Site Index

Flight Log Updates

2024 #236 - Launch Tubes #2 26/10/24 #231 - Paper Helicopters, Beer Ad 3/2/24 2023 #230 - Tajfun 2 L2 Flight 30/9/23 #229 - Mac Uni Astronomy Open Night 23/9/23 #228 - Tajfun 2 Electronics Test 26/8/23 #227 - Zip Line 29/7/23 #226 - Air Pressure Experiment #2 24/6/23 #225 - Air Pressure Experiment 28/5/23 #224 - Tajfun 2 - First Flight 1/4/23 2022 #221 - Horizon Prototype Deployment Mechanism 27/8/22 2021 #215 - Deployable Camera Boom 30/10/21 #214 - Launch Tubes 26/6/21 #213 - Drop away rail buttons 24/4/21 2020 #210 - Nova Flights - Mid power water rocket 3/10/20 2019 - We are currently processing the backlog of updates from 2019. #205 - Tall Tripod 15/6/19 #204 - Horizon Deployment Mechanism Tests 25/5/19 #203 - Thunda 2 High Power Launch 18/4/19 #202 - Horizon Launcher Tests 2/3/19 2018 #201 - Flour Rockets and Shock Release 1/12/18 #200 - Coming Soon   #199 - Phoenix 3D d78 Nosecone 30/6/18 #198 - Casual flight day 26/5/18 #197 - Dark Shadow II - New Personal Record 5/5/18 #196 - Coming Soon   #195 - 3D Printed Pyro rocket and casual flights 24/2/18 #194 - Toilet Paper Roll Drop 27/1/18 2017 #193 - Coming Soon 25/11/17 #192 - Stager Tests, Filming Apogee 28/10/17 #191 - Horizon Project, stager tests 7/10/17 #190 - Polaron G3, Drone mods 26/8/17 #189 - Casual Flights 9/7/17 #188 - Skittles in Microgravity - Part #2 27/5/17 #187 - Skittles in Microgravity - Part #1 29/4/17 #186 - Light Shadow - Level 1 HPR attempt 1/4/17 #185 - Liquids in near-Zero G 12/3/17 #184 - More Axion G6 flights 28/1/17 2016 #183 - Axion G6 11/12/16 #182 - Casual Flights 26/11/16 #181 - Acoustic Apogee Detector - Part 2 29/10/16 #180 - Light Shadow and Polaron G2 flights 10/9/16 #179 - Testing Light Shadow Electronics 27/8/16 #178 - Acoustic Apogee Detector - Part 1 30/7/16 #177 - Reefing Parachutes for Increased Drag 25/6/16 #176 - 10 Years 4/6/16 #175 - Various Events with NSWRA 18/6/16 #174 - Mullaley Launch 23/4/16 #173 - Oobleck in Water Rockets 10/4/16 #172 - Coming Soon 26/3/16 #171 - How to Measure Altitude 14/2/16 2015 #170 - How much water to use in a water rocket 13/12/15 #169 - Windy 15/11/15 #168 - Casual Flights 2 31/10/15 #167 - Casual water and pyro flights 11/10/15 #166 - Dark Shadow II 12/9/15 #165 - Liquid Density Experiment Part 2 5/9/15 #164 - Liquid Density Experiment Part 1 29/8/15 #163 - Channel 7 News 25/7/15 #162 - Axion G2 and Polaron G2 Flights 27/6/15 #161 - Fog and Long Boom 14/6/15 #160 - Chasing Rockets 12/4/15 #159 - Measurement 28/3/15 #158 - Thunda Down Under #2 - Dark Shadow 13/3/15 #157 - Thunda Down Under #1 - Polaron G2 12/3/15 #156 - Foam Flights 31/1/15 2014 #155 - Looking Down the Barrel 14/12/14 #154 - Revisits - foam generation, large chute 9/11/14 #153 - ClearCam 12/10/14 #152 - Mullaley, Axion G2 flights 4/10/14 #151 - NSWRA Competition Day 27/9/14 #150 - Rocket Salvos, Foam Experiment 14/9/14 #149 - Glide Fins 10/8/14 #148 - Too Windy 28/6/14 #147 - Descent Rates 15/6/14 #146 - G2 launcher test flights with Axion II 31/5/14 #145 - Stability harness, Foam flights, Pancam 11/5/14 #144 - Foam vs Water, G2 launcher tests 26/4/14 #143 - Roll correction, foam, Whalan Reserve 9/3/14 #142 - Casual Flights, last day at Doonside 22/2/14 #141 - Windy, dual thrust flights 25/1/14 2013 #140 - Dual Thrust 2 - Improvement and Measurement 23/12/13 #139 - Roll correction, casual flights 8/12/13 #138 - Dual Thrust rocket 30/11/13 #137 - Axion G4 with Boosters 31/8/13 #136 - MicroLab Gravity Experiments 1/8/13 #135 - GoPro Hero 3 27/7/13 #134 - 7 years, Axion G4, Inverter flights 9/6/13 #133 - LaRF, Observatory Mac Uni, projects update 26/5/13 #132 - Painting the sky 30/3/13 #131 - Materials Challenge, Clark cable tie launcher 17/3/13 #130 - Inverter flight and Shadow II CATO 10/2/13 #129 - Inverter and Shadow II flights, splicing 26/1/13 #128 - Projects update, build threads, ANSTO 12/1/13 2012 #127 - Water and Pyro 11/11/12 #126 - Hat-trick 27/10/12 #125 - Long rocket 14/10/12 #124 - Boom and chase cams 9/9/12 #123 - TV Commercial and Servo Timer IIs 23/8/12 #122 - NSWRA Competition day 28/7/12 #121 - Shadow II flights 30/6/12 #120 - ARB flights, improved splices, new launcher 10/6/12 #119 - Sydney Observatory and altimeter flights 28/4/12 #118 - Polaron G2 flights 8/4/12 #117 - Water and Pyro 31/3/12 #116 - Casual Flights 25/2/12 #115 - Shadow Flights 12/2/12 2011 #114 - Reefing Parachutes 4/12/11 #113 - Alternative Fuels 13/11/11 #112 - Looking up 29/10/11 #111 - HD Cam flights 24/9/11 #110 - Polaron G2 - Phase 2 development 7/8/11 #109 - More Polaron G2 flights 30/7/11 #108 - Pan Cam - A different perspective 10/7/11 #107 - Williams, STII production, test flights 25/6/11 #106 - Measuring bottle stretch thrust 22/5/11 #105 - Polaron G2 flight, Axion G2 8/5/11 #104 - Quick Launcher, HD onboard video 22/4/11 #103 - Polaron G2b CATO 10/4/11 #102 - Servo Timer II test flights 29/3/11 #101 - Foam flights 26/2/11 #100 - Polaron G2 first flight 29/1/11 #99 - G2 Nosecone test flights 22/1/11 2010 #98 - Polaron G2 Nosecone and foam flights 27/11/10 #97 - Acceleron V to 864' 30/10/10 #96 - Polaron G2, 2-stage flights 25/09/10 #95 - Parraweena, MAD deployment 28/08/10 #94 - Mk 3. Staging Mechanism 1/08/10 #93 - Polaron G1 & Parachute cam 13/06/10 #92 - Fiberglass Flights 24/04/10 #91 - Fiberglassing pressure vessels 15/04/10 #90 - Acceleron V & Axion IVb to 810' 27/03/10 #89 - Axion IVb and Craig's flight computer 14/03/10 #88 - Dual Deployment Mechansim 27/02/10 #87 - Another Day in the Office 6/02/10 #86 - In-line Parachute Deployment Mechanism 10/01/10 #85 - MicroLab - Mercury switches 10/01/10 2009 #84 - Acceleron V - pressure switch 23/12/09 #83 - Flight testing new splices 13/12/09 #82 - Inflight Water Behaviour & splice tests 31/10/09 #81 - Bits and Pieces 22/10/09 #80 - A Different Perspective 15/9/09 #79 - Acceleron Vb Explosion and Axion V 25/7/09 #78 - Acceleron V first flight 4/7/09 #77 - Acceleron V development progress 27/5/09 #76 - Windy and Acceleron V progress 15/4/09 #75 -(variable nozzle data)   #74 - Flour Rockets 15/3/09 #73 - Polaron VIb and other crashes 28/2/09 #72 - Fiberglassing and other progress 21/2/09 2008 #71 - FTC Flights 21/12/08 #70 - NSWRA Open Day, Acceleron V, G-Sw. 22/11/08 #69 - FTC Rocket 9/11/08 #68 - Calibrated Static Test Experiments 4/10/08 #67 - Test Stand 21/9/08 #66 - Multi-stage rocket and Pyro rockets 30/8/08 #65 - Baryon II booster and Tachyon V 2/8/08 #64 - Thermal Testing 27/7/08 #63 - Mk2 Katz Stager flight tests 13/7/08 #62 - 15mm Nozzles and CATOs 1/7/08 #61 - Fog and Polaron VI 20/6/08 #60 - Repairs, Testing and Development 19/5/08 #59 - Acceleron IV and Tachyon III to 617' 6/5/08 #58 - Tornado Couplings, 2L splice tests 15/4/08 #57 - Acceleron IV and Polaron IV 29/3/08 #56 - Polaron IV rocket and launcher details 11/3/08 #55 - Polaron IV flights with Gluon boosters 23/2/08 #54 - Splicing bottles & pressure tests 10/2/08 #53 - NSWRA & Polaron IV test flights 31/1/08 #52 - Polaron IV Launcher & Booster Tests 22/1/08 #51 - Katz Stager - Staging mechanism 6/1/08 2007 #50 - Fire and Water, New launch site 13/12/07 #49 - Foam vs. Water-only test flights 20/11/07 #48 - J4IIIb Crash and Foam flights 30/10/07 #47 - Polaron IV development and, hybrid splice 23/10/07 #46 - VISE Glue Tests 11/10/07 #45 - Zero-G Experiments, Altimeter flights, pressure switch 2/10/07 #44 - Foam flights, V1.3.2 test flights 16/9/07 #43 - Hyperon flights, visiting Damo's spaceport 11/9/07 #42 - Hyperon, new flight computers 14/8/07 #41 - Acceleron IIIb and Tachyon II successful flights. 31/7/07 #40 - Acceleron III Rebuilt, burst tests 22/7/07 #39 - Catastrophic failure during test 7/7/07 #38 - Tachyon test flights 24/6/07 #37 - Tachyon sustainer 13/6/07 #36 - Multi-stage progress 27/5/07 #35 - Acceleron III booster 13/5/07 #34 - Vertical Races 6/5/07 #33 - Simultaneous launches & foam flights 21/4/07 #32 - Thrust measurement for CD nozzles 14/4/07 #31 - Thrust measurement rig, thrust data 6/4/07 #30 - Acceleron II Successful Flights - Launch Sound Analysis 31/3/07 #29 - Acceleron II booster development 25/3/07 #28 - Foam flights, 15mm nozzle 11/3/07 #27 - Foam, baffle and burst tests 9/3/07 #26 - Static Fire Tests 24/2/07 #25 - Polaron III, J4 II, Acceleron and more underwater launches 18/2/07 #24 - Underwater launches, new launcher 3/2/07 #23 - Acceleron 27/1/07 #22 - Cluster flights 11/1/07 2006 #21 - Records and Crashes 31/12/06 #20 - Cluster Development 27/12/06 #19 - Repaired J4Y test flights 2/12/06 #18 - New Rocket, good in-flight video 30/11/06 #17 - Flight Computer successful flights 11/11/06 #16 - A Mixed Bag, bursts tests 22/10/06 #15 - Big Rocket, inflight video burst tests 8/10/06 #14 - Experiments 2/10/06 #13 - Development - Getting more serious 25/9/06 #12 - Crashes 27/8/06 #11 - Record Flight 26/8/06 #10 - In-flight video and faulty nozzles 20/8/06 #9 - In-flight video and perfect flights 13/8/06 #8 - Windy and Wet 5/8/06 #7 - More parachutes and new launch site 30/7/06 #6 - Parachutes 9/7/06 #5 - Whistles 2/7/06 #4 - Rocket payloads 25/6/06 #3 - The beach 18/6/06 #2 - Vertical launcher 11/6/06 #1 - First tests and horizontal launcher 4/6/06

