THOR’s Hammer Page 19 Page 23 · The official newsletter of The Heartland Organization of Rocketry! ... a second stage simulator and a ... powered flight tests of a liquid-propellant

THOR’s Hammer – July 2005 1

THOR’s Hammer The official newsletter of The Heartland Organization of Rocketry!

Contents Calendar – Page 2

High Hopes… – Page 3

Hawk Mountain… – Page 4

Flyfast Retires… – Page 4

Fire on the Farm VIII – Page 5

5/21 HPR Launch – Page 13

Shadow ”On Steroids”–Page 15

Super Mosquito – Page 19

NASA Space Place – Page 23

July 2005 ---FREE--- Volume 12 Number 4

Fire on the Farm VIII coverage inside! Jason Vennard, along with his daughter Meesha, flew his BSD Sprint on an AeroTech H165 Redline during the third day of the launch. (Richard Burney)


Club Officers

PRESIDENT – Bruce Lee Phone Number: (402) 691-8420 E-mail: [email protected] VICE PRESIDENT – Greg Rothman Phone Number: (402) 891-5706 E-mail: [email protected] TREASURER – Thomas Kernes Phone Number: (402) 484-7007 E-mail: [email protected] SECRETARY – Richard Burney Phone Number: (402) 681-6337 E-mail: [email protected] TRA NEBRASKA PREFECT – Kevin Trojanowski Phone Number: (402) 292-4101 E-mail: [email protected] NAR SECTION #562 LEADER – Bruce Lee

Newsletter Editor - Richard Burney

THOR Rocketry Hotline

Phone Number (Local): Pending Phone Number (Toll Free): Pending

Internet Links of Interest

http://www.nerocketry.org/ THOR’s official web page. Has information on our club, launch dates, and history.

http://www.tripoli.org/ Home page for the Tripoli Rocketry Association.

http://www.nar.org/index.html

Home page for the National Association of Rocketry.

http://www.rocketryonline.com/index.cgi Rocketry Online is an excellent source of model and high power rocketry related news and information.

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/ Home page for NASA’s Space Place program of which THOR has participated in since 2003.

http://www.giantleaprocketry.com/ Giant Leap Rocketry has been THOR’s main vendor at our high power launches since 2002.

http://www.kloudbusters.org/ Home page for the K.L.O.U.D.Busters Tripoli Prefecture of the state of Kansas.

July/August 2005 Calendar

July Event: Low Power Launch. When: Sunday the 3rd, Noon to ? Where: La Vista Sports Complex. Fee: Free. Description: Low power sport flying. Event: July Meeting. When: Tuesday the 5th, 7:00 to 10:00 PM. Where: La Vista Community Center. Event: LDRS XXIV. When: High power commercial flying from Thursday the 14th through Sunday the 17th. Experimental flying on Monday the 18th and Tuesday the 19th. Where: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Description: Large and Dangerous Rocket Ships number 24! The first LDRS to be held outside of the US! For More Information: http://www.ldrs24.org/ Event: High Power Launch. When: Saturday the 16th, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Where: Pickrell, NE. Ceiling: 15,000’ MSL (13,650’ AGL). Window to 23,000’ MSL possible with 72+ hour advance notice. Fee: $5. Description: High power and low power sport flying. For More Information: Check the rocketry hotline for any delays or cancellations if weather looks questionable. Event: NARAM 46. When: Saturday July 30th through Friday August 5th. Where: West Chester, OH. Description: NAR’s week of model rocketry competition. Typically there is a lot of sport and some high power flying, too. For More Information: http://www.naram.org/

August Event: August Meeting. When: Tuesday the 2nd, 7:00 to 10:00 PM. Where: La Vista Community Center. Event: Low Power Launch. When: Sunday the 7th, Noon to ? Where: La Vista Sports Complex. Fee: Free. Description: Low power sport flying. Event: High Power Launch. When: Saturday the 20th, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Where: Pickrell, NE. Ceiling: 15,000’ MSL (13,650’ AGL). Window to 23,000’ MSL possible with 72+ hour advance notice. Fee: $5. Description: High power and low power sport flying. For More Information: Check the rocketry hotline for any delays or cancellations if weather looks questionable. Event: Offutt AFB Air Show. When: Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th. Where: Offutt AFB, Bellevue, NE.


High Hopes for Low-Cost Rocket After Successful Launch Test

By Leonard David - Senior Space Writer (posted: 26 May 2005 08:54 am ET at www.space.com)

A low-cost rocket capable of tossing small payloads

into space has been test flown from a Mojave, California test site.

