DESTINATION UNKNOWN
Launch your rocket into the wild blue yonder.
By Guillaume Doane, Jayplay writer
He chuckled to himself when I asked if he knew anything about rockets. I didn't know that Roger Miller had received a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas. Miller, manager at George's Hobby House, 1411 W. 23rd St., races radio-controlled cars and aircrafts during his spare time. He is also a judge for the annual 4-H Club rocketry contest at the Lawrence Fairgrounds.
Miller taught me a little about rockets and helped me pick one out at his store to prepare me for the July 10 Kloudbusters rocket competition in Argonia.
Since 1991, the city of Argonia, about an hour southwest of Wichita, has hosted a series of high-powered rocket contests on a 40-acre launch site. Contestants from across the country meet on the site, which boasts a 25,000-foot Federal Aviation Administration clearance on air space. The Discovery Channel hosted last summer's event, which included contests for highest launch and a myriad of other competitions featuring unusual rockets, such as ones made out of Legos and Port-a-Potties.
I chose two rockets for this adventure: the Stars & Stripes Estes model rocket, which I bought from George's Hobby House, and a custom rocket primarily made out of beer cans. The Stars & Stripes rocket soars to a maximum distance of 600 feet with an optimum speed of about 200 feet per-second, not enough gusto to keep up with the rockets in Argonia. But the beer can rocket, with the right schematics and a functioning parachute, meets the standards of the minimum height competition. The rules of the contest state that the rocket must launch at a minimum altitude of 100 feet, deploy the parachute and land without exploding. The rocket with the lowest altitude, barring a successful parachute deployment and landing,takes the gold.
Miller says a rocket is a basically a finstabilized tube propelled by a solid fueled engine. While high-powered rockets—the ones employed in Argonia—use liquid fuel and include guidance systems, my rocket included an engine with a solid, black powder derivative. Miller sells all the supplies required to build a rocket. He also sells kits with all the parts included. Kit prices range from $10 to $50 depending on the complexity of rocket desired.
To build a custom rocket, here are the supplies you will need: All parts can be found at any local craft store.
Cardboard tubing.
+Paper tissues.
+Plastic cone that will fit into the card board tubing.
>Plastic fins that also will fit into the cardboard tubing.
>6-inch elastic shock cord.
Rocket base and test controller. Both can be bought in same package.
Wood glue.
+Plastic cement.
B class rocket engine and sulfur igniter.
Plastic launch lug line.
→Parachute or crepe paper — to slow fall
1. Put plastic cement around the edge of the plastic fins and stick together. Attach the fins to the cardboard tubing with the plastic cement.
2. Glue the plastic launch lug line perpendicular to the cardboard tubing.
3. Glue the shock cord to a 1-inch by 4-inch piece of paper and squeeze the paper around the cord. Tie the other end of the cord to the plastic cone and glue the paper side 25 millimeters inside the top end of the cardboard tubing.
4. Place the rocket engine in the bottom of the cardboard tubing between the fins. Fit the sulfur igniter in the bottom of the engine and wedge it in with a plastic screw, which will be included in the engine and igniter pack.
5. Assemble the base and test controller Directions will be included in the package.
6. Once the base is fully assembled, place the lug line through the launch rod and secure the rocket onto the launch ped. Attach the micro clips from the test controller to each of the igniter wires.
7. Sit at a distance of about 25-30 feet from the rocket when launching.
Guillaume Doane can be reached at gdoane@kansan.com.
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Jayplay 5.13.04