Flight Field
Author: Jacob Hoffner
Rocket: Hi-Flier XL
Rocket: Hi-Flier XL
Flight Field Dimensions
Each rocket engine requires a different flight field due to the distance of travel. An A-engine, marked by the yellow border to the right, requires a 100 ft. by 100 ft. site of launch. The B-engine is in the green and is doubled to 200 ft. by 200 ft. The C-engine is in the purple and doubles to 400 ft. by 400 ft. The D-engine is in the red box, and is 500 ft. by 500 ft. Any engine up to a G-engine, including the E- and F-engines, can be used in the blue box of 1,000 ft. by 1,000 ft. As you can see, every engine fits onto school grounds. Any engine above a D-engine, however, is pushing the limit. According to the chart, however, an E-engine should still be okay to use. My rocket allows for D- and E-engines.
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My rocket will be using the D12-5 engine. This engine allows for a thorough thrust and a high altitude, while staying safely in the flight field. The 5-second delay allows for a nice declination of the rocket. This way, when the parachute deploys from the ejection charge, the rocket has less of a chance to drift outside of the flight field. If I were to use and E-engine, I would use the E9-8, as its average thrust is not as great as the D12-5, however allows for a greater impulse. The 8-second delay is perfect for a nice and quick descent of the rocket, without it crashing into the ground.
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Flight Field and Station Placement:
Below is the following information on the placement of team members around the flight field to insure the safety of the launch:
Trackers:
The trackers track the rocket as it launches. They keep an eye on the rocket, and using their tool, determine the altitude of the rocket. Recovery Team: The recovery team simply recovers the rocket after it lands or when it is about to land. They can communicate between walkie-talkies to determine where the rocket actually lands. Range Safety Officer: The range safety officer makes sure everyone is a safe distance away from the rocket launch site, hence the term "range". They make sure the rocket is safe to launch, as the launch site must be clear of people. |
In the picture, the wind is blowing to the left. This means that the rocket should be launched into the wind to the right in order to prevent the rocket from flying outside of the Flight Field.
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How Wind Affects the Rocket
All About Tracking
Trackers use their tracking device, and from a distance measure the altitude of a rocket based on their location on the ground from the launch pad.
By considering the expected altitude of the rocket, the trackers should stand the appropriate distance away from the launch pad as they would expect that distance for altitude. Therefore, the trackers' distance from the launch pad should be close to being equal to the expected altitude. The trackers stand on opposite sides of the launch pad in order to improve upon accuracy, as one may encounter errors on one side due to either the sun, the course the rocket takes, etc. Altitude DerivationThe tangent of Theta equals the Altitude, A, divided by the Distance from the Launch Pad, B. When derived, we have:
Altitude = Distance from Launch Pad * tan(Theta) A = B * tan(Theta) |