The successful launch and recovery of the Prospector 6 (P6) test vehicle took place on May 21, under the California Launch Vehicle Education Initiative (CALVEIN). A joint industry/academic team is hard at work to develop a low-cost Nanosat Launch Vehicle, a booster that can deliver 22 pound (10 kilogram) payloads to low Earth orbit.

The partially reusable P6 test vehicle is designed and built by Garvey Spacecraft Corporation in Long Beach, California and California State University, Long Beach. The rocket is a full-scale, but low-fidelity look-alike to a two-stage, more advanced vehicle being planned.

The pathfinder P6 flight evaluated new vehicle technologies and more proficient field site operations, said John Garvey of Garvey Spacecraft Corporation. Responsive space operations

Roaring into the sky, the nearly 27 foot (8 meter) long Prospector 6 flew to slightly under 3,000 feet (914 meters) – a far cry from orbit, but a milestone toward the goal of hurling small satellites into space. The recent flight also carried an interstage, a second stage simulator and a graphite/epoxy composite payload fairing.

The research team conducted their test operations at the Mojave Test Area that is owned and operated by the Reaction Research Society.

“Of significance for advocates of responsive space operations,” Garvey said, “was the demonstration of vehicle delivery, integration, payload installation, propellant loading, launch, recovery and shipment back to the California State University, Long Beach campus in a single day.”

“We got the hardware back in decent shape again,” Garvey told SPACE.com. “We’ll be deciding which direction to head next. We might attempt to develop higher performing vehicles or remain focused on getting much of the basic fundamental technology and operations in place first, while still flying university-type payloads.” Student payloads

Garvey noted that the P6 flight also continued the CALVEIN practice of manifesting student payloads from across the country.

California State University, Long Beach-supplied experiments included a mini-DV camera sponsored by a student chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The device captured on-board video of the entire flight sequence. In addition, the hardware handled a real-time telemetry system that adapted commercial off-the-shelf Wi Fi technology to relay key propulsion system parameters.

Also onboard the rocket was a measurement logging package provided by Montana State University. It recorded acceleration, pressure and temperature data that is already being used to assess the vehicle’s performance. Near-term test plans

With the successful recovery of the P6, the CALVEIN team is now updating their plans to reuse the

hardware in future flight testing. The rocketeers are investigating new propellant mixes, advanced engine chamber materials, and novel ways to accommodate payloads on their launcher design.

“There are a number of folks on our end, including myself, who have a strong interest in the results. We are now in the process of updating our near-term test plans. The basic P6 hardware is in good shape and can be refurbished in a short time,” Garvey said.

Along with their recent low-altitude development flight, earlier team achievements include the first-ever powered flight tests of a liquid-propellant aerospike engine and composite cryogenic propellant tankage for liquid oxygen. A view of the launch from an onboard camera is available here (http://www.csulb.edu/%7Ebesnarde/p-6/P6--OnboardCam-JJ-SH.wmv).

Rocketeers prepare the Prospector 6 test vehicle for liftoff. Image Credit: Eric Besnard, California State University, Long Beach

Prospector 6 rocket roars into the sky in test flight. Prototype booster is aimed at future rocket designed to hurl nanosatellites into Earth orbit. Image Credit: Eric Besnard, California State University, Long Beach


Hawk Mountain New Products Courtesy of Rocketry Online –

www.rocketryonline.com – May 6, 2005

(Editor’s note: I am including this article since this ties into my Level 3 and other future rocket designs) (ROL Newswire) -- Hawk Mountain has developed an aluminum fin canister for their 4" fiberglass tubing. This is a military grade unit machined from 6061-T6 aluminum with beveled 0.125" thick fins! The fin can screws together on the airframe and if a fin is damaged it can be easily replaced. The fin can weighs 1.5 pounds and is clear anodized which will resist corrosion and can be painted with regular paint. The fin canister can be used for a 4" minimum diameter rocket or can be used with airframes with 38, 54 or 75mm motor mounts. Besides being strong enough for Mach flights you can easily remove the fin canister if your rocket suffers damage to the airframe. The Fin Canister sells for $98.00

Also New from Hawk Mountain "All Fiberglass 4" Kit called the Gryphon! The Hawk Mountain 4" all fiberglass Gryphon kit is named after a mystical animal with characteristics of two of the noblest animals; the Lion and the Eagle. It is most easily recognized as having the head of an Eagle and the body of a Lion. The Base kit has a 36" long 4" fiberglass airframe, Fiberglass nose cone, three 0.093" FR-4 beveled fins, 38mm fiberglass motor mount, fiberglass piston system and Kevlar shock cords. The kit can be upgraded with a 54mm motor mount or 75mm motor mount. It is also available in 48", 60" and 72" long airframes as well as a dual deployment version. The 54mm & 75mm motor mount upgrades include 0.125" beveled fins. The Base kit sells for only $ 189.00 and flies great on 38mm "H" & "I" motors. The dual deployment kit features a new electronics bay located in the 11" long coupler which is designed to hold multiple altimeters or GPS units.

