The patriot 4 flies.

[jinglesassy]

Hello, i have been building model rockets for a few weeks now and i finally launched one of them i named it the patriot 4 here are some pictures taken by my sister.

First launch(My dad missed all of it)

Second launch(Atleast we got it this time and no it wasn't breakfast it was dinner my dad just was joking)

Here are the videos finally of the launch of the patriot 4 and my other rocket that i launched that day.

Pictures of the wreckage stuck up in a tree.

 

[JonnyBGoode]

:thumbup:

Next time... put a cam on it! (after you fix the chute failure problem, of course...)

 

[jinglesassy]

Here is the video of the second launch the first launch is still processing

---------- Post added 10-26-10 at 02:25 PM ---------- Previous post was 10-25-10 at 07:05 PM ----------

The first launch finally got done processing

 

[Ghostrider]

Cool! When is the manned version going to be tested?

 

[jinglesassy]

After repairs are done

 

[Pyromaniac605]

After repairs are done

What crew vehicle do you intend to use?
How are you going to implement a LES?
How many people will it hold?
Can it take crews to the ISS?

Seriously though, nice rocket, one problem I personally have with hobby rockets is that their flight end too quick.
I wish they lifted of the launch pad slowly and ascended while slowly gaining speed.
But physics can be an hole at times

Darren

 

[Ghostrider]

Seriously though, nice rocket, one problem I personally have with hobby rockets is that their flight end too quick.
I wish they lifted of the launch pad slowly and ascended while slowly gaining speed.

Same here, but it can be done. Build a larger, heavier rocket requiring more powerful rocket engines and go by the universal rule of rocketry: if doesn't move, add rocket thrust; if it still doesn't move, add more rocket thrust; if it explodes, redesign the rocket; if it takes off, plan how to add more rockets all the same.

EDIT: If it actually lifts off, begin to think about guidance...

 

[jinglesassy]

What crew vehicle do you intend to use?
How are you going to implement a LES?
How many people will it hold?
Can it take crews to the ISS?

Seriously though, nice rocket, one problem I personally have with hobby rockets is that their flight end too quick.
I wish they lifted of the launch pad slowly and ascended while slowly gaining speed.
But physics can be an hole at times

Darren

I am going to build a little capsule that just stays on the rocket carrying an ant for the ride. SHHH DONT TELL PETA!!

 

[T.Neo]

OMG YOU CAN'T SEND AN ANT IN A ROCKET, THAT IS CRUELTY!!!! :nono:

:facepalm:

In all seriousness, it's an organism that probably lacks nocioception (the biological sense of pain). Not that I condone mistreatment of even the simplest of metazoans, but if it is protected from thermal forces and wind, it should be fine. It should even be able to tolerate the accelerations quite well as well, due to the square cube law.

 

[Wishbone]

Plus, range clearance issues are much less stringent compared to the launch of an elephant...

 

[Ghostrider]

Plus, range clearance issues are much less stringent compared to the launch of an elephant...

Range clearance? Pah! Did Homer Simpson ask for range clearance when he launched his missile? Had Nibbles not chickened out and ejected, the Springfield church would have been fine alright!

 

[Pyromaniac605]

Since the rocket looks slightly similar to the redstone you should make the ant capsule look like a mercury capsule. :lol:

Darren

Edit: Although if it were me I'd be sending up minifigs rather than ants, then if something goes wrong you have a lump of molten plastic lying around somewhere, an ant is too easy to lose anyway.

Edit2: After writing my first edit (seconds ago) I realise that I need to get a hobby rocket ASAP. :lol:

 

[Wishbone]

Just keep your fingers and toes and other appendages away from the rocket, please. Early chemistry and physics experiments are not always beneficial for health (been there done that, been lucky but seen some casualties along the way).

 

[RisingFury]

You're standing awefully close to that rocket when launching. Keep in mind that things *offten* go wrong with rockets. While motors you buy are pretty reliable and won't just explode out of whim, you need to take into account that the rocket can be unbalanced and tip over towards you...

 

[Wishbone]

Rockets are by definition dynamically unstable...

 

[jinglesassy]

I was about 15 feet away the farthest i could get with my launch controller and i was ready to high tale it out of there in a heartbeat

 

[Ghostrider]

I was about 15 feet away the farthest i could get with my launch controller and i was ready to high tale it out of there in a heartbeat

Not enough. My experience with explosive devices taught me that:

- you need some good shelter
- you have to fire your weap... rocket from that shelter
- you never, ever run from a live explosive device: it must be set up so that you can quietly walk away from it to your shelter. If you run you may trip, be injured and therefore unable to reach safety

 

[jinglesassy]

Not enough. My experience with explosive devices taught me that:

- you need some good shelter
- you have to fire your weap... rocket from that shelter
- you never, ever run from a live explosive device: it must be set up so that you can quietly walk away from it to your shelter. If you run you may trip, be injured and therefore unable to reach safety

It only runs on a single b motor so i don't really think a bunker is really necessary.

 

[Ghostrider]

It only runs on a single b motor so i don't really think a bunker is really necessary.

But you're still dealing with a self-propelled projectile that you have no control on once it has been fired. Range safety should still apply.

 

[T.Neo]

No matter HOW small an explosive is, it can still be very dangerous.

On one occasion when I was messing around with rocket fuel, I ignited an amount that created quite large flame that was over a quarter of a meter in height. I only figured this out after the fact, but managed to move out of the way in time, and escape with only a fright.

If I had not moved out of the way, I would have sustained bad injuries to my face, not to mention a probable loss of my ability to see.

And that is with just propellant, making a pretty flame on a surface, with the gases allowed to escape freely. Enclose that propellant, and you have a potential bomb. If something goes wrong with a rocket, it could very well explode, and you shouldn't be taking any risks. Expanding gases in enclosed spaces is no joke.

...And neither are unpredictable fast flying (pointy and flame-y) objects. If I threw that rocket at you, it would hurt.

So while you should take shelter, this is also not a 200 kilogram bomb... even a ditch, or a wall or rock large enough that you can hide behind should suffice.