This was my very last rocket for this semester in chemistry. My partner Carlos and I made this rocket from scratch. The engine and all. It was a really cool way to end off our rocket building careers for the year. I would have liked to see more success at the launch but the experience of building the rocket with my friend was worth it.
The rocket had a decent burn time but it didn't have enough thrust to get off the launch-pad. It would have been better if we didn't have as much weight on it. The nosecone was especially heavy because of the way we made it using cardboard tubes gradually decreasing in size. We couldn't find the balance of light and heavy because if it was too light the rocket would tip to the side and with too much weight it wouldn't get off the pad.
For the engine we used a mix of sorbitol and potassium nitrate in a 36 to 64 percent ratio. We melted it down and poured it into the motor casing and let it harden overnight. Then we drilled a hole in the bottom to funnel out all of the energy that is being combusted through the bottom of the rocket.
Fortunately for us, if Carlos and I wish to pursue rocketry even further looking forward we can always walk down to Andrews class and take the next rocketry project head on. So, I don't really want to say that it ends here because it doesn't have to. I think the Fancy Turtle deserves the a successful launch. I would be open to working with Carlos again but if possible I would like to have some other people on the team to help us make the gnarliest rocket ever.
Now that I have the skills to make a rocket from scratch including the engine, future rocket projects will be much easier and I can help others as well. Making your own rockets and engines takes lots of time and patience. Being able to work well in the partnership was important too. Carlos and I had the same vision for the fancy turtle in the start but both of us were open to each others ideas for improvement .
The rocket had a decent burn time but it didn't have enough thrust to get off the launch-pad. It would have been better if we didn't have as much weight on it. The nosecone was especially heavy because of the way we made it using cardboard tubes gradually decreasing in size. We couldn't find the balance of light and heavy because if it was too light the rocket would tip to the side and with too much weight it wouldn't get off the pad.
For the engine we used a mix of sorbitol and potassium nitrate in a 36 to 64 percent ratio. We melted it down and poured it into the motor casing and let it harden overnight. Then we drilled a hole in the bottom to funnel out all of the energy that is being combusted through the bottom of the rocket.
Fortunately for us, if Carlos and I wish to pursue rocketry even further looking forward we can always walk down to Andrews class and take the next rocketry project head on. So, I don't really want to say that it ends here because it doesn't have to. I think the Fancy Turtle deserves the a successful launch. I would be open to working with Carlos again but if possible I would like to have some other people on the team to help us make the gnarliest rocket ever.
Now that I have the skills to make a rocket from scratch including the engine, future rocket projects will be much easier and I can help others as well. Making your own rockets and engines takes lots of time and patience. Being able to work well in the partnership was important too. Carlos and I had the same vision for the fancy turtle in the start but both of us were open to each others ideas for improvement .