To learn more about the Aluminum Fin Canister and Gryphon kit visit us at http://www.hawkmountain.ws Source: Hawk Mountain

Giant Leap Rocketry Acquires Flyfast Inventory and Retail Rights

Courtesy of Rocketry Online – www.rocketryonline.com – May 25, 2005

(ROL Newswire) -- Giant Leap Rocketry, Inc. has acquired the inventory of Flyfast Industries and secures its retail rights. According to Matt Jones of Flyfast Industries "electric matches were always my specialty, and with Daveyfire exiting the market space, as well as other manufacturers limiting their product availability, I have decided to cease retail operations...Giant Leap Rocketry will serve as the local motor supplier". Ed, of Giant Leap Rocketry Inc., says "we look forward to serving the needs of the local area formally serviced by Flyfast. Giant Leap will attend the launches and will supply motors and materials". If you have any questions, please contact Ed at Giant Leap Rocketry ([email protected]). Source: Giant Leap Rocketry, Inc.

A special thanks goes to Matt and Ann Jones for providing their services to THOR since 2004.

No need to worry, we still have Giant Leap to satisfy our kit, part, and motor needs!


Fire on the Farm VIII April 15th – 17th

Article by Richard Burney. Pictures by Kevin Trojanowski, Jason Vennard, and Richard Burney

Fire on the Farm VIII was held the weekend of Friday April 15th through Sunday April 18th, 2005. With the temperatures being in the low to upper 70’s all three days, a mix of clouds and sun, and generally favorable wind conditions, this was undoubtedly the best weather we have ever had for this event. Though there were not as many flights as some previous Fire on the Farm launches, it was a fun weekend for all who attended. Friday, April 15th… April 15th not only marked the due day for millions of taxpayer across the country, but also the first day of FOTF VIII! As usual, Friday was used as the setup day and also the day for those wanting to do some experimental flying. It was a pleasant day with a mix of clouds and sun and a high in the 70’s. The biggest flight of the day went to Don Rice and his large, stretched Exocet which he had flown for his Level 3 at LDRS XXII. The motor was an M class, 75mm, 6 grain, “Wimpy” red propellant motor. This awesome flight was the only M flight and the most powerful for FOTF VIII. Lanie Cross from the Des Moines, IA area had three flights during the day. Lanie’s first flight was a rocket that looked like a LOC IV with a gray and yellow paint job powered by an I450 (about 480 N). It went to

2,400’. His second flight was a Ground Zero “Air-Oh!” powered by a 38mm J425 DPS Red motor (about 680 N). After quite a bit of chuffing on the pad, the “Air-Oh!” went to an altitude of 2,850’. Lanie’s third flight was his Arcas powered by a 54mm K900 Green motor (about 1,440 N). After going up to 4,550’, it landed about a mile north in a tree. With some help from Rick Bosworth, Lanie was able to get it down. The most powerful flight of FOTF VIII was Don Rice’s M powered Exocet. (Trojanowski)


Saturday, April 16th… After a cloudy morning and a very brief light sprinkle, the day turned mostly sunny in the afternoon with a high in the low 70’s. With only a wind in the 5 to 10 MPH range, it was a great day to fly. All together for Saturday, 26 flyers flew a total of 61 flights. Motors burned were as follows: A – 4, B – 5, C – 21, D – 10, E – 2, F – 3, G – 2, H – 8, I – 7, J – 5, K – 2, and L – 1. Once again, Giant Leap Rocketry and Flyfast Industires were present on the field. The big flight of the day along with being the biggest commercial flight of the weekend was Matt Jones big V-2 powered by a Cesaroni Pro75 L800. After taking an arcing path towards the east (guess it was trying to head towards England!), it reached an altitude of about 3,000’ and came down on a big Rocketman chute. Matt’s V-2 would fly twice more on Sunday. Matt’s wife Ann got in a flight with her PML Explorer powered by a Pro38 I212 Smoky Sam. The highest flight of the day went to Don Rice and his rocket called Peal Necklace (named after the old ZZ Top song) which was powered by an AeroTech K550. A few hundred feet up into its flight, Pearl Necklace took an abrupt 30 degree turn for unknown reasons. But once it got on its new course, it went straight up to an altitude of 11,231’. With a Pro 54 K660, I wonder if Don could set a new ‘K’ altitude record? The other K flight for the day was Rick Epp’s Yank AIM-54 Phoenix. After taking some pictures with his family with his rocket, Rick sent it up on a Pro54 K570. After taking an arcing path like Matt’s V-2 (though, to the west), the main deployed at apogee and it drifted to the north. Though the main was supposed to come out at low altitude, it was an otherwise successful flight and it will fly again. Richard Burney (the author of this article) got in his first two flights of the year on Saturday. I first flew my veteran PML AMRAAM 4 on an AeroTech I211. Unfortunately, the parachute got tangled and it landed hard, breaking one of the main fins and doing some other damage. Time to build a new AMRAAM 4 I say! My flight with my LOC Minie Magg (the South Park themed I Killed Kenny) went a lot better. It went straight up on an AeroTech I357 and landed a few hundred feet to the north. The most flights for Saturday were done by Delayne Roby. Delayne got in a total of 9 flights. All of these flights were a variety of Estes rockets powered by A through C motors. The most sophisticated flight of the day went to George and Andrew Wimmer’s Focused Insanity. Insanity was powered by a central Pro38 I350 Smoky Sam; two AeroTech H165 Redlines would airstart one second into flight followed by two AeroTech F40’s three seconds into flight. The good news was that the motor airstart sequence went perfectly. The bad news was that the rocket broke apart at a coupler on landing. George and Andrew

