtu.be/ikt8zhO4jaE
More notes on ejection baffles:
Apogee Components ejection charge baffle kits: https://www.apogeerockets.com/Building_Supplies/Parachutes_Recovery_Equipment/Ejection_Baffles
Baffle ideas galore! https://apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter129.pdf
This apogee video should give you lots of ideas!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t8KyQMPMNY
CG's latest baffle designs are based on the "three half moon disk" system similar in concept to the Apogee Components ones, and he also uses his as couplers, but with a twist!
Episode 82 starts off with a discussion with Randy Boadway of eRockets about the changes to the Jr Level 1 certification process.
NAR Logo
More info here: https://www.nar.org/high-power-rocketry-info/formal-participation-procedure/
Next, talk to the founder of Society of Women in Space Exploriation, Bianca Vasquez.
Bianca Vasquez, founder SWISE.org
Ms. Vasquez is in the early stages of becoming an Engineering student, has a passion for space exploration and a new found love or rockets. Her orginzation has bonded similar minded women also getting their start in various aspects of Engineering.
She talks about what she has learned in her journey, and what she has learned from others! https://www.swise.org/
Daniel, the rocket n00b
Later in the show, we talk to Daniel the rocket n00b about getting his model rocketry blog re-ignited agin with the power of NAROBLOMO. https://rocketn00b.blogspot.com/
Welcome to Season 6 of The rocketry Show!
We are kicking off the 5th anniversary of our program, with the newest member of the show, Jesse Ulibarri as we dive into "Workshop Talk"!
Jesse Ulibarri!
On this episode, the gang discus their Fin can build techniques for High Power, their experiences with Motor retainers, n00b has a new rocket room, and CG and Gheem's rocket club gains access to a nice new field.
Welcome to Episode 80 of The Rocketry Show!
In this episode, CG and Daniel travel to upstate New York for NY Power 2019.
We catch up with Dan Michael and Neil Brown, and we discus their backgrounds, and the launches of their Big ...ahem... Friggin Rockets.
Here are some picture highlights....all photos are by C.Gould of The Rocketry Show.
Patrons can view them on our website: https://www.therocketryshow.com
Dan Michael with a motor casing for an "M" Impulse motor build.
Dan Michael and his Nike Smoke
Dan Michaels' Nike Smoke liftoff!
Neil Brown and the booster section for his Polecat Saturn V
Daniel the rocket n00b and his SA-14 Archer build.
CG's Ares rocket lifting off after "MacGyver" repairs...
Neil Brown's Polecat Saturn V, and it's wild launch (picture sequence below.
Liftoff!
The team get together to talk rocket stories and some workshop talk with you on this episode.
We talked about some of the entries seen at our club's Apollo 11 tribute launch on July 20, 2019. One of which was a wonderful gold painted Saturn V by our club member, Casey Anderson. Casey Anderson's Gold 50th anniversary commemorative Saturn V
After that, we delved into our most challenging rocketry projects -- our personal "Project Apollo", if you will, along with a listener story. We shared listener JE Thompson's story, and audio from his video (See below) https://youtu.be/Nahu9h1fitc
Gheem talks about his story, and CG recounts his story to his toughest project to date, his Level 1 certification. He went for the gusto, and not the simple tried and easy approach...because...he loved the challenge. LOL. The n00b's first major Airbrushing project!
Daniel the Rocket n00b joins us to talk about his first major rocket project using an Airbrush to paint it off, and shares what he learned so far.
Welcome to Episode 78 and the final installment of our NARCON 2019 coverage!
Wes Oleszewski, Author "Growing Up With Spaceflight"
We are joined by Wes Oleszewski who sits down to talk with us about Growing Up With Spaceflight, as well as some information on his retirement from Dr. Zooch Rockets, and some fond Dr. Zooch and model rocketry memories..
Also, John Beans of Jolly Logic stops by !
John Beans, Jolly Logic
John joins us to talk about his presentation on "ROCKETRY 2.0". We explore some of the history behind the well known tech behind model rocketry, and how new technology can transform the hobby and take it to new levels!
This is another "all star" episode!
We're joined by Tim Van Milligan from Apogee Rockets and Brian Houghton of Fins & Fire discuss an interesting collaboration project that gives your rocket the ability to paraglide its way home to you!
