Input Wanted: Extreme Altitude Club - Northern Colorado Rocketry

This topic has 30 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 11 months ago by SCOTT EVANS.

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February 1, 2008 at 5:43 pm #46705
Brent McNeely
This does sound kind of cool. Now for that 20K thing.

What about a pin like Rocket Silo had for L1-3?

The rocketsilo pins were produced by one of my employees back in vegas who now has his own pin company. unfortunately the costs for these things are slightly high… I think maybe it would be best to get a few dozen folks listed and involved before I sink a bunch of money into pins. but, that said, the pins are a great idea and I think they would go over really well.

hmm… that said, maybe I should look into the L1,L2,L3 pins since rocketsilo isn’t making them anymore.
February 1, 2008 at 8:57 pm #46706
slipstick
Brent, I’m the kind of guy who needs a challenge or goal to shoot for, so please keep the program going.

You might want to consider metrifying the levels to be more in tune with units used in the space programs, and being a differentiator from the mile-hi club, while providing a few more plateaus in 1 kilometer increments. My Suggestion for “Extreme Rocketry Killer (of) Kilometers” , would be that rocketeers could collect “Kil’s” and be awarded an ER logo decal (see example below) for their rocket or truck. 5 Kil’s make you an “Ace”. Rockets would display their kil’s on the airframe (a 2″ diameter decal would fit most any size HP rocket) at launches. Good advertising for you. You would just need one basic decal, and a strip of numbers to place on the decal.

1 km = 3280 ft
2 km = 6562 ft
3 km = 9843 ft
4 km = 13124 ft
5 km = 16404 ft (ACE)
6 km = 19685 ft
7 km = 22966 ft
8 km = 26247 ft
9 km = 29528 ft
10 km = 32808 ft

My L1 gave me my first “Kil”. 😀 My L2 fell short by a hundred feet. 😳
FYI, when I was in Vietnam “Clicks” were used to denote a Kilometer (and still are).

This would be a lot easier to handle than T-Shirts (which could then be available for purchase later – consider iron-on decals as well), would increase the number of participants generating traffic, and for the cost of a stamp and a decal, can be sent out to participants.
February 1, 2008 at 10:11 pm #46707
Warren B. Musselman
Moderator
This coming from a veteran of Robot Wars and BattleBots… I can see it now, Rocket Rage or Altitude Wars or something… Actually a pretty funny image – rockets flying to extreme altitude and deploying carbide saws or big hammers to knock down the competition… It would make a good cartoon for sure. I sure enjoyed the hell out of watching those shows on TV and admire the hell out of the effort to build those ‘bots – especially the super-heavyweights.

I’m not so sure about metric. Even numbers like 10K, 15K, 20K, 25K, etc. all seem more “natural” to me, and more spread out not to mention higher than 1Kilometer, 2 Kilometer, etc. How many divisions should there be? After 25K’ AGL, I don’t think I’d give awards for every 5K’, but go to 10K’ divisions – after 50K’, I think I’d just drop to 25K’ divisions up to 100K. Above a 100K, I’d maybe drop to 50K’ divisions or even 100K’ divisions. After all, with Gene Novaczyk and friends talking about sub-orbital flights to over 320K’, that’s certainly in the offing for the hobby.

Warren
February 1, 2008 at 11:04 pm #46708
SCOTT EVANS
Brent, I’m the kind of guy who needs a challenge or goal to shoot for, so please keep the program going.

You might want to consider metrifying the levels to be more in tune with units used in the space programs, and being a differentiator from the mile-hi club, while providing a few more plateaus in 1 kilometer increments. My Suggestion for “Extreme Rocketry Killer (of) Kilometers” , would be that rocketeers could collect “Kil’s” and be awarded an ER logo decal (see example below) for their rocket or truck. 5 Kil’s make you an “Ace”. Rockets would display their kil’s on the airframe (a 2″ diameter decal would fit most any size HP rocket) at launches. Good advertising for you.

1 km = 3280 ft
2 km = 6562 ft
3 km = 9843 ft
4 km = 13124 ft
5 km = 16404 ft (ACE)
6 km = 19685 ft
7 km = 22966 ft
8 km = 26247 ft
9 km = 29528 ft
10 km = 32808 ft

My L1 gave me my first “Kil”. 😀 My L2 fell short by a hundred feet. 😳
FYI, when I was in Vietnam “Clicks” were used to denote a Kilometer (and still are).

This would be a lot easier to handle than T-Shirts (which could then be available for purchase later – consider iron-on decals as well), would increase the number of participants generating traffic, and for the cost of a stamp and a decal, can be sent out to participants.