were able to get the rocket fixed up on time for George’s Level 2 flight on Sunday. After flying ended at 5:00 in the afternoon, a dozen or so flyers and their families got together at the Super China Buffet in nearby Beatrice for food and drinks. A nice way to end the day!

Rick Epp and family with Rick’s Yank AIM-54 Phoenix preflight. (Burney)

Liftoff on a Pro54 K570. (Burney)


Tony and his veteran LOC EZI-65. For this flight, Tony flew it with an AeroTech H97 Blackjack with smoky results. I wonder how many rocketeers have actually flown this rocket with the AeroTech I65? (Burney)

“She wore a pearl necklace…” Don Rice’s AeroTech K550 powered Pearl Necklace took an abrupt turn in its flight right after takeoff, but yet still managed to reach a neck breaking 11,231’. (Burney)


“Mmffmfmfm mmfmfmfm mfmfmf!” After 7 years of flying his South Park themed LOC Minie Magg, Richard Burney has yet to “Kill Kenny”! For this flight, I went with an AeroTech I357. (Burney)

That evening, a bunch of us had dinner at the Super China Buffet in Beatrice. (Burney)


Sunday, April 17th… Sunday turned out to be the windiest of the three days with the winds usually over 10 MPH. On the flipside, it was a comfortable day near 80 degrees with plenty of sunshine. A total of 18 flyers got in a total of 43 flights. Total motors burned were as follows: A – 3, B – 2, C – 10, D – 6, E – 1, F – 1, G – 6, H – 6, I – 2, J – 5, K – 1, and L - 1. Like on Saturday, Matt Jones went crazy with his big V-2 once again. During the first part of the morning, Matt first flew his V-2 on a Pro54 K660. If that wasn’t enough, Matt ended up loading up the V-2 again later in the day with a Pro54 L730. Let’s see here… two L’s and one big K in the same rocket during two days. That’s got to be a record! Matt’s V-2 had some slight damage after its last flight, but I’m sure it will be back. Ann Jones reflew her Level 2 rocket from the month before, this time on a Pro38 H143 Smoky Sam, but the rocket popped a few fins after a hard landing. The most flights of the day (and for the weekend, that matter) were done by me. I got in a total of 14 flights; all of these were Estes black powder motors ranging from A’s to D’s. Most of the flights went well, but my Skywinder lawndarted after its blades failed to pop out on its second flight and the upper stage of my Longshot also lawndarted after the D12 failed to light the C6 in the upperstage. All together I had 16 flights that weekend. It was a good way to start off my 20th anniversary year of flying model rockets. After a long absence, Rich Baker attended his first THOR launch in about a year or so. Rich flew a motor which has not been seen at a THOR launch in quite some time, an AeroTech J260 EFX – an actual AeroTech hybrid! With a Missile Works RRC2 for parachute deployment, Rich had a successful flight with his new scratch-built rocket powered by this hybrid. The last flight of the day went to George Wimmer. After he and Andrew got the Focused Insanity fixed up, it was ready to go for George’s Level 2 flight on a Pro38 J330. This time the flight was a complete success. Congratulations, George! Can’t wait to see what creations the Wimmer family will come up now that they are now in the realm of J’s through L’s! Conclusion… After three days of flying, over a 110 flights were accomplished. Though it wasn’t the greatest Fire on the Farm, it was far from being the worst; FOTF III in 2000 had less then 70 flights (very bad weather all weekend) and FOTF IV in 2001 had less then 60 (again, bad weather really hampered the commercial flying days). All motor classes in the A through M range were flown during the weekend. A special thanks goes to all who participated in FOTF VIII whether it be the flyers or those who

helped run the launch. Thanks also go to Giant Leap Rocketry and Flyfast Industries for once again providing their services.