Tim Van Milligan and Brian Houghton
Randy Boadway stops by to discus eRockets, and we end up in an interesting discussion about running a hobby rocket kit & supply company, including how the price of rocket kits are determined. He also showed up later to do a fun live eRockets commercial with us. :-)
Randy Boadway, Owner of eRockets
Gary Rosenfield and Dan Boles stop by to discus a long burn G motor that could give the right kind of rocket design the possibility of reaching 10,000 feet!
Dane Boles and Gary Rosenfield of Aerotech Consumer Aerospace
Roger Smith of JON Rocket stops by to talk about the joys of running the business with his wife, Bracha.
Roger Smith of JonRocket.Com
We hope you have fun listening to Part Two of our NARCON 2019 coverage!
The entire Rocketry Show team head to Cape Canaveral, Florida to cover NARCON 2019.
CG, Daniel the Rocket n00b together for the first time!
They witness a night time Falcon 9 launch, Gheem and Daniel (The n00b) meet face to face for the first time, and we talk to Peter Alway, author of Rockets of the World, and Chris Michaelson of Oddl' Rockets.
Peter Alway discussed with us his history with Model Rocketry, and his knack for finding detailed blueprints of even the most obscure rockets, which is great for us as he published it all in his book "Rockets of the World", the rocketry bible for anyone interested in creating scale models of military & space rockets.
Chris Michaelson of Oddl' Rockets
Chris amazed us with his talent in making detailed reproductions of rockets, and his never ending fountain of knowledge that can help all of us rocketeers!
Chris' attention to detail is a thing to behold!
Mike Nowak's Saturn V
We also discus Mike Nowak's amazing THREE STAGE Saturn V scale competition rocket!
Mike Nowak's scale three stage flying Saturn V. His son stands guard.
CG, Gheem, and Daniel the Rocket n00b get together to visit with you, and talk rocket shop talk.
CG has been busily editing through the TONS of audio we have from NARCON 2019, and it's taken over the production time for the show. As a result, there is a delay in production. We still have about two weeks of production to do before we roll out the first NARCON 2019 episode, so in the meantime, we decided to pick up our microphones and visit with you!
One of the topics of discussion is rolling your own transitions by re-purposing old cereal boxes. A topic of discussion brought up by listener John Simmons on our Facebook Discussion Group. CG thought it was a cool idea, so we shared. Here are some notes and pictures to go along with the discussion:
The Rocket n00b asks: Those look perfect! Do you do anything to fill the seam?
John Simmons: I simply sand through the colored face. The glue then makes both surface wet and pliable which produces a seam that is nearly flush. Then after the transition is glued to the rocket and the glue dries the seam is sanded.
John Simmons: The other thing that helps is to use some loose centering rings....
John Simmons: To apply some force to the transition while it's drying. This tends to make it nice and round.
Rocket n00b: John Simmons Do you make the initial round cut with scissors or a hobby knife?
John Simmons: Scissors. I print out a paper template, cut it with scissors, lay it on the cardboard, trace around it onto the cardboard, cut the cardboard with scissors.
Chris Michaelson has some discussions on rolling your own transitions on his blog too! Look here:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/search/label/Adapter
We also had fun discussing a fun new rocketry group on Facebook called "The CATO Club" Where they post pictures of, and discus...CATOS. :-)
Ellis Langford and Bill Stine of Estes Industries joins us to talk about the current state of Estes Industries, and its future.
Ellis Langford of Estes
We had an enjoyable conversation that we think you all will like.
This is part two of our episode on Airbrushes 101 with Ken Patterson.
Ken is an award winning modeler of military aircraft of all kinds, and shares techniques that he has honed and perfected continuously since his childhood, and he helps The Rocket n00b cross the hump into air brushing his models for the first time!
Here are more pictures of some of his models:
Ken Patterson in studio
Ken Patterson, a friend of CG joins us in studio to talk about airbrushes, primarily, but the discussion quickly blooms into topics we can all use...especially those of us looking to make our rockets look realistic. These topics apply especially to scale model rocketeers.
Ken is an award winning modeler of military aircraft of all kinds, and shares techniques that he has honed and perfected continuously since his childhood, and he helps The Rocket n00b cross the hump into air brushing his models for the first time!
Here are some pictures of some of Ken's wonderful models!
Ken's F-15e Strike Eagle.
Looking at the "business end" of the Strike Eagle.
Ken's P-47d model.
The detail work on Ken's P-40 model.
