2016SC4-HEngineeringChallenge
EggLofterRocketChallenge
Eachindividual/teamwilldesignandbuildanegg-bearingrockettocarryamediumsizedeggtoaheightof557withaflighttimeof38to42secondswithoutbreaking
theegg.Anybrokeneggisdisqualified.
Whattobring:
Individuals/Teamsmustsupplypre-builtrocket,motor,altimeter,andpackingmaterials.
Mediumsizedeggandlauncherwillbeprovidedonsite.
Thischallengeisopentoindividualsandteamsof2to3people.
CompetitionInstructions:
Eachrocketwillhavethechancetoflytwice,timepermitting.Thebesttimewillbeusedforscoring.
Eachrocketwillbeinspectedforsafety,weighed,andinstalledwithanaltimetertomeasurealtitudeandflight
duration.
Thelaunchareawillbedeclaredopentostartthechallengeandthosethatarereadycanloadtheirrocketson
thelaunchracks.Rocketwillbeloadedandconnectedtothelaunchcontrollerbytheindividual/teamandthen
waitforpermissiontolaunchfromtheRocketryFacilitatorandtheRocketrySafetyOfficer.Eachrocketwillbe
launchedindividuallyandtimed.Afterallrocketsarelaunchedtherangewillbedeclaredopenandthenext
batchofrocketswillbeloadedwhiletheonespreviouslylaunchedareretrieved.Retrievedrocketswillbe
broughttothejudgingtabletobescoredonheightandtoensureeggisnotbroken.Rangewillthenbeclosed
andthenextbatchofrocketscanbelaunched.
RocketRequirements:
• Rocketweighlessthan2pounds.
• Nometalisallowedtobeusedintheconstructionoftherocketotherthanthemotorretention.
• NomotorlargerthananFmaybeused.Onlyblackpowderandammoniumperchlorateallowed.
Rocketperformancewillbejudgedbythefollowing:
1. Theeggisintactwhenitreturnstoearth.
2. Therocketreached557feet.
3. Therockethadatotalflighttimeof38to42seconds.
4. Timeisjudgedbythelastpieceoftherockettouchestheground.
2016SC4-HEngineeringChallenge
EggLofterRocketChallenge
DurationScoring:
Thedurationscoreforeachflightshallbebasedontotalflightdurationoftherocket,measuredfromfirst
motionatliftofffromthelaunchpaduntilthemomentthatthefirstportionoftheconnectedrocketassembly
touchestheground(oratree)oruntiltherocketcannolongerbeseenduetodistanceortoanobstacle.Times
mustbemeasuredindependentlybytwopeoplenotontheteam,oneofwhomistheofficial4Hadultobserver,
usingseparateelectronicstopwatchesthatareaccurateto0.01seconds.Theofficialdurationwillbethe
averageofthetwotimes,roundedtothenearest0.01second,with.005secondsbeingroundeduptothenext
highest0.01seconds.Ifonestopwatchmalfunctions,theremainingsingletimewillbeused.Theflightduration
goalisarangeof38to42seconds.Flightswithdurationintherangeof38to42secondsgetaperfectduration
scoreofzero.Durationscoresforflightswithdurationbelow38secondswillbecomputedbytakingthe
absolutedifferencebetween38secondsandthemeasuredaverageflightdurationtothenearest1/100second
andmultiplyingthisby4.Durationscoresforflightswithdurationsabove42secondswillbecomputedby
takingtheabsolutedifferencebetween42secondsandthemeasuredaverageflightdurationtothenearest
1/100secondandmultiplyingthisby4.Thesedurationscoresarealwaysapositivenumberorzero.
AltitudeScoring:
Rocketsmustcontainoneandonlyoneelectronicaltimeterofthespecificcommercialtypesapprovedforusein
the4HEngineeringEvent.ThesetypesarethePerfectfliteAPRA,Pnut,orFirefly.Thealtimetermustbe
inspectedbya4Hofficialbothbeforeandaftertheflight,andmaynotbemodifiedinanymanner.Thealtimeter
mustbeconfirmedbythisofficialbeforeflighttonothavebeentriggeredandtobereadyforflight.Thepeak
altitudeoftherocketasrecordedbythisaltimeterandsoundedorflashedoutonitsaudibleorvisiblelight
transmissionpost-flightwillbethesolebasisforjudgingthealtitudescoreandthisaltimetermaybeusedfor
nootherpurpose.Thealtitudescoreforeveryflightwillbetheabsolutedifferenceinfeetbetweenthe557feet
targetaltitudeandthealtimeterreportedactualflightaltitudeinfeet(alwaysapositivenumberorzero).
