X-Po (Level III 98mm minimum diameter project)

High Power (98mm M&N motors)


This is a scratch built rocket using high power construction methods.



Design Notes




The vehicle (X-Po) is built around 4.0" phenolic tubes which is wrapped in carbon and fiberglass with an overall height of around 12'. There will be 3 sections, the motor/fin can assembly (about 6' long), a parachute cannon (4' long) and a payload section with nosecone (2' long). This will contain the 12' parabolic parachute which should give a decent rate of 4 m/s.

There will be redundant altimeters in the electronice bay . An on board video camera will be in the payload area and and GPS tracking in the nose cone section of the payload. This section will be capped with a 1' long fiberglass nose cone. Dual deployment will be used for recovery. A 4' drogue will be released at apogee using a CO2 deployment system. The main chute will be deployed at 800' AGL.

The motor selected for this project is the AeroTech N2000 which delivers an average thrust of ~425 lb-s. This yields a thrust to weight ratio about 12:1.

The targeted weight for the rocket is 15 lb with a 20 lb motor (35 lb total). If met, this rocket will reach optimum performance at an altitude of over 27k' and a maximum velocity of just under Mach 2.





Component Fabrication






This is the "Rocket Rotisserie" used to lay up carbon fiber and fiberglass on the body tubes. This is the parachute cannon section being fiberglassed.




The major components completed (raw left, completed right).




The electronics bay will contain the dual altimeters and parachute deployment electronics. On the left is a PerfectFlight 45K and the Rouse-Tech CD-3. On the right is the MC-2.




The payload section contains the GPS tracking system and VGA (640x480) digital video camera. On the left is a 910 Mhz digital SSFH transciver. On the right is the power supply and the GPS engine (reciever).




This is the Rouse-Tech CD3 ejection system. For a video of the CD3 being tested click HERE!


For a video of the Main Chute being tested click HERE!

Simulations






The CP calculation.



Here is the predicted flight profile.

Flights




Aeronaut (M1419) 8/07



Click here for a video with sound of the launch and deployment and recovery! RUN VIDEO



Mud Rock (N2000) 6/08



Unfortunately X-Po CATOed at lift off and the vehicle was destoryed.

Click here for a video with sound of the launch and cato! RUN VIDEO

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