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Rocket Components

Component Tested - Dark Shadow Deployment Mechanism Flight - Acceleron staging mechanism Flight - Air Brakes Flight - Baffle Flight - CD nozzle Flight - Drop away boosters retention Flight - FTC nozzle Flight - FTC bulkhead Flight - Flight Computer Flight - Guide rail lugs Flight - Hybrid splice Ground - Katz Stager Ground - Katz Stager Mk2. Flight - Launcher for boosters Flight - Nosecone construction Flight - NOAA Flight - Pressure switch (TDD) Flight - TDD 2 Flight - Parachutes Flight - Pulling out secondary parachute Flight - Robinson Coupling Flight - Removable fin assembly Flight - Reefing ring on parachute Flight - Side Deployment Flight - Side Deployment #2 Flight - Small pressure switch Ground - Splicing Flight - Tornado Coupling - 15mm Ground - Tornado Coupling - 22mm Flight - Variable Nozzle Ground - Whistles Flight - Water as ballast Flight - Detachment Mechanism (DetMech) Ground - Launch Abort Valve Ground - Pressure Switch (PS3) Flight - In-line Parachute Deployment Mechanism Flight - Dual Deployment Mechanism Flight - Tornado Tube flight tests Flight - Mk3. Staging Mechanism Flight - MAD Deployment Flight - Multi-stage parachute deployment Flight - Jet Foaming Spacer Flight - Dual Thrust Nozzle Flight