The first launch for Sunday was Mark Havel’s J350 powered Black Brandt X. (Burney)


Tom Kernes recently had his Big Roy II given a professional, automotive paint job. Before permanently retiring Roy, Tom gave it one more awesome flight with an I161. (Burney)

Launch of Richard Burney’s Estes AIM-120 AMRAAM on a C11-3. (Left – Burney. Right – Vennard)


Is this guy made of Cesaroni motors or what? Matt and Ann Jones with Matt’s V-2. This Pro54 K570 powered flight was its second flight during the entire weekend. (Left – Burney. Right – Trojanowski)

Rich Baker flew his scratch-built rocket with a J260 EFX hybrid. (Burney)


Right at liftoff, Scott Chaffin’s Hawk Mountain Raptor’s nose and parachute deployed. Though the G64 powered flight was abruptly ended, there was no damage and the Raptor was reflown that day. (Burney)

THOR newcomer Jim Harris and his son Theron and daughter Tiffany with his NCR Phantom 4000. Jim’s Phantom had a nice smooth flight up with an AeroTech G64 reload. (Burney)


THOR High Power Launch Pickrell, NE – May 21st

Article and pictures by Richard Burney

This spring here in southeast Nebraska has been a pretty windy one. Fortunately, the weather has been cooperative for all of our launches so far this year. But the wind finally caught up with us on our May 21st launch. The wind was probably over 15 MPH all day so the flying was pretty limited. But the high was in the 80’s and there was plenty of sunshine, so it could have been worse. Most flights went well, but there was a lot of walking to be done! All together, 9 flyers produced just 12 flights. Motors burned were as follows: D – 3, F – 2, G – 3, H – 3, and I – 1. It’s been a long time since the biggest flight of the day was an I!

I think we should have followed Tom Henry’s lead and just flew kites instead!

Kevin Rich and the rocket he used for the spot landing contest filmed for the Rocket Challenge show on the Discovery Channel.

Liftoff on an AeroTech G80.


Just like Bill Richardson, Larry Mills took an Aiptek Model 5100M digital camcorder and made it airworthy.

Larry Mills’ Video 2 rocket was flown on a Pro38 I205… biggest flight of the day! After the flight, Larry played back the footage that was recorded to the camera’s Compact Flash memory card for those present.


Estes Shadow “On Steroids” Article by Joe Michel. Pictures by Joe Michel, Jason

Vennard, and Richard Burney

The Estes Shadow was one of my favorite

rockets. I had one back in 94 or 95 (I can’t remember which). Unfortunately, she was lost to a rocket-eating-tree on her maiden flight. Pity too, I really liked that bird. I wanted another Shadow, but like with so many other great kits, Estes took it out of production. Plans for the Shadow are not available on the Internet either. I had seen Shadows for sale on eBay from time to time, so I decided to jump on one and get it. After some skillful sniping, the Shadow was mine!

After it arrived, it took me a couple of weeks to get up enough courage to open a valuable, mint-condition, untouched kit. I got over it and opened her up! I decided to build a HPR clone instead of actually building the kit. Like with so many projects, this quickly spiraled out of control, and now I have a stretched, dual-deployment, 38MM “Shadow On Steroids”!!!

The first flight of the Shadow was on 4/16/05. The flight ended in failure due to a motor malfunction. The rocket was repaired and flown successfully on 5/21/05.

The subject matter for this upscale project – the Estes Shadow. (Michel)

Filleting fins to motor tube. (Michel)

Completed fin can ready to install. (Michel)

Alt bay with RRC2 Altimeter. (Michel)


Doing internal fillets. (Michel)

On the rack, primered and ready to paint. (Michel)

Painted. (Michel)

Booster decaled and cleared. (Michel)

Finish painted payload section and alt bay. (Michel)


Joe and his finished Shadow. For this maiden flight, Joe went with an I211 using dual-stage deployment (main at 500’). When reaching an altitude of about 1,370’, apparently the motor had a blow-by causing an early ejection. The tube was zippered and the shock cord broke, but otherwise no other damage. (Burney)

The main damage was this several inch zipper. A month later, it was ready to fly again! (Michel)


Joe’s Shadow was ready to fly at the 5/21 launch. Richard Burney gets ready to take some pictures while Joe looks on. For this flight, Joe went with an H180, with the main chute deploying at 500’. (Vennard)

