Payload Altitude Information & Plans

[George Gassaway]

Payload Altitude -  Models for this event carry a Standard 28 gram Payload as high as possible and return the payload undamaged.  The payload must stay inside the model, and cannot be modified. 
     Note that as of the 2017-2018 contest season, the minimum diameter for  Payloads was changed from 19.1 mm OD to 17.0 mm OD.  This means that now you can use a normal 18mm (“BT-20”) tube as a payload section, to hold the payload inside. Also, the Semroc “BT-19” tube will work as a tube source for making a minimum diameter payload, an easy slide fit inside of most 18mm body tubes.

NAR Sporting Code Rules for Payload Altitude - From the NAR website. 

Payload Altitude Overview and plans on the NAR website.

Article by Dan Wolf on flying  C Payload and A Altitude - From Dan's "Competition Rocketry" series in Sport Rocketry magazine

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Payload Altitude Model Kits -

Apogee Components 
     SPEK Payload Kit - 2-staged 13mm Model. Can be flown 2-staged for "B" Payload, or single staged for "A". Payload
     Midge Payload Kit - 2-staged 13mm Model, payload section has room for a small altimeter in addition to the NAR standard payload.  Can be flown 2-staged for "B" Payload, or single staged for "A".
     Payload Kit - Parts for building two NAR standard payloads, which fit inside of 18mm tubes (sand not included).

Aerospace Specialty Products (ASP Rocketry)
      Payload Kit - Parts for the older 19mm payloads. ASP will have new payload kits to fit inside 18mm tubes soon.

Note:  A lot of rockets, whether kits or left over models from other events, can be adapted for flying the Payload Altitude event by adding a Payload section in place of the nose cone.

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Plans
 "Mice Loader" - Designed by Jeff Vincent. Payload model plans from the May/June 2000 issue of ASTRE's "Stardust" Newsletter. Info for an A and B/C version.  The plans are for the old 19mm payload specs, new versions of this plan can use 18mm (BT-20) tubes and parts in place of the larger diameter tubing. Also, this design would have to be lengthened to carry an altimeter if it was not optically tracked.

[More TBA]

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Video

“Strategies for NAR Payload Altitude Contest” - Video by Tim VanMilligan / Apogee. Includes examples of some altimeters.   Take note that the 2-stage 13mm pink model, built for B payload, also would be a nice single stage model for A Payload.

[Tim Van Milligan]

The new payload altitude rocket from Apogee Components will be available in November 2017. We're calling it the Midge. It is the sister rocket to the Spek.

I was thinking of just making a conversion kit for the Spek to make the payload bay longer to accommodate the NAR Payload and to include a small chute instead of a streamer. But it was just too complicated I thought. For the first time competitor, it would be confusing to take one rocket and have to change it into another. So I decided to create a completely separate kit. Originally I was going to use the same fins, but then I thought... "what the heck, I might as well change the look of the model so it doesn't cause any confusion." So that is what this model will be - all brand new. I'm fininshing up the new instructions now, and then it will be going into production.

I was going to post a picture of it, but I'm not seeing a way to do that.

[George Gassaway]

Hi Tim, great to see you here.

Look forward to the new Payloader kit.

For posting photos and files, please see this message in the Forum Use section.

Basically, using a 3rd party host like imgur, (or your own site server),  then post a link    Reason is to try to try to keep the costs down, otherwise accumulated forum file size would require more and more expensive hosting.

[Bernard Cawley]

Tim, is the Midge going to be a 13mm motor mount model or 18mm?

Related to that....I posted in another part of the forum here this question, but I might as well ask you directly: any plans for a 13mm piston launcher kit to complement the Sunward 18 and 24mm ones you carry?

Thanks.

[Tim Van Milligan]

Tim, is the Midge going to be a 13mm motor mount model or 18mm?

Related to that....I posted in another part of the forum here this question, but I might as well ask you directly: any plans for a 13mm piston launcher kit to complement the Sunward 18 and 24mm ones you carry?

Thanks.

The Midge is going to be a 13mm engine mount - both stages. So it can be used in A-Payload and B-Payload. 



The rocket is available now: Midge rocket kit from Apogee Components. The good news is that it does come with a NAR payload, but you have to supply the sand.

To answer your other question, I would like to do a 13mm piston launcher. But it is still on the drawing board. The one I use personally has a graphite tube that runs up the middle so I can put the igniter wires internally. The graphite tube is expensive, so I'm debating it right now. I'll probably do it eventually, but not before the end of 2017. I have other projects I'm working on.

[Bernard Cawley]

Thanks, Tim.

On pistons: I was looking at Chan Stevens’ article in your Peak of Flight newsletter (#374) that George linked to in the other place where I asked about this and was wondering about how to approach a 13mm version.

In another place George linked to the Goodwinds composites folks and they have some fiberglass tubes that are a little less expensive than pultruded carbon....I wonder if that would work? I’ll have to think about this some. Maybe my prep for NARAM starts with working on that first.

[Gus]

Very nice looking kit, Tim!  

I also want to mention that Apogee carries a Standard Payload kit using the new payload size.  I bought a couple, found them very easy to put together, and especially liked the laser-cut end caps.  Very nicely done.

Steve

[Bernard Cawley]

So.... I now have two Midge kits and the bits included to make the payload itself include a tube that’s 20mm longer than called for in the new Pink Book. ASP’s new payload kit is 22.6mm longer than the minimum dimensions called out in the pink book (60mm long) per the info on the asp-rocketry web site.

After getting some really fine sand (at least as fine as ASP supplied in the “old” ones that came in the Versi-Loader kits) at Michaels on Wednesday and using it to pack the payload tube supplied in a Midge kit, I don’t see how it is possible to make a “standard payload” as small as the Pink Book calls out using the materials called out. I had to do some work to get the sand to settle enough to get to 28g and still get the ends on one that’s 20mm longer.

Yes, I know the dimensions given are minima - but if Tim and Andy (at ASP) both have to go well beyond the minima given to get the mass required (28g), I wonder if it is even possible to make one as small as the rules say it CAN be.

Anyone know how?  After all, one would want the model to be as short as possible to minimize wetted area for the best altitude..........