We are joined by Steve Thatcher of SMT Designs. Steve offers a great group of time saving products for rocketeers, and his electronics sleds, which offers quite a bit of configuration flexibility!
One of Steve Thatcher's AV bay designs.
Enjoy!
Some background on Steve Thatcher:
SMT Designs is a small company that I started to offer rocketry, electronics, photography, and software products. The name is simply my initials and what I do best. I have many years of experience in a variety of fields. I am an electronics engineer that can design hardware and write software for embedded platforms. From concept, to prototype creation, to machining parts for whatever is being designed.
I am also a photographer and have reached a point where I am sharing my view of the world through pictures. This transition into products was sparked by the passing of a dear friend Pat Stinnett in 2015. She saw the world and shared her heart through the photos that she produced. I will try and do the same in her memory.
Welcome to season 5 of the rocketry show!
Joe Barnard's Halloween Costume...
Joe's costume is based on the notorious Elon Musk smoking marijuana during a podcast incident...
The crew of the rocketry show gather to talk a little about what is going on, and catch up on their rocketry projects.
Also:
A Doughnut shaped Earth?
Daniel visits the Little Dipper Cafe in the Jamaica Plane neighborhood in Boston.
The Little Dipper JP: Great food and model rockets!
CG gives a quick report on his visit to Alabama for Bama Blastoff.
And he also gets his first peak at a Mach1 kit in action. Casey Anderson of MTMA rocket club flew one of the BT20 fiberglass kits!
Casey Anderson and his Mach1 rocket kit.
Mach1 Unchained Lightning rocket on liftoff...
We are happy to re-cast a wonderful conversation we had with former NASA Astronaut, Col. Rick Searfoss back in 2016. He joined us to talk about rockets, The Space Shuttle, and being an astronaut!
Col. Rick Searfoss
From his NASA Bio:
PERSONAL DATA: Born June 5, 1956, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, but considers Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to be his hometown. Married; three children. He enjoys running, soccer, radio-controlled model aircraft, Scouting, backpacking, and classical music.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Portsmouth Senior High School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1974; received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the USAF Academy in 1978, and a master of science degree in aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology on a National Science Foundation Fellowship in 1979. USAF Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College.
ORGANIZATIONS: Association of Space Explorers, National Eagle Scout Association, Air Force Association, Academy of Model Aeronautics.
SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded the Harmon, Fairchild, Price and Tober Awards (top overall, academic, engineering, and aeronautical engineering graduate), United States Air Force Academy Class of 1978. Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory Excellence in Turbine Engine Design award. USAF Squadron Officer's School Commandant's Trophy as top graduate. Distinguished graduate, USAF Fighter Weapons School. Named the Tactical Air Command F-111 Instructor Pilot of the Year, 1985. Selected for Outstanding Young Men of America, 1987. Recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, NASA Spaceflight Medal (3), NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross.
EXPERIENCE: Searfoss graduated in 1980 from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. From 1981-1984, he flew the F-111F operationally at RAF Lakenheath, England, followed by a tour at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, where he was an F-111A instructor pilot and weapons officer until 1987. In 1988 he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland, as a USAF exchange officer. He was a flight instructor at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California, when selected for the astronaut program.
He has logged over 5,000 hours flying time in 56 different types of aircraft and over 939 hours in space. He also holds FAA Airline Transport Pilot, glider, and flight instructor ratings.
NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in January 1990, Searfoss became an astronaut in July 1991. Initially assigned to the Astronaut Office Mission Support Branch, Searfoss was part of a team responsible for crew ingress/strap-in prior to launch and crew egress after landing. He was subsequently assigned to flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL). Additionally, he served as the Astronaut Office representative for both flight crew procedures and Shuttle computer software development. He also served as the Astronaut Office Vehicle System and Operations Branch Chief, leading a team of several astronauts and support engineers working on Shuttle and International Space Station systems development, rendezvous and landing/rollout operations, and advanced projects initiatives. A veteran of three space flights, Searfoss has logged over 39 days in space. He served as pilot on STS-58 (October 18 to November 1, 1993) and STS-76 (March 22-31, 1996), and was the mission commander on STS-90 (April 17, to May 3, 1998). Searfoss retired from the Air Force and left NASA in 1998. For the next few years he worked in private industry and, more recently, was a research test pilot at NASAs Dryden Flight Research Center. In February 2003, Searfoss left Dryden to pursue private business interests.