This time the flight went perfectly; it reached an altitude of 1,614’ with the main chute at 500’. Hopefully we will see many more flights from this rocket in the future! (Center – Vennard. Left and right – Burney)


BT-80 Size “Super Mosquito” Article, design, and pictures by Richard Burney

Introduction… After I came back into model rocketry in the mid 1990’s, one of the first scratch-built rockets I did was a BT-80 upscale of the classic Estes Mosquito. After having seen the various sizes of Mosquitoes that James Cornwell had done and that had been presented on a number of the Point 39 Production's LDRS tapes, I was inspired to do the same. I went out and bought a Mosquito for myself. Before building it, I carefully took all the dimensions off of it and recreated the rocket in AutoCAD. I directly scaled the design up to a BT-80 body tube size. After fudging a few things around (ie. the blunt BT-5 nosecone doesn’t perfectly scale up to the BT-80 blunt nosecone), adding a 24mm motor mount, and adding through-the-wall-construction for the fins, I was ready to make this rocket a reality. I simultaneously built both my big and little Mosquitoes during the fall of 1996. Both rockets were flown late that fall. The little Mosquito was flown once and immediately retired… it was just too easy to lose it on even the smallest motors! My “Super Mosquito”, as I had dubbed it, would go on to generate about a 100 flights during the next 8 years. A little over a year after having built it, I decided to make my plans available to the club. From my original AutoCAD drawing, I drew up the construction plans and templates for others to build the same exact rocket that I had created. The plans were published in the March 1998 (Volume 4 Number 2) newsletter. At least one or two club members put my design to good use. Due to damage it took on its last flight last June, I decided to permanently retire my original Super Mosquito. I plan on building one or more new ones sometime soon. Since I will be rebuilding this rocket in the near future, I figured it was the perfect time to represent these plans to the club and to the public. I have also used this opportunity to go back and revise a few things on the design. The plans I have on the next few pages are for a BT-80 sized Mosquito, with a 24mm motor mount, using mainly Estes parts. For those wanting to use rail buttons, alternative motor retention, sturdier shock cord material, stronger body tube material, etc., feel free to do so. For those wanting to go with a 29 or 38mm motor mount, I have provided the additional cutting lines on the fin tab for those wanting to go with those motor mount sizes. When using the Fin Template, the easiest way to make sure the Template has been printed to the proper size is that the fin tab matches the dimension called out for the fin slots on the tube; also the Fin

Alignment Guide on the Template page should match to the back end of a BT-80 tube. Building Supplies… You will need typical building supplies such as a sharp hobby knife, sandpaper (fine and rough grits), wood glue and/or epoxies, paper tape, some sort of sanding sealer or filler to finish the fins and fill the body tube spirals, primer, and finishing paint(s). The two main paint jobs Estes had for this kit was all yellow with one black fin or all red with a yellow fin (refer to past Estes catalogs). Material List… Air Frame – 1 BT-80 nose cone (the blunt one used on the Broadsword and Super Big Bertha), 9-7/16” length of BT-80 body tube, 2 sheets of 3” x 24” x 1/8” fin material (basswood is a good choice since it’s quite a bite stronger then balsa, but still is easy to cut with a knife), 6” length of BT-50 (for building the scaled launch lug), and two 3/16” or 1/4” launch lugs. Motor Mount – 3-1/4” length of BT-50 body tube, 2 BT-80 centering rings (for a BT-50/24mm type motor tube), 1 spent Estes 24mm motor (or a pre-made motor thrust ring), 1 Estes D12 size motor hook (again, use a motor retention system that works best for you). Recovery System – 36” long (or longer) by 1/4” wide nylon shock cord, 18” parachute. Instructions… 1. Figure 1 – Cut a 1/4” section off of a spent D12 or E9 motor to make a thrust ring (disregard if you have a thrust ring already). Glue/epoxy the ring into the 3-1/4” motor tube, 2-1/2” from the bottom end. 2. Figure 2 – Cut a 1/8” slot, 2-1/2” from the bottom of the motor tube; slot should be right under the thrust ring. Put a 1” long bead of glue/epoxy from the slot towards the bottom of the tube. Insert the motor hook as shown. Wrap paper tape around the midpoint of the motor mount to help secure it in place. 3. Figure 3 – Mark the motor tube 1/2" from the bottom and 3/16” from the top. Glue/epoxy the two centering rings as shown. Set assembly aside to dry. 4. Figure 4 – Using the Fin Alignment Guide, mark the bottom of the BT-80 body tube. Using a straight edge, extend the lines up the side of the tube. Draw then cut out the slots for the fin tabs as dimensioned. 5. Figure 5 – Glue/epoxy motor mount in place in BT-80 body tube. Centering rings should straddle