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Videos

2023 - Air Pressure Experiment (day 225) - Tajfun 2 - First flight (day 224) 2020 - Nova Rocket Pressure Chamber - Part 1 (day 210) - Nova Rocket Deployment Mechanism - Part 2 (day 210) - Nova Rocket Flights - Part 3 (day 210) 2019 - Tall Tripod (day 205) - Horizon deployment mechanism tests (day 204) - Horizon bending explanation (day 203) - Part #15 - Thunda 2 - Horizon first flights (day 203) - Part #14 - Thunda 2 - Darks Shadow to 2269 feet (day 203) - Thunda 2 - Highlights (day 203) - Horizon Launcher Tests (day 202) 2018 - Shock Release (day 201) - Flour Rockets (day 201) - Phoenix 3D d78 Nosecone (day 199) - Dark Shadow II - New Personal Record (day 197) - Toilet Paper Roll Drop (day 194) 2017 - Horizon Project - Part 2 (day 192) - Filming rockets at apogee (day 192) - Horizon Project announcement - Part 1 (day 191) - Polaron G3, Drone modes (day 190) - Skittles in Microgravity (day 188) - Polaron G2 flights (day 186) - Light Shadow Level 1 HPR Certification attempt (day 186) - Liquids in near-Zero G (day 185) - Day 184 Hightlights - Axion G6 (day 184) 2016 - Acoustic Aogee Detector (day 181) - Polaron G2 flights and pyro Highlights (day 180) - L1ght Shadow First Flight - Part3a (day 180) - Testing Light Shadow electronics (day 179) - L1ght Shadow Construction - Part 2 - L1ght Shadow Construction - Part 1 - Reefing Parachutes for Increased Drag (day 177) - 10 Years (day 176) - Mullaley Launch (day 174) - Oobleck In Water Rockets (day 173) - Day 172 Coming Soon - How to Measure Altitude (day 171) 2015 - How much water to use in a water rocket (day 170) - Dark Shadow High Pressure Launcher - Dark Shadow II (day 166) - Mullaley HPR highlights (day 166) - Liquid Density Experiment (day 165) - Channel 7 News (day 163) - Axion G2 and Polaron G2 Flights (day 162) - Fog and Long Boom (day 161) - Measurement (day 159) - Dark Shadow - Parachute Deployment Mechanism - Thunda Down Under #2 - Dark Shadow Flights (day 158) - Thunda Down Under #1 - Polaron G2 Flights (day 157) 2014 - Looking Down the Barrel (day 155) - Revisits, foam generation, large chute deployment (day 154) - ClearCam (day 153) - Mullaley, Axion G2 flights (day 152) - Mullaley, Other flights (day 152) - NSWRA Competition Day (day 151) - Rocket Salvos (day 150) - Foam Experiment (day 150) - Glide Fins, Axion foam flights (day 149) - G2 launcher flight tests (day 146) - Stability harness, foam flights (day 145) - Day 144 - Water vs foam comparisons, G2 launcher tests - Polaron G2 launcher tests - LaRF - Laser Rocket Finder - Whalan Reserve, roll corrected flights (day 143) - Day 142 highlights (day 142) - Day 141 highlights, windy, dual thrust (day 141) - Polaron G2 launcher prototype tests (day 141) 2013 - Dual Thrust - Measurement and Analysis (day 140) - Roll correction attempt #1 (day139) - Day 139 Highlights (day 139) - Dual Thrust rocket flights (day 138) - Dual Thrust static test (day 138) - Axion G4 with boosters (day 137) - Day 136 highlights - MicroLab Gravity Mechanisms (day 136) - Day 135 Highlights - Day 134 highlights - Inverter flights G4 flight - 7 years (day 134) - Quick Launcher upgrades (day 133) - Day 132 highlights - Painting the sky (day 132) - Materials Challenge (day 131) - Inverter successful flight (day 130) - Shadow II CATO (day 130) - Inverter first flight (day 129) - Shadow II flight (day 129) 2012 - Day 126 Highlights - Launch Procedure (day 126) - Hat-trick (day 126) - Day 125 Highlights - long rocket (day 125) - Boom cam (day 124) - Chase cam (day 124) - Shadow II Flights (day121) - ARB flights (day120) - Day 119 Highlights - Polaron G2 flight (day118) - Water and Pyro (day117) - Casual Flights (day 116) - Shadow flights (day115) 2011 - Reefing Parachutes (day114) - Alternative Fuels (day113) - Looking up (day112) - HD Cam flights (day 111) - Polaron G2 - Static thrust tests (day 110) - Williams 2011 Sunday highlights - Williams 2011 Saturday highlights - Polaron G2 flights (day 109) - Pan Cam - A different perspective (day 108) - Day 107 Highlights - N2000 Drag Race - Williams - Measuring Bottle Stretch Thrust (day 106) - Polaron G2 and Axion G2 flights (day 105) - Quick Launcher, HD onboard video (day 104) - Polaron G2b CATO (day 103) - Servo Timer II test flights (day102) - Servo Timer II Operation - Day 101 - Foam flight highlights (day 101) - Bottle Splicing - Asymmetric splice #5 - Tutorial - Polaron G2 First Flight (day 100) - Polaron G2 Nosecone test Flights (day99) 2010 - Day 98 - Highlights (day98) - Acceleron V to 864' highlights (day97) - Day 96 - 2 stage flight highlights. (day96) - Parraweena Highlights (day95) - Mk 3 Construction Tutorial Part - 2 - Mk 3 Construction Tutorial Part - 1 - Mk 3 stager flight test highlights (day94) - Polaron G1 and Parachute cam (day93) - Day 92 Highlights, fiberglass flights (day92) - Acceleron V and Axion IVb to 810' (day 90) - Day 89 Highlights, Axion IVb (day 89) - Dual Deployment Mechanism (day 88) - Acceleron V components and Day 87 highlights - In-line Parachute Deployment Mechanism (day86) - MicroLab - Mercury Switch Experiments (day85) 2009 - Acceleron V - Pressure switch tests (day 84) - Highlights from day 83 - Asymmetric splice burst test (day 82) - Inflight Water behaviour (day 82) - Baking Soda and Vinegar Rocket (day 81) - A Different Perspective & highlights (day 80) - Gardena Nozzle construction (Part 2) - Launcher fix - Gardena Nozzle construction (Part 1) - Day 79 highlights - Axion V (day 79 - part 2) - Acceleron Vb Explosion (day 79 - part 1) - NSWRA pyro rocket highlights (day 78) - High speed video (day 78) - Acceleron V first flight (day 78) - Acceleron V baseplate and staging mechanism tests - DetMech - Parachute Detachment Mechanism - Flour Rockets (day 74) - Polaron VIb flights and other crashes (day 73) 2008 - First FTC flight tests (day 71) - FTC Rocket and deployment mechanism (day 69) - Calibrated Thrust Measurements (day 68) - NSWRA pyro rocket highlights (day 68) - Multi-stage highlights (day 66) - Variable Nozzle - Baryon II booster and Tachyon V sustainer (day65) - Thermal Testing (day 64) - Katz Stager Mk2 flight tests (day 63) - Katz Stager Mk2 ground tests - 15mm Nozzles and long launch tube (day 62) - Fog and Polaron VI (day 61) - Acceleron IV and Tachyon to 617' ( day 59 ) - Acceleron IV and Polaron IV flights over 500' (day 57) - Polaron IV dummy booster tests - Polaron IV Launcher Details - Pyro rockets at Doonside - NSWRA(day 55) - Polaron IV flights with boosters ( day 55 ) - Splicing Bottles Tutorial - Polaron IV test flights (day 53) - Gluon booster tests (day 52) 2007 - Highlights Fire and Water (day 50) - Highlights of foam vs. water only (day 49) - Highlights and foam flights (day 48) - Zero-G Experiments (day 45) - Foam Flights, CF V1.3.2 test flights (day 44) - Hyperon Flights, Damo's spaceport (day 43) - Making Robinson Couplings - 2 stage flights -Acceleron IIIb and Tachyon II (day 41) - Tachyon test flights (day 38) - Tachyon deployment and staging test - Vertical water rocket races (day 34) - Simultaneous Launches (day 33) - Thrust measurements (day 31) - 18.75L Acceleron booster (day 30) - Jet Foaming Fligths (day 28) - Jet Foaming slow motion detail - Baffle slow motion detail - Internal temperature measurement - Blow through slow motion - Blowthrough and foam slow motion - Underwater launches (2 meters) - Day 25 highlights - Polaron III infligtht video (day 25) - Underwater launches (1 meter) - Polaron II inflight (day 24) - Acceleron launches (day 23) - First cluster flights (day 22) 2006 - J4 crash from 130 meters (day 20) - Frankovka III inflight (day 20)

