Today, we built another complete rocket. We had to construct a new parachute because it was lost at the last launch. We reused the same fuselage though, and the same shock cord. We also mass produced fuselages today, because we thought we will need a lot of them for when we test out the other variables. We went to the field again to launch this rocket, and it flew up and the recovery system worked well. However, since the fins that were placed on this rocket were not of the same size and were also spaced out incorrectly, it caused the rocket to spiral upward instead of just flying straight up. Also, the wind carried the rocket too far and it got lost in the woods. We need to fix those fins and we also need to find a bigger field because we cannot keep losing these rockets. If we lose one with the accelerometer in it, then that would be a very large setback.
-Christian
We finished another rocket today. We used the same fuslage as the last launch, but we needed a new cone and parachute. We made a bunch of other fuselages today though, because we keep on losing them or breaking them, plus it gives us a chance to test more variables at once. The problem with the rocket we planned on launching was that the fins were different sizes and weren't spaced evenly, so during the launch it spiraled up in the air, it looked cool, but it wasn't supposed to do this. The good news about the launch was that the parachute was ejected and it worked, but the bad news is that it was carried away by the wind. It's really annoying actually. So we have to find a bigger field because we can't lose the rockets especially if the accelerometer is in it.
-Mike B.
Today we built another complete rocket, with a new cone and parachute. We made sure that the shock cord was more securely attached to the cone so the rocket would stay in one piece and we could stand a better chance of recovering it. While doing this we included the newly found coefficient of drag into our equations to nearly complete them. We then went to the high school to launch the rockets. There we acquired the mass of the rocket. With this we will soon be able to finish our predictions. The launch did not go as we had planned. The fins were constructed incorrectly with uneven spacing and sizes, which caused the rocket to spiral as it went upwards and lost maximum height. The rocket stayed attached to the cone and parachute but it still floated away into the woods. We will have to find a more open area to launch in the future.
-Scott
Today, we launched another rocket. This one was much more successful. The rocket flew up and deployed the parachute. The parachute stayed attached to the rocket. Unfortunately, the field was too small, and the rocket floated away. We were not able to recover it. The rocket did not fly up perfectly either. This was because the fins were not spaced correctly. Also, the fins were all asymmetrical. The next time we plan on launching our rocket in a mch larger field. I have a good feeling about the next launch.
-Ben W.
We made many fuselages today and finished up one rocket that was ready for a launch. We made improvements on the shock cord, cone, and parachute. The parachute managed to deploy during the launch but we lost the rocket as it went spirialing out of control. This was because one of the fins was not of the right size and not spaced properly. Good thing we made many fuselages so we can find a bigger field hopfully and recover our rocket this time. It was also a good thing that every thing went fine so we can reproduce better results.
-Kushal
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Rebel Rockets-Day 9
Today we went back to the school to test our rocket as it was too windy yesterday. The wind was not as strong this time around so we picked a good place to launch and set up our pad. The rocket fired off but the fuselage fell close to the launch site but the cone/parachute structure went far far off. Despite this, we know that the engine stayed in place and the parachute did deploy when going up even if broke off from the rocket. Also the fins came off because the glue did not hold this time around. I believe everthing would have worked had the shock cord been better attached to the cone. It seems that the shock cord was not tied to the cone/parachute apparatus well and we need to apply more tape and glue next time around so it safely holds onto the rocket when it is coming down. I think we are getting close to a point where we have a final build to our constant variable rocket model so we can test other independant variables. Later we started working on the calculations by doing some research on the force of drag and the coefficient of drag that we can implement in our calculations that are already done.
-Kushal
Today we had our first successful full-scale test of the parachute ejection system. We used a different cone and a different parachute, which coupled with gluing the engine into the fuselage allowed the parachute to eject. However, the connection between the cone and the parachute was too weak, and the parachute and cone separated from the fuselage. The fuselage was recovered, but the parachute and cone drifted off and were lost.
-Mike S.
Today we launched the rocket early in the day out in the back field. The rocket fired relatively straight up and the parachute ejected correctly, but the shock cord separated from the cone. The fuselage with the engine in it and the shock cord attached to it came straight down, but the cone stayed attached to the parachute and with the lack of downward force it floated away into the woods. We never found the cone or parachute and will have to acquire new ones. Later that day we researched more about the force of drag and the Reynolds number.