The rocketry show team re-group after a busy production schedule producing the last few episodes, and we go for a laid back workshop talk episode. We talk about our projects, and look over your comments from the last few weeks.
We also talk about our new e-mail list group you can join to get information on the show from us, chat with us and other listeners, and share rocket war stories.
Look here to subscribe:
https://groups.io/g/therocketryshow
If you are on facebook, like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/therocketryshow
Our facebook discussion forum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therocketryshow
We’re joined by Steve Skinner of Mach 1 Rocketry and Ronald Dunn of Birmingham Rocket Boys to talk about Mach 1 and their new line of fiberglass rockets, as well as the Bama Blastoff event happening at the Dee River Ranch in west of Aliceville, Alabama.
The event boasts a 16,800 foot standing waiver and 12,000 acres of mostly open recovery area.
Want to learn more about this and BT tube sized fiberglass rockets? You’ve come to the right episode!
Note: If you are a patron of the show, you get about a half hour of additional content on this episode...
Welcome to part two of our NSL 2018 episode!
Gheem and his composite B motor from Quest.
Gheem will take you on a journey through NSL 2018 using the magic of "soundscaping". We worked hard to try to paint the images and experiences of NSL 2018 through the magic of sound. Theatre of the mind, if you will!
Also, Plenty more from Vern and Gleda Estes as well.
Joe Barnard and his Scout rocket along with Thrusty McThrustface.
There are a few historical surprises that Gheem stumbles into during his journey.
We've really enjoyed producing this special episode, and we hope you enjoy listening to it.
Enjoy!
Kelly served as Production Assistant, and got to have fun launching her Lady Bug rocket she built in on day on site.
Learn more about "Mabel" here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgKxQqDGrrA
We start with some exciting hot off the presses news from the hobby rocketry scene, then we dive into part one of the NSL 2018 coverage.
We talk to Gregory Young and MaryBeth Clune of the MARS rocket club. MARS was the hosting club for NSL in Geneseo, NY, and what it took to pull off such an amazing event is a story in itself!
Vern estes. Photo: C. Gould
We then jump to the Vern and Gleda Estes play where they run through the Origin story of Estes Industries. For the Patrons of the show, you got to hear the raw recordings of this from us some time back. Here is the entire event, including the missing parts from the beginning, courtesy of the MARS Rocket club!
We close the episode with some e-mails from the mailbag, and an answer to
Gregory Young, Gleda, and Vern Estes during their keynote play. Photo by: CG
Gheem’s experiences with the expensive paint, which he talked about in the previous episode.
Gleda Estes, Gheem, CG, and Vern Estes
We've been busy producing single topic episodes, and working on items for the NSL 2018 program. The Rocketry Show team decided to take a moment and catch up with you all.
Topics discussed:
NASA Student Launch results
The release of the TARC 2019 rules, and boy are they a challenge! The n00b's foolproof way to stick self adhesive stickers to your rockets. Gheem's rocket camp classes.
We also give away the last copy of our Make: High Power Rockets book by Mike Westerfield.
TARC 2019 Rules are here
Daniel, The Rocket n00b has just completed a series on the properties of some Glues, Epoxies, and Fillers through a series of experiments in an attempt to satisfy his curiosity.
What weighs more? Hmmm...
Which is the lightest? Which is the strongest? Which is the easiest to work with?
Some interesting results were found!
CG and Gheem talk (briefly) about NSL, and we dive into the e-mailbag.
Daniel's articles can be seen here on our site, and also at his blogsite:
http://rocketn00b.blogspot.com/
CG and Gheem also talked about the NAR Safety study. You can download the study here.
Episode 61: We talk to Dave Barber and Jason Turicik, the NEW owners of Loc Precision! Need we say more? :-)
LOC 1 SERIES kits!
CG talks about a neat podcast episode for you to listen to, and much more!
Link to the RadioLab episode: https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/dark-side-earth
Welcome to Episode 60!
We’ll catch you up on what we’ve been up to since the last episode, and we’ll delve into a question sent from one of our listeners.
Also...Gheem Goes Wild! A funny moment between the Rocketry Show hosts that we will share with you.
We’d like to point out that we were having a problem with our main computer during the recording of the program, so we apologize if the audio is a little glitchy.
We’re re-visiting things in the land "down undah", mates! We’ll be joined by Blake Nikolic of Australia's Thunda Down Under, and he’s going to give a preview of next year’s huge event.