the slots in the body tube and the end of the motor mount should line up with the end of the body tube. 6. Cut out the fin template. Set the template on a sheet of fin material. Be mindful of the direction of the material grain. With a pen or pencil, trace the fin’s outline. Repeat this process for two more fins. Cut out all three fins. Sand down any rough edges. 7. Figure 6 – Test fit the fins into the body tube slots. Sand and adjust where needed. After satisfactory fit has been achieved, glue/epoxy each fin into place. When gluing fins into place, each of the three fins should be equally spaced 120 degrees from each other. Use the Fin Alignment Guide or similar aid to assist in fin alignment. 8. Figure 7 – For those wanting to replicate the original Mosquito’s launch lug, cut a 6” length of BT-80. Glue a launch lug into each end. Make sure lugs are aligned. 9. Figure 8 – Glue/epoxy launch lug assembly to rocket as shown. For those not replicating this look, position and secure lugs or rail buttons as desired. 10. Apply glue/epoxy fillets to fin and lug joints. 11. Use whatever technique you are comfortable in securing the shock cord to the body tube or motor mount. The shock cord mount on the template page is for those who want to use a “weave” type mount. Glue shock cord at least 2” from the top of the inside of the body tube in order for proper clearance of the nose cone’s shoulder. 12. Attach shock cord to the nose cone. Attach the parachute to the nose cone or about a third of the way back down the shock cord. 13. If using a wood based fin material, finish fins with sanding sealer and/or a finish cure epoxy (especially for those using balsa). 14. Spray sandable primer on the rocket. Apply additional coats of primer and sand until desired finish. Apply the paint job of your choice. 15. Figure 9 – This is how your finished Super Mosquito should look. You are now ready to fly! Flying the Super Mosquito… During the 8 years I had my original Super Mosquito, I flew it on a wide range of single use and reloadable 24mm motors ranging from as small as the Estes C11 to as large as AeroTech’s F21 (whenever I used that motor, I regretted having a D12 size engine hook inside the rocket!). With its large swept back fins, it is a rock solid performer.

This was one of my favorite rockets in my fleet and I hope that others will have the chance to enjoy having one too. If you got the desire to put in 29 or 38mm motors in this rocket, go for it! If you have the nerves of steel to try a 54mm J or K in this… James Cornwell successfully flew a 2.6” or 3” diameter Mosquito using a 54mm motor at LDRS XVI in 1997, so hey, it’s possible!☺

With its large, rear swept fins, the Super Mosquito is a very stable sport flyer!

With two or three large glow sticks, the Super Mosquito can be flown at night!


0.125

0.063

FIG. 8

FIG. 6

FIG. 4

2.438

0.563

3X 120°

2.5003.250

FIG. 1

MOTOR BLOCK

FIG. 9

6.000

FIG. 7

LAUNCH LUG

FIG. 3

FIG. 5

FIG. 2

"SUPER MOSQUITO" - CREATED BY RICHRD BURNEY - NOVEMBER 1996

2.500

GLUE

TAPEPAPER

GLUE

0.500

0.188

REVISED BY RICHARD BURNEY - MAY 2005

2 PLACES


FINALLIGNMENT

GUIDE

GRAIN DIRECTION

(MAKE 3)

FIN PATTERN

"SUPER MOSQUITO" TEMPLATE SHEETFULL SCALE LAYOUT

CREATED BY RICHARD BURNEY - NOVEMBER 1996REVISED BY RICHARD BURNEY - MAY 2005

SHOCK CORD MOUNT

(38m

m M

otor

Mou

nt)

(24m

m M

otor

Mou

nt)

(29m

m M

otor

Mou

nt)

***NOTE*** - When printing this page of this PDF file, set printer scale to “NONE” or it will print too small.


http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids

Asian Tsunami Seen from Space By Patrick L. Barry

When JPL research scientist Michael Garay first heard the news that a tsunami had struck southern Asia, he felt the same shock and sadness over the tremendous loss of human life that most people certainly felt. Later, though, he began to wonder: were these waves big enough to see from space? So he decided to check. At JPL, Garay analyzes data from MISR—the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite. He scoured MISR images from the day of the tsunami, looking for signs of the waves near the coasts of India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Thailand. Looking at an image of the southern tip of Sri Lanka taken by one of MISR's angled cameras, he spotted the distinct shape of waves made visible by the glint of reflected sunlight. They look a bit like normal waves, except for their scale: These waves were more than a kilometer wide! Most satellites have cameras that point straight down. From that angle, waves are hard to see. But MISR is unique in having nine cameras, each viewing Earth at a different angle. “We could see the waves because MISR's forward-looking camera caught the reflected sunlight just right,” Garay explains. In another set of images, MISR’s cameras caught the white foam of tsunami waves breaking off the coast of India. By looking at various angles as the Terra satellite passed over the area, MISR’s cameras snapped seven shots of the breaking waves, each about a minute apart. This gave scientists a unique time-lapse view of the motion of the waves, providing valuable data such as the location, speed, and direction of the breaking waves.