-Scott
Today, we almost successfully were able to launch our first rocket. The parachute deployd, but it was not attached to the rocket though. We lost the parachute, but were able to recover the fuselage. This allowed us to see what happened. Next time, we have to attach the cone to the rocket more securely. Once we are able to do that, we will have a successful launch. Then we can begin to test our variables.
-Ben W.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Rebel Rockets-Day 8
We decided to construct more tubes. We also made a new parachute because we thought the plastic bag by itself wouldn't do so well as we originally thought. We made the new parachute out of cellophane we found lying around. We made it a circle, which we thought would do well. Then we figured out a new way to fold the parachute, and this way worked very well because it opened up completely all the time when we tested it out. We made new fins and attached them to an old tube that we constructed the other day so that we had a completed rocket. Then we went to the field to test out the rocket, but it turned out to be way too windy for a test launch, so we decided to delay the test for tomorrow. The purpose of this test was to see if the rocket would work properly, which includes the recovery system working as well. Tomorrow hopefully will not be as windy so that we can test it out and see if we can get a home made rocket to work. Time is running short, and we still have to test out the variables for our project.
-Christian
Today we started off with building a new parachute as our old one was lost and may not have been as reliable as we thought. We used some cellophane and we constructed it so it would hopefully work better than our old parachute and maybe eject better. So far it seems to be the case as it unravels when we test it out. We then began constructing another rocket so we can test out our new parachute with a fuselage that was already built by fitting the engine, adding the cone and wadding, and some newly constructed fins. We went to the school to test out our rocket but we decided not to because it was too windy. So we decided to launch the rocket off in the morning when it will hopfully not be as windy as today. I hope that the parachute will work this time around as we need to make sure that the accerlerometer will not break when the rocket comes back to earth.
-Kushal
We kept building today. We made a new parachute since the other was lost before, and we also made some more fuselages. We were pushing to get a rocket done so we could see if we could finally get a successful launch, however when we got to the school it was really windy, and after several failures and one probably due to weather we decided to wait until tomorrow. While this was a good idea I'm kind of disappointed since I won't be able to make it tomorrow. We really really need that to be successful we're running out of time so we gotta stop making mistakes.
-Mike B.
Today was another day for building. We modified the parachute design into a more compact, circular shape. Hopefully this will increase the chances that the recovery system functions. We also tried out using a new, flat shock cord. Its flatness should make it easier to attach to the top of the rocket fuselage.
-Mike S.
Today was spent mostly building. We created more tubes for the rockets, and created a new parachute. We purchased a new shock cord that will have more surface area to keep the shock cord attached. This will keep the parachute attached to the rocket itself. We were going to test out the rocket, but it was too windy. We decided to test the rocket out tomorrow for safety reasons. If tomorrow's launch is successful, we will be able to begin testing our variables.
-Ben W
Today we started by meeting and deciding on a new design for a parachute. We chose to make a circle out of a more compactible material. We also found a better way to fit the parachute in the tube to increase the chance of it ejecting correctly. Then we proceded to work on making more fuselages until late in the day. We went to the field to launch the rocket, but found that it was too windy, which may have caused the rocket to blow to far off course. We will try to launch early tomorrow.
-Scott
-Christian
Today we started off with building a new parachute as our old one was lost and may not have been as reliable as we thought. We used some cellophane and we constructed it so it would hopefully work better than our old parachute and maybe eject better. So far it seems to be the case as it unravels when we test it out. We then began constructing another rocket so we can test out our new parachute with a fuselage that was already built by fitting the engine, adding the cone and wadding, and some newly constructed fins. We went to the school to test out our rocket but we decided not to because it was too windy. So we decided to launch the rocket off in the morning when it will hopfully not be as windy as today. I hope that the parachute will work this time around as we need to make sure that the accerlerometer will not break when the rocket comes back to earth.
-Kushal
We kept building today. We made a new parachute since the other was lost before, and we also made some more fuselages. We were pushing to get a rocket done so we could see if we could finally get a successful launch, however when we got to the school it was really windy, and after several failures and one probably due to weather we decided to wait until tomorrow. While this was a good idea I'm kind of disappointed since I won't be able to make it tomorrow. We really really need that to be successful we're running out of time so we gotta stop making mistakes.
-Mike B.
Today was another day for building. We modified the parachute design into a more compact, circular shape. Hopefully this will increase the chances that the recovery system functions. We also tried out using a new, flat shock cord. Its flatness should make it easier to attach to the top of the rocket fuselage.
-Mike S.