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Science and Engineering Data

- Blow-through effect - Jet Foaming - Internal Temperature Measurement - Launch Sound Analysis (Acceleron) - Water and air thrust analysis - Foam thrust analysis - 7mm CD nozzle thrust data - 9mm CD nozzle thrust data - Underwater launches ( 1 m ) - Underwater launches ( 2 m ) - Burst Tests Results - Burst Tests Results - #2 - Burst tests under water - VISE Glue Tests - Hybrid Splice tests - Foam vs. Water-only Altimeter Data - Thermal Testing - Detailed Thrust Measurement Experiments - Coupling Thermal Test - Mercury Switch Flight Experiments - Fiberglass reinforcing results - Reefing Parachutes - Measuring Bottle Stretch thrust - ARB test flights - MicroLab Gravity Mechanism experiments - Dual Thrust - Measurement and Analysis - Liquid Density Experiment - How much water to use

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Diagrams

- Dark Shadow Deployment Mechanism - 7mm and 9mm CD Nozzles - Launch Sound Analysis - Acceleron II details - Jet Foaming arrangement in rocket - Polaron Deploy mechanism - Robinson Coupling - Flight Computer V1.2 circuit diagram - Flight Computer V1.3 circuit diagram - Flight Computer V1.3.1 circuit diagram - Flight Computer V1.3.2 circuit diagram - Flight Computer V1.4 circuit diagram - Tachyon sustainer detail - Removable fin assembly - Acceleron launcher nozzle seat detail - Acceleron IIIb detail - Graviton detail - Simple pressure switch - VISE Glue viscosity test - Reinforcing Bottles - Katz Stager - Polaron IV Air Supply Schematic - Polaron IV rocket detail - Polaron IV guide rail details - Tornado Coupling - FTC End-cap and Nozzle - Drop Away Boosters - Passive Separation - Variable Nozzle - Load Cell Amplifier circuit diagram - Thrust measurement bottle configuration - RCA plug based G-switch - Corriflute fin attachment cross-section - Splice cross-sections - Pressure switch (PS3) - In-line parachute deployment mechanism - Mk 3 staging mechanism - Polaron G2 Size comparison - Jet Foaming Spacer - Dual Thrust configuration - Removable Non-return valve for fill tube.

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