Realizing the importance of the find, Garay contacted Vasily Titov at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, Washington. Titov is a tsunami expert who had made a computer simulation of the Asian tsunami. ”Because the Indian Ocean doesn't have a tsunami warning system, hardly any scientific measurements of the tsunami's propagation exist, making it hard for Dr. Titov to check his simulations against reality,” Garay explains. “Our images provide some important data points to help make his simulations more accurate. By predicting where a tsunami will hit hardest, those simulations may someday help authorities issue more effective warnings next time a tsunami strikes.” Find out more about MISR and see the latest images at www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/. Kids can read their own version of the MISR tsunami story at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/misr_tsunami This article was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This December 26, 2004, MISR image of the southern tip of Sri Lanka was taken several hours after the first tsunami wave hit the island. It was taken with MISR’s 46° forward-looking camera.


What is THOR?

The Heartland Organization of Rocketry (THOR) is both an officially sanctioned Prefecture of the Tripoli Rocketry Association (Tripoli Nebraska #46) and Section (#562) of the National Association of Rocketry. THOR strictly adheres to the safety guidelines established by both rocketry associations. THOR has been actively involved in the hobby of model rocketry (low power, high power, and experimental) in southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa since the early 1990’s. THOR members, along with their projects, have appeared on national television programs such as Rocket Challenge (The Discovery Channel), Extreme Machines (The Learning Channel), Junkyard Wars (TLC), and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not (TBS).

When and where does THOR meet?

Meetings are usually held the first Tuesday of the month at the La Vista Community Center at 8116 Parkview St., La Vista, NE – turn east at the Sinclair Gas Station on 84th St. and go a block east (look for the big US flag). Visitors are welcome to attend.

When and where does THOR fly?

From March through November, THOR conducts one low power launch (1/4A – F class) and one high power launch (1/4A – N class) each month. Low power launches are held at the soccer fields south of 66th and Harrison in La Vista, NE. High power launches are held east of Pickrell, NE which is 30 miles south of Lincoln. THOR conducts at least two three-day high power rocketry events each year: Fire on the Farm and Nebraska Heat.

THOR’s Hammer…

THOR’s Hammer is the official newsletter of THOR. On average, it is published on a bimonthly basis. THOR’s Hammer is available, in PDF format, through its website (http://www.nerocketry.org/) or is mailed to those without Internet access. Members are welcomed to contribute articles and pictures to the newsletter.

For additional information…

For any additional questions or to check on the status of an upcoming launch, call THOR locally or toll free at *PENDING* (there is a voice mail option at the end of the message). Interested parties may also write their inquiries to the address at the right and are also welcome to contact any of THOR’s officers.

THOR Membership Application Personal Information

Name:_____________________________ Address:___________________________ City:_______________________________ State:___________ Zip Code:__________ Phone Number:_____________________ E-mail:_____________________________

Hobby Information

How long have you been in model rocketry:____________ Do you belong to a national rocketry organization - enter your membership number to the applicable organization:

NAR#____________ TRA#____________

Are you certified for high power rocketry – check mark your applicable TRA and/or NAR Certification Level: Level 1_______ Level 2_______ Level 3_______

Membership Rates

Half year membership rates will be divided by 2 and will add $1. Write you check payable to “The Heartland Organization of Rocketry” or “THOR”. Mail check and form to the below address or bring to the next meeting. Family Membership - $36 Senior Membership (18 and over) - $24 Junior Membership (18 and under) - $12 Correspondence Membership (members over 50 miles away from Omaha) - $10 I agree to comply with THOR’s policies as pertains to the safety guidelines set forth by Tripoli and the NAR. Failure to do so or conduct deemed unbecoming may result in expulsion from the club. Signature:__________________________ Dated:_____________________________ The Heartland Organization of Rocketry

8210 S. Cherrywood Drive Lincoln, NE 68510

Membership in The Heartland Organization of

Rocketry is open to all interested parties.

THOR’s Hammer Page 19 Page 23 · The official newsletter of The Heartland Organization of Rocketry! ... a second stage simulator and a ... powered flight tests of a liquid-propellant

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