We then revisit one of the highlights from the first Thunda gathering and bring back an interview with Nat Callea on the V2 rocket built by Victoria Rocketry which holds the current world record for the largest hobby rocket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLDY_3aXGJ4
If that isn’t enough, We’ll then interview Nat, and Steve Eves, the previous record holder with his 1:10 scale Saturn V Rocket that he successfully flew at MDRA several years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj4lj6YSwzg
We also introduce the next winner for the Make: High Power Rockets by Mike Westerfield, and announce the next trivia question!
The gang couldn't resist reviewing and discussing the biggest news since the last show: The Falcon heavy launch!
The immersive audio of the launch we used comes from Destin Sandlin of SmarterEveryDay.Com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImoQqNyRL8Y
We also talk about New Zealand's Rocket Labs launch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg5234BOED8
We answer your e-mails, and comments on some of the Estes speculation heard on Episode 57.
Here is a link to the Chris Pearson article we mentioned on the state of the hobby industry.
...And we announce another winner for the Make High Power Rockets book!
Charlie Savoie joins us to discus what they've been up to at Aerotech, and answers some questions from our Patrons.
Gheem shares with us a piece he has been working on...it's a little story that shares some insights on being a TARC team coach!
One of Gheem's TARC members also flew a level 1 certification...seen here with our buddy, Andrew.
Gheem's TARC team (US Rocketry) prep their rocket.
Mike Westerfield joins us to talk about his newest book, Make: High Power Rockets!
From the preface of his book:
My first book, 'Make: Rockets,' covered basic rocket science, including construction, aerodynamics, simulation, tracking, and electrical engineering. The rockets in that book are made from thin, lightweight materials that are extremely safe. Some projects work well
Mike Westerfield
with young children, while others will challenge a college engineering student.
High-power rocketry is different, though. While there is a junior-level certification (covered in 'NAR junior certification'), high-power rocketry is otherwise restricted to people over 18. High-power rockets can easily break the sound barrier, shooting miles into the sky. The rockets themselves are not the small, collapsible paper rockets flown in schools and scouting—they are often metal-tipped, fiberglass missiles that weigh tens or even hundreds of pounds. FAA clearances and certifications are required.
After the show, Daniel the Rocket n00b will announce the contest to give away some copies of this new book to a few lucky listeners!
The team goes on the road, and set up at their club Christmas party and record a show.
Lots of rocket stories are shared. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!
Chris Pearson called to make a correction to some of the distance information we shared in the initial (free) version of Episode 54...
CG follows up on the previous episode, adding some important notes about Lithium Polymer (LiPo) Batteries.
We invite Chris Pearson, Prefect for Northern Ohio Tripoli to the show to talk about what it takes and things to think about to file an FAA Waiver for high power rocketry launches. He also talks about things to think about when doing so.
For the Patrons of our show, we will post (shortly) a much longer version of this show, where Chris Pearson fills in much of the history behind this process!
FAA information mentioned in this episode can be found here:
https://www.nar.org/high-power-rocketry-info/filing-for-faa-launch-authorization/filing-for-faa-waiver/
http://www.nar.org/find-a-local-club/section-guidebook/laws-regulations/
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/licenses_permits/sub_orbital_rockets/
NOTE from CG: Do not use the LiPo salt water disposal method mentioned in the episode! While it has been "common knowledge" within hobby circles to use this method of disposal, I have found very good reasons not to do this, and I'll talk about it in Episode 54!!! Just take bad LiPo batteries to a recycling center
We're back for Episode 1 of Season 4 of the Rocketry Show!
This is a show packed with lots of information for you! Daniel, The Rocket n00b starts with a discussion on a technique he mastered for making curled balsa and basswood rocket fins straight again!
CG chimes in during the second half to give a basic beginner's primer on Lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries for powering your electronic systems on board your next rocket project!
References for you to follow up on what CG was talking about:
Since the show was running a bit long, and there were details CG didn't get to cover, he has provided some quick, but important notes here:
What does the Battery “C Rating mean?
The C rating of a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery (or cell) is used as a guide to show what kind of continuous current draw, in amps, the cell in question will support.
By multiplying the C rating times the cell capacity in milliamperehours (mAh), the continuous current in milliamperes (mA) of a cell can be calculated.