Today was spent mostly building. We created more tubes for the rockets, and created a new parachute. We purchased a new shock cord that will have more surface area to keep the shock cord attached. This will keep the parachute attached to the rocket itself. We were going to test out the rocket, but it was too windy. We decided to test the rocket out tomorrow for safety reasons. If tomorrow's launch is successful, we will be able to begin testing our variables.
-Ben W
Today we started by meeting and deciding on a new design for a parachute. We chose to make a circle out of a more compactible material. We also found a better way to fit the parachute in the tube to increase the chance of it ejecting correctly. Then we proceded to work on making more fuselages until late in the day. We went to the field to launch the rocket, but found that it was too windy, which may have caused the rocket to blow to far off course. We will try to launch early tomorrow.
-Scott
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Rebel Rockets-Day 7
Today we built more tubes. We had to figure out a new way to fold the parachute because the way we were doing it before was not opening every time. The new way seems to work a lot better than the initial way. We actually finished a rocket today and went to the field again to test it. The purpose of this launch was to see if the parachute would actually deploy this time. The launch failed because we lost the rocket. It probably came down in pieces because we found the engine completely separated from the rest of the rocket. We did not find the rest of the parts so we had to take another trip to the hobby store to pick up cones and more fuses. We figured that the cones were too difficult to construct well enough, so we just decided to buy them prefabricated. Losing the rocket was pretty upsetting, and we viewed it as a step backwards.
-Christian
We built more rockets today first, then we had another launch. But the launch didn't work again, and the parachute never ejected, the reason we don't know, we couldn't find the rocket. We think it came apart because the engine fell out. Since we lost the rocket we had to get another cone for it, so we went to the hobby shop and got some more cones and fuses. It's pretty annoying the chute still didn't eject all we can really do is try to launch another rocket and hope for the best because even though our test worked, during the real one we still messed up. It's pretty disappointing we still haven't achieved a fully successful launch.
-Mike B.
Today we started by building more rockets and working on the prediction equations. The equations are nearly finished and the only information needed is that pertaining to the force of drag. This means that in the near future we will have to use the wind tunnel to test our rocket's drag. Then we will be able to make the equations and then predict the path the rocket will take. In the meantime we needed to check if the parachute would eject so we could save the accelerometer that would give us the data to check our predictions. We finished one of our rockets this morning and set off to do a test launch. The launch did not work out as we had planned, and the rocket fuselage was lost, as was the cone and parachute. The rocket may have not been able to withstand the force of the engine's backwards propulsion and could have broken apart. At least, we found the engine separated from the rest of the rocket. In the future, we will have to make the engine tighter in the rocket and find a way to make sure the parachute ejects correctly.
-Scott
We began today with more work on building rockets. We created more shells, and fins. We created new fin shapes for the next variable and further worked on the parachute. We then decided to test the parachute by launching a rocket. The launch did not go as planned. We lost he main rocket and were only able to recover the rocket engine. We then went to the hobby shop to purchase a new cone for the rockets we would be building.
-Ben W.
Today we began to build more fuselages and put some finishing touches one of them by adding fins, wadding, shock cord, and parachute that we were also testing. We wanted to make sure that the parachute will work this time so we decided to launch our second rocket. This time the launch did not go so well as the engine got seperated from the fuselage and parachute that we never were able to recover. So now we know that the engine needs to be secured better and another parachute apparatus is needed so it will stay attached to the cone and fuselage. Therefore, we went to the hobby shop in Danbury to get more cones and fuses for our next attempt.
-Kushal
After finishing up the rocket that we had begun building yesterday we decided to do another test to determine whether or not our recovery system was working. Sadly, it did not go as we had hoped. The rocket flew well, but the second charge of the engine backfired, pushing the engine itself out of the fuselage. The engine was recovered, but both the fuselage and recovery system were lost.
- Mike S.
-Christian
We built more rockets today first, then we had another launch. But the launch didn't work again, and the parachute never ejected, the reason we don't know, we couldn't find the rocket. We think it came apart because the engine fell out. Since we lost the rocket we had to get another cone for it, so we went to the hobby shop and got some more cones and fuses. It's pretty annoying the chute still didn't eject all we can really do is try to launch another rocket and hope for the best because even though our test worked, during the real one we still messed up. It's pretty disappointing we still haven't achieved a fully successful launch.
-Mike B.
