Entry Information
$10.00 Entry Fee with $5.00 Re-Entrance Option
Make sure to declare your flight as an “Alphabet Contest” on your flight card prior to launch.
A registration sheet should be available at the LCO desk; contact Brad Morse if the sheet is missing.
Deposit your entry fees with Brad Morse.
Contest Rules
Fly and successfully recover a model rocket, using each motor class in succession: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, …
You may use a different rocket for each flight, or the same rocket for multiple flights as you desire. Each flight must be declared prior to launch as a contest launch, and designated on your flight card.
Disqualification
If you have a failure resulting in damage that prevents a second flight without repair, or you are unable to recover the rocket, then your last successful flight will be recorded as your final flight for the contest.
Re-Entrance
Flyers may re-enter for an additional fee. You will re-join the contest at the motor that you were disqualified at. For example, if your E flight failed, you would continue the contest at an E impulse motor.
Contest Duration
June – October
The Alphabet contest is open from Mile High Mayhem (June 4) thru Oktoberfest (October 3). Contest winners and prize money will be awarded at the end of flight activities on October 3 or at the club annual meeting.
Build Constraints
All rockets must be stable and constructed with materials approved by NAR or Tripoli.
Multiple Stages
Multiple stages may be used to accomplish multiple letters of the alphabet in a single flight. You must recover all stages successfully. Limit up to and including 3-stages.
Contestants must progress through the alphabet contest sequentially.
You cannot skip any letters of the alphabet, flights with multiple motors that are not sequential are allowed, but you can only achieve a single letter in the alphabet contest if your staged-motor configuration is not sequential.
Ignition sequence does not have to be alphabetical. You may fly a staged rocket that has a C as the booster, and a B as the sustainer (assuming you have successfully completed your A impulse flight).
Clusters
The total impulse of the cluster can be substituted for the impulse letter in the alphabet. For example, a cluster of 6 (six) E motors @ 40ns each would have a total impulse of 240ns, which is equivalent to an H motor.
| Impulse | Thrust Range (ns) | |
| 1/4 A | 0 to | 0.625 ns |
| 1/2 A | 0.625 to | 1.25 ns |
| A | 1.25 to | 2.5 ns |
| B | 2.5 to | 5 ns |
| C | 5 to | 10 ns |
| D | 10 to | 20 ns |
| E | 20 to | 40 ns |
| F | 40 to | 80 ns |
| G | 80 to | 160 ns |
| H | 160 to | 320 ns |
| I | 320 to | 640 ns |
| J | 640 to | 1,280 ns |
| K | 1,280 to | 2,560 ns |
| L | 2,560 to | 5,120 ns |
| M | 5,120 to | 10,240 ns |