In my case, the batteries I use for Nesaru are rated as 180 mAh, 25-40C. I’ll use the lower “C number, as I’m pretty sure the 40C is “peak capacity – more on that in a moment.
The Turnigy LiPo battery CG uses for his rocket, Nesaru.
For this battery, the safe continuous current draw value is found by multiplying 180 (mAh) x 25 (C), which gives you 4500 mA, or 4.5 Amps.
Now, for the "Peak value".
This is the amount of current the battery can safely deliver for very short periods of time. In this case, the battery says its peak value is 40C. Using the same math above, we get a peak current rating of 7200 Ma, or 7.2 Amps.
Note on Charger setting:
The battery in my example is rated for 8C max charge rate. Doing the math (180 x 8), the safe charge rate for my battery is about 1.44 Amps.
As for the charger settings for this battery, I should stay below the 1.44 Amp charge value to stay safe. Not pushing the battery to its limits in the charger means the cells will stand a much lesser chance of becoming unbalanced (in multi-cell batteries). So, I typically charge this battery at a 0.5 Amps on the charger.
Why? Because unbalanced battery cells = a really bad day in the field – if you’re lucky!
Links I found for further reading on the topic, and packed with many of the tips I gave, plus much more:
The Lithium Polymer Safety Guide
The Drone Girl blog
That swollen cell phone LiPo battery CG talked about during the show!
liPo cell phone battery gone bad!
The swelling is apparent, and even though the battery has a big "Li-Ion" stamp on the lower right corner, the fine print on top says what CG figured out when the swelling pushed his old cell phone apart...
We decided to do something fun. We're re-visiting our first podcast with Daniel, The Rocket n00b! Boy have things changed!
Topics discussed:
CG and Gheem talk with Jim Scarpine of the "Our Children's Future (OCF)" team about their successful LDRS-34 launch, The Rocket n00b joins the show!
Team OCF's successful launch!
Daniel, The Rocket n00b!
Use the discussion forum to post comments on this episode!
Sponsors for this episode:
North Coast Rocketry: Makers of easy to build, fun to fly High and Mid power rocket kits,
eRockets.Biz: Rocket kits, and Semroc rocket parts to take your flying experiences to the next level!
InsaneRocketry: Makers of the Insane Rockets Smart Phone app!
SiriusRocketry.Biz: Makers of kits that are more than just three fins and a nose cone! For The Serious Rocketeer!
And LISTENERS LIKE YOU! Become a Patron of The Rocketry Show today!
In this episode: What we've been up to this summer since the last update!
Gheem talks about the maiden flight of his Out of Production NCR X-Wing fighter rocket kit
Gheem's NCR X-Wing Fighter rocket kit.
CG talks about his trip to White House, TN to see the Eclipse over USA.
2017 Eclipse photo by fellow rocketeer, Brian Guzek
Here are the videos to support this Episode of the summer edition of The Rocketry Show:
GHeem's X-Wing fighter launch:
https://youtu.be/qIHnBAJD7iM
CG's Eclipse video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkxEvqB5m8A
Video from CG"s friend and co-worker, Kirk Harnack:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FgmBc9qZ10
Sponsors for this episode:
North Coast Rocketry: Makers of easy to build, fun to fly High and Mid power rocket kits,
eRockets.Biz: Rocket kits, and Semroc rocket parts to take your flying experiences to the next level!
InsaneRocketry: Makers of the Insane Rockets Smart Phone app!
SiriusRocketry.Biz: Makers of kits that are more than just three fins and a nose cone! For The Serious Rocketeer!
The gang come together to talk about their summer projects.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flb05G6NSCs
Since the studio is undergoing upgrades to its core systems, the gang fight through a number of technical glitches that become quite comical in the last 10 minutes of the update.
Oh...and Way to go, Joe Bernard!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypHruMqfU3U&t=29s
Enjoy!
The Rocketry show FINALLY made it to the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC), thanks to the support of our sponsors, and YOU!
In Part One of our coverage, we talk to the organizers of TARC 2017 and interview some of the teams involved, as well as a story that brought two unlikely groups together! Enjoy!
Special thanks to the AIA for their help in getting us set up for this great opportunity!
About the Team America Rocketry Challenge
The Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) is the world’s largest rocket contest and the aerospace industry’s flagship program designed to encourage students to study science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and more than 20 aerospace industry partners, TARC provides middle and high school students the opportunity to design, build and launch model rockets in a competition among approximately 5,000 students
The Rocketettes
nationwide each year. Other partners providing support for the program include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Defense, the American Association of Physics Teachers and The Mars Generation.