Today we started by building more rockets and working on the prediction equations. The equations are nearly finished and the only information needed is that pertaining to the force of drag. This means that in the near future we will have to use the wind tunnel to test our rocket's drag. Then we will be able to make the equations and then predict the path the rocket will take. In the meantime we needed to check if the parachute would eject so we could save the accelerometer that would give us the data to check our predictions. We finished one of our rockets this morning and set off to do a test launch. The launch did not work out as we had planned, and the rocket fuselage was lost, as was the cone and parachute. The rocket may have not been able to withstand the force of the engine's backwards propulsion and could have broken apart. At least, we found the engine separated from the rest of the rocket. In the future, we will have to make the engine tighter in the rocket and find a way to make sure the parachute ejects correctly.
-Scott
We began today with more work on building rockets. We created more shells, and fins. We created new fin shapes for the next variable and further worked on the parachute. We then decided to test the parachute by launching a rocket. The launch did not go as planned. We lost he main rocket and were only able to recover the rocket engine. We then went to the hobby shop to purchase a new cone for the rockets we would be building.
-Ben W.
Today we began to build more fuselages and put some finishing touches one of them by adding fins, wadding, shock cord, and parachute that we were also testing. We wanted to make sure that the parachute will work this time so we decided to launch our second rocket. This time the launch did not go so well as the engine got seperated from the fuselage and parachute that we never were able to recover. So now we know that the engine needs to be secured better and another parachute apparatus is needed so it will stay attached to the cone and fuselage. Therefore, we went to the hobby shop in Danbury to get more cones and fuses for our next attempt.
-Kushal
After finishing up the rocket that we had begun building yesterday we decided to do another test to determine whether or not our recovery system was working. Sadly, it did not go as we had hoped. The rocket flew well, but the second charge of the engine backfired, pushing the engine itself out of the fuselage. The engine was recovered, but both the fuselage and recovery system were lost.
- Mike S.
Rebel Rockets-Day 6
Today we tested to make sure the parachute would eject since it didn't last time. We duck taped it to a tree and lit it off, and the chute popped out, so we're hoping that with the less wadding and the less tightly packed cone the next time we will have success. We also continued to look for a better way of folding the parachute and continued to build more rockets. We should probably be able to launch another next time.
-Mike B.
Today we continued to test the parachute and build more fuselages. We tested the parachute by taping a fuselage with a parachute and a C6-O rocket inside of it and the cone on top to a tree. We then ignited the fuse to the engine and the rocket engine's backwards propulsion was great enough to shoot the cone and the parachute into the air. The next step is a launch with a successful parachute ejection. This is an important part of our experiment as we will have delicate equipment inside the rocket and will need the parachute to eject.
-Scott
We tested our parachute apparatus today and it worked this time as it failed when we fired our first rocket. We have a feeling that the cone was to compact to allow pressure to make it eject. What we did was we taped a fuselage to a tree with an engine and lit it off with the parachute attached. It managed to come lose this time. We also found the best way to fold the parachute so it will unfold properly when it ejects by testing the parachute some more. Hopefully we will be able to test to see if the parachute works properly in a real launch so our accelerometer won't be damaged.
-Kushal
Today we were concerned mostly with making sure that the second charge of the engine would eject the parachute without problem. To accurately observe the actions of the rocket we attached it to a small tree with copious amounts of duct tape and lit it. The deployment system functioned without problem, giving us good hope for the next test.
-Mike S.
-Mike B.
Today we continued to test the parachute and build more fuselages. We tested the parachute by taping a fuselage with a parachute and a C6-O rocket inside of it and the cone on top to a tree. We then ignited the fuse to the engine and the rocket engine's backwards propulsion was great enough to shoot the cone and the parachute into the air. The next step is a launch with a successful parachute ejection. This is an important part of our experiment as we will have delicate equipment inside the rocket and will need the parachute to eject.
-Scott
We tested our parachute apparatus today and it worked this time as it failed when we fired our first rocket. We have a feeling that the cone was to compact to allow pressure to make it eject. What we did was we taped a fuselage to a tree with an engine and lit it off with the parachute attached. It managed to come lose this time. We also found the best way to fold the parachute so it will unfold properly when it ejects by testing the parachute some more. Hopefully we will be able to test to see if the parachute works properly in a real launch so our accelerometer won't be damaged.
-Kushal
Today we were concerned mostly with making sure that the second charge of the engine would eject the parachute without problem. To accurately observe the actions of the rocket we attached it to a small tree with copious amounts of duct tape and lit it. The deployment system functioned without problem, giving us good hope for the next test.
-Mike S.
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