FacilitatorRecommendations:
• Participantmayuseastockrocketkitortheycandesignarocketthemselves.
•
Aseparatebayisrecommendedforthealtimetertomaximizeaccuracy.
•
RecommendedtheuseofOPENRocket(freewarerocketsimulator)toassistindesignofrocketand
motorchoice.Othersoftwareisavailableandmaybeusedforpreparation.
•
Practiceflightsarehighlyrecommended
•
SeeTARC(TeamAmericaRocketChallenge)guideforhelpfuladvice:http://rocketcontest.org
2016SC4-HEngineeringChallenge
EggLofterRocketChallenge
CertifiedMotors:
2016SC4-HEngineeringChallenge
EggLofterRocketChallenge
CertifiedMotors:
2016SC4-HEngineeringChallenge
EggLofterRocketChallenge
CertifiedMotors:
2016SC4-HEngineeringChallenge
EggLofterRocketChallenge
CertifiedMotors:
2016SC4-HEngineeringChallenge
EggLofterRocketChallenge
CertifiedMotors:
2016SC4-HEngineeringChallenge
EggLofterRocketChallenge
MODELROCKETSAFETYCODE
1.MaterialsIwilluseonlylightweight,non-metalpartsforthenose,body,andfinsofmyrocket.
2.Motors.Iwilluseonlycertified,commercially-mademodelrocketmotors,andwillnottamperwiththese
motorsorusethemforanypurposesexceptthoserecommendedbythemanufacturer.
3.IgnitionSystem.Iwilllaunchmyrocketswithanelectricallaunchsystemandelectricalmotorigniters.My
launchsystemwillhaveasafetyinterlockinserieswiththelaunchswitch,andwillusealaunchswitchthat
returnstothe“off”positionwhenreleased.
4.Misfires.IfmyrocketdoesnotlaunchwhenIpressthebuttonofmyelectricallaunchsystem,Iwillremove
thelauncher’ssafetyinterlockordisconnectitsbattery,andwillwait60secondsafterthelastlaunchattempt
beforeallowinganyonetoapproachtherocket.
5.LaunchSafety.Iwilluseacountdownbeforelaunch,andwillensurethateveryoneispayingattentionandisa
safedistanceofatleast15feetawaywhenIlaunchrocketswithDmotorsorsmaller,and30feetwhenIlaunch
largerrockets.IfIamuncertainaboutthesafetyorstabilityofanuntestedrocket,Iwillcheckthestability
beforeflightandwillflyitonlyafterwarningspectatorsandclearingthemawaytoasafedistance.When
conductingasimultaneouslaunchofmorethantenrocketsIwillobserveasafedistanceof1.5timesthe
maximumexpectedaltitudeofanylaunchedrocket.
6.Launcher.Iwilllaunchmyrocketfromalaunchrod,tower,orrailthatispointedtowithin30degreesofthe
verticaltoensurethattherocketfliesnearlystraightup,andIwilluseablastdeflectortopreventthemotor’s
exhaustfromhittingtheground.Topreventaccidentaleyeinjury,Iwillplacelauncherssothattheendofthe
launchrodisaboveeyelevelorwillcaptheendoftherodwhenitisnotinuse.
7.Size.Mymodelrocketwillnotweighmorethan1,500grams(53ounces)atliftoffandwillnotcontainmore
than125grams(4.4ounces)ofpropellantor320N-sec(71.9pound-seconds)oftotalimpulse.
8.FlightSafety.Iwillnotlaunchmyrocketattargets,intoclouds,ornearairplanes,andwillnotputany
flammableorexplosivepayloadinmyrocket.
9.LaunchSite.Iwilllaunchmyrocketoutdoors,inanopenareaatleastaslargeasshownintheaccompanying
table,andinsafeweatherconditionswithwindspeedsnogreaterthan20milesperhour.Iwillensurethat
thereisnodrygrassclosetothelaunchpad,andthatthelaunchsitedoesnotpresentriskofgrassfires.
10.RecoverySystem.Iwillusearecoverysystemsuchasastreamerorparachuteinmyrocketsothatit
returnssafelyandundamagedandcanbeflownagain,andIwilluseonlyflame-resistantorfireproofrecovery
systemwaddinginmyrocket.
11.RecoverySafety.Iwillnotattempttorecovermyrocketfrompowerlines,talltrees,or
otherdangerousplaces.