TARC was originally conceived as a one-time contest to celebrate the 100th
Robin Thurman - AIA, CG and Gheem
anniversary of flight. After receiving hundreds of requests from students, teachers and parents, AIA and its
Virgin Islands Team
partners decided to continue the program to challenge students year-in and year-out, with varying in performance specifications. Fifteen years later, TARC is still going strong.
A pool of over $100,000 in scholarships and prizes is shared by the top 10 teams. Raytheon Company sponsors the winning team to participate in an annual International Rocketry Challenge, which alternates each year between the Paris Air Show and the Farnborough International Airshow in London.
CG and Gheem at TARC 2017 happening at The Planes, VA...we are doing a quick report for ya from our table in the exhibitor's tent!
Daniel, The Rocket n00b, takes a surprise tour of MIT Rocketry team's R&D Lab.
Daniel is joined by Charlie Garcia on a tour of the facility, along with stories of what the MIT team is up to in their rocketry projects! Sit back, and enjoy the tour. It's pretty dense, so you'll want to listen a few times!
MIT's Project Virgo rocket
Some building going on!
The "Project Raziel" rocket that was discussed during the tour.
CG, Gheem, and Daniel catch up with you and share some of the projects they are working on.
Gheem has been building a couple of North Coast Rocketry kits, and making progress on his Level 3 rocket. Daniel has also been working on a North Coast Rocketry kit, and a small fleet of Estes kits. CG has been working on the studio some more, as well as coming up with a plan for TARC 2017.
Join us for a workshop discussion, and a laid back show!
Gheem's Level 3 build! We still think it should be school bus yellow! :-)
Daniel's rocket design made up of lots of random parts.
Episode 47 of The Rocketry Show Podcast is a packed one! The team review many of the teams that won awards at the NASA Student Launch competitions. We also review some of the local (to CG and Gheem) teams who made it to Huntsville, Al.
The Notre Dame rocketry team: winners of the closest to one mile award! (They got it to within 6 feet).
We also talk a bit about some of the national finalists for TARC. You can download the complete list here.
We talk to Charlie Savoie of Aerotech about some of the highlights of LDRS 36 (as of the morning of Sunday, April 9, 2017)
We hope you enjoy the episode...it was a lot of work to put together!
While CG and the gang recover from a rigorous NARCON 2017 recording session, and all the post-production that went into it, the gang thought this would be a good time to re-broadcast an episode from season 1 along with some current news, Patron information, as well as responding to some recent Post-NARCON e-mails and some twitter chatter.
The original Throne Thruster episode aired as two parts, and features Larry Koskie of the Michiana Rocketry club talking about all the engineering and physics challenges centered around turning an actual Porta-Potty into a flying high power odd-rock, and doing it is a safe manner! This is no, “Bubba, Hold my beer launch, and the topics were quite fascinating!
Plus, the gang respond to tweets surrounding one of our loyal listeners stumbling across our rocket logo elsewhere on the web.
NARCON 2017 coverage! Need we say more? :-)
Daniel (rocket n00b) and CG talk with Gheem about the goings on with NARCON 2017 as best we can, and we plug our 1 hour and six minute video production on the convention and the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy museum artifacts.
Daniel and James Barowman!
Daniel reviews some highlights from the R&D session, and the manufacturers session along with quite a few other items of interest.
We touch on the funny "incident" with NASA's display Black Brant sounding rocket, which was parked next to the hosting hotel.
NASA Black Brant Sounding Rocket.
Also, this special podcast concludes with our interview with James Barrowman...as in "The Barrowman Equation"!
Look below the pictures for the embedded version of our video on The Rocketry Show's You Tube channel...
FBI calls the cops to check out this rocket next to the hotel. (photo: John Thompson)
Daniel, James Barrowman, and CG!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXLhigNNMcc
John Boren from Estes Rockets joins us, and talks rocket kits with us.
Estes
Get a sneak peak into what goes behind a new Estes Rocket design, and the criteria behind why some designs happen!
Also, We answer a very interesting question from one of our listeners!
John Beans joins us in our Season 2 finale!
John Beans!
We talk about the new "Chute release" product as well as having fun just talking about rockets. We had fun, and we think you'll have fun listening to this episode!
The Chute Release
Chute Release on wrapped parachute.