Re: Tips on achieveing MAP certifications


Kevin Lucas wrote:

We attended UKRA 2006 and had a great time watching both model and HPR
flights. We're aiming to undertake MAP certifications and, while there,
realised there were some simple steps we could take to increase the chances
of a successful certification flight.

For example while it often feels great to fly a proven rocket on big
engines, we were more likely to be successful in recovering from the rape
fields if we flew on low powered engines. And we'd brought the family so we
had useful group of recovery spotters in addition to the considerable help
everyone else gave us (and it was great to be able to help them in return).

But does anyone have any other tips on simplifying our certification flights
rather than going for more risky, even if more exciting, flights perhaps? As
we've flown a little but not a lot, I'm conscious we haven't yet worked out
how to minimise practical flight risk beyond the good-construction,
well-prepped-rocket steps.

If you're talking about model rockets, I suppose the biggest problem is
finding them. To do this successfully they need to be visible in the
air and on the ground. I've never done it myself, but some people add
extra powder (something like talcum power or poster paint) to the
recovery system to make the ejection event more visible.

Mylar parachutes and streamers are very visible - anything that
reflects the light, especially if it will glint, is useful. If the
rocket is light and you're lucky, parachutes will sometimes sit on top
of the crop and be fairly obvious.

Obviously for finding a rocket on the ground bright, unnatural colours
are a good start. Flourescent orange spray paint for example.

If your rocket is big enough, a beeper is a very good idea. Pratt
Hobbies sell a 'microbeacon' which will fit in a model rocket.
Alternatively the popular 'rape alarm' type can be disassembled and
will fit in a 24mm airframe. These are very loud and work well so long
as you have a rough idea of where the rocket landed. On a good day the
sound can carry a considerable distance, but when you're wandering
around every bird and insect sounds like a bleeper or an altimeter!

Recovery at EARS post-harvest is much easier - with mylar streamers
I've recovered minimum-diameter C and D powered rockets on a fairly
windy day from a considerable distance away. Against the ploughed field
the reflective streamers stand out well.

Of course for bigger stuff the radio beacon (tracker) is pretty much
unbeatable. Many people, not least Ady Waters will testify to this. At
UKRA one of his rockets was recovered something like 5 miles from the
launch site!

HTH

Niall

.

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