SOO— Mike, You didnt really put much thought into it, did you. 😉
Jeese man, nest time I need some logo work done I’ll call you! 😯
I think you still need some more work though, to sell Warren on those
Kilo-thingys. 🙂
February 2, 2008 at 12:40 am #46709
Warren B. Musselman
Moderator
Hey this is the US – if we want to be primitive and be the only country on the planet that uses old Imperial measurements like Miles, Gallons, Quarts, we can damn well do it. After all, we’ve got the largest military in the world and a defense budget larger than the defense budgets of EVERY OTHER COUNTRY ON THE PLANET all added together! We can do what we want dammit!.

W
February 2, 2008 at 1:42 am #46710
Bruce R. Schaefer
Brent, either way is fine. This is a wonderful idea. Warren, I remember heading off to college in 1971, and our country was all stoked to go metric, a base 10 system is simple. Why is it that even the English don’t use the English system anymore? 🙄
February 2, 2008 at 2:41 am #46711
SCOTT EVANS
Hey this is the US – if we want to be primitive and be the only country on the planet that uses old Imperial measurements like Miles, Gallons, Quarts, we can damn well do it. After all, we’ve got the largest military in the world and a defense budget larger than the defense budgets of EVERY OTHER COUNTRY ON THE PLANET all added together! We can do what we want dammit!.

W

AAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!
February 2, 2008 at 3:39 am #46712
Warren B. Musselman
Moderator
Did I mention my comments were tongue in cheek?

W
February 2, 2008 at 5:29 am #46713
Conway Stevens
Participant
Actually Im all, for the English measuring system myself.. Fist off Altimeters beep out the feet of altitude. Not the metric equivalent.

Keep it simple.. People here know the English system. Not the metric. Its what we still use for the standard today in the US.

Also the contest is about Extreme is it not? Now not that 10K is the MOST amazing feat. But to break it is an accomplishment and one of the hardest first altitude barriers one does.. Kinda like the starting point.. After that increments in 5 K would be best. Dont make it jump around when you get to 20 or 25K. So if you say at 20k and go to 30k a person does 25 or 26K isn’t enough of a feat to recognize? I disagree with varying the amount. What about a guy that does 65K.. Is he only going to qualify for a 50K flight… No.. He should get 65K. If we aren’t going to recognize the 15k difference in altitude of a 65k flight, why would we even recognize a 10K or a 15K flight to begin with..

Instead of making it actual set limits. Why not do different groups.. Like the 10 to 20K an so on. They get to claim their actual altitude. Hey when you do a TRA record they dont round it down or up. Its what it is..

But thats just my 2c on that.

Some info by the way..

motor classes that can achieve altitudes

H motors can push up to 10K
I motors can push up to 14K
J motors can push up to 19k (almost 20)
K motors can push up to 28k
L motors can push up to 31k
M motors can push up to 35 to 40k
N motors can push up to 40 to 45k
O motors can push up to 40 to 50k
P motors can push up to 60 to 75k
Q can push up to 100k+
and so on…

Now for those that are going past 100K….. Come on. Lets get real here. Is it privately funded? Built and paid for by just the person themself. I really hate to say it but when does it become a issue of nothing more the deep pockets vs complete skill and talent.. Look at Tony.. he doesn’t have TONS of money invested in fact quite the opposite. but makes an M motor do 35K. with clean recovery. Thats skills!!

I have respect for guys Like Gene Novaczyk and what he has done so far, But its one thing to talk about putting one up to 320K’ and actually doing it..

Darren Wright and Jeff Taylor worked with a college group to pump one up there past 250K and I can tell you its no small feat. They had to splash it. It was launched from a NASA site. It was a high dollar deal and funded by the school.

I think we need to look to the hobbyist. Not forget them as they are who reads the magazine as well as will be striving to do their best.. Just average every day folks.. Of course I may be all wrong here and blowing smoke out my butt…

😯

Conway
February 3, 2008 at 4:31 am #46714
Brent McNeely
lots of great feedback here! thanks so much for the input.

I think I was sticking with feet for altitude mostly because its what altimeters kick out and I believe it the standard used by both Tripoli and NAR. I’m just being a bit of a sheep here LOL.

the brackets are set up with some room to grow. I’m guessing most folks will be like myself and maybe make the 10k or 20k brackets this decade… maybe between 2020 and 30 I’ll be seeing higher altitudes… who knows?

I’ll work over the next couple months to get my website and promos going on this so that by april or so I’ll be prepared for the bulk of the US flying season.
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