Tech Specifications for the 1/2A3-4T Engine
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Engineers use technical specifications in order to design what they need to make. The rocket engine we give you is the 1/2A3-4T. For this camp, you only need to care about the length and diameter. The other things would matter for an engineer or physicist to be able to predict its performance.
https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket_Motors/Estes_Motors/13mm_Motors/Estes_13mm_1_2A3-4T_4-pack |
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Hole Constraint: Measure the Engine
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Go ahead and measure your rocket engine's length and diameter in millimeters (mm).
That diameter is how wide of a hole the bottom of your rocket needs. The height/length is about how deep your hole needs to be. It is ok though if the bottom sticks out a little bit from the rocket. |
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Launch Constraint: Must be launched straight up
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Another constraint is that your rocket must launch straight up. The way we do that is by using a launch rail.
You will have to design or come up with a way for your rocket to ride the rail as it goes up. Measure the diameter of the rocket rail and make sure your design can accomplish this! |
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Design the rocket body
With these two main constraints, you can design the main rocket body. Use what you learned about making 3D shapes and holes and combining them together to make an object. Make sure to ask for help if you need it.
Cut out the hole for the rocket.
After you design the basic shape of your rocket, you will have to cut the hole in it for the rocket. You'll need the hole to be deep enough to fit most of the length of the rocket, and wide enough so that it fits snugly, but not too small so that it cannot go in. You can make the hole a little wider than needed and we can use painter's tape to make it a little thicker if needed.
Your teacher will show you how to cut a hole into an object, or you can follow along with this video.
Your teacher will show you how to cut a hole into an object, or you can follow along with this video.
How to make the rocket tip.
To make the tip of the rocket, you can make it curved or a triangle.
Constraint 4: Must be stable while flying (fins :)
The last main constraint is that the rocket must fly pretty straight (aka be stable). In order to do that, we need to add fins to the rocket.
Today we want you to design just one of the fins by sketching it out to scale using what you learned yesterday and then extruding it to the right width.
In order for the rocket to be stable in flight, the center of mass must be above the center of pressure. Aka where the rocket balances must be above where most of the rocket's drag is.
Today we want you to design just one of the fins by sketching it out to scale using what you learned yesterday and then extruding it to the right width.
In order for the rocket to be stable in flight, the center of mass must be above the center of pressure. Aka where the rocket balances must be above where most of the rocket's drag is.
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