Zombie

Who says felines can't do big things?
I just completed overseeing the construction of a zombie nuclear weapon prototype.  It's a scale 1:100 model of this ICZBM,  Saturday I will be launching it in hopes that my design is stable the weathering angle is not too large.
    I worry about the weathering angle, the angle between vertical and the line tangent to the trajectory, because I had planned on firing this scale model off with a larger motor.  Since I was planning on using a J motor at some point, I added about 15oz to the nosecone for ballast.  This brings the center of gravity towards the nosecone, so that the center of pressure will be far aft of the center of gravity.  I do this for stability's sake.
    I planned on this, but had to order the motor that seemed most suited for an initial feline high powered rocketry certification flight.  This motor is an H125 class motor, meaning it has an average thrust of 125 newtons and a total impulse in the H class.  For a comparison, the J motor has 4 times the total impulse (Force * Time) of the H motor and has an average thrust of about 500 newtons.  This difference accounts for my concerns about the weathering angle.
    Stability is related to many different components in a high powered rocket, one of which being the difference between the center of pressure and the center of gravity.  I had this taken care of, but neglected to account for the rocket possible being under the stable velocity at take-off.  The guide rail is somewhere between 36-70 inches long and provides a guided trajectory while the rocket achieves a stable velocity.  If there is not enough initial thrust to accelerate the rocket to this stable velocity, it can leave the launch rail unstable.  This causes the rocket to tilt, thus increasing the weathering angle.
    The simulations that I ran on the computer seemed to be okay for the H125 motor, so long as the winds were not too strong or turbulent.  I plan on trying to secure an H400 Vmax for this launch as I am much more comfortable launching if the average thrust, though shorter duration, is higher at the beginning.  This would cause the rocket to reach the stable velocity well before it leaves the guide rail.
    I leave you with the specifications of this rocket.

It is all fiberglass.  52.5 inches long. Recovery: 30" Nylon Parachute.  38mm diameter motor (Cesaroni 2-grain).  The scale model is painted to represent the full scale aesthetics.

Enjoy (:~

Aerolite's Fleet

In my previous post I mentioned that I already had a small fleet of rockets and promised to post pictures of them.  Here is what I currently have (more to come).

The first rocket I had commissioned. It is a small model rocket that I used to familiarize myself with the construction and finishing techniques.

The Aerolite 2.  This was my second rocket.  Sadly, it did not make it past its maiden voyage. Bon Voyage! *meow*

The Eliminator.  This rocket was not particularly stable.  I should have added more weight to the nose before flying, but it still made it home safe.

The Testudo.  The Testudo was a great rocket! It lifted off slowly and ejected right at apogee.  A stunning launch and a nice recovery.

These three rockets were recently constructed for me.  I still need to finish them, but I had them commissioned to hone my construction technique.  The one with attached wooden structures came in over 40 pieces.  Lining up 8 fins for the pod rocket was also quite a challenge.  I will post photos when Zephyr finishes their paint jobs.

 The rocket above is the flagship of my fleet.  I became well versed with cardboard rockets and wanted to take my rockets to the next level.  The Zombie is a high powered rocket modeled after a Black Brant II sounding rocket and is made completely out of fiberglass.  It uses a 38mm engine that range between H and J motors.  For a recovery system, it uses a 30 inch nylon parachute. 

The Zombie dwarfs Aerolite1 (pictured right above).  I still need to paint the Zombie, which will get neon green fins and a black body.

*note: The letters H and J used above reference the average impulse of the motor.  Hobby rockets use A through E motors.  With each letter increase (i.e. A to B), the impulse doubles.
 

The engine retainer, which holds in the motor during the ejection charge.

The business end that hold the motor!

 This is the state of my fleet currently.  I will add more pictures as the unfinished rockets get painted and more are constructed.  I will be the first feline to officially be high power certified if the launch of the Zombie goes well of February 4th.  I'll be sure to keep you posted.


I leave you with a video of a comparable rocket being launched. *meow* Felines in space in no time!

The Dream

     Aerolite may seem like an odd name for a feline.  Ever since I was born I have had a dream, to advance the feline race.  The USSR was the first, followed by the United States, to explore space with manned flights.  With my help, the feline race will soon be contributing to aeronautics journals and working on the space station along with the already present monkey counterparts.  There are many challenges that face me in striving to make this dream a reality, but I am ready to face those obstacles head-on.
     You may be wondering where I will obtaining the funds for these projects.  I am currently a very wealthy commodities trader, dealing mostly in fugu and salmon trading.  I am quite talented at this, but it lacks a certain sense of satisfaction that I desire.  When the opportunities arise, I star in action films as QM (Question mark).  QM is my secret agent code name, which I believe the monkey equivalent would be 007.  The name comes from the small curl at the tip of my tail.  You see, my tail is too long to be held up when excited and the top flops over like a question mark.  The action movie gigs pay well and add to my already large estate.
     It is not easy for felines to advance in society with all of the nasty stereotypes we face daily.  I have been referred to as lazy, self-centered, picky and cowardly by more monkeys than I can count.  To think that those who sit around for hours on end giggling over reality TV shows and looking up videos on YouTube would even dare call me names sickens me.  We are a proud race and I would never reduce us by referring to any one of us as a c** or  p****c**.  These names are demeaning and I will only refer to us by our elegant name, which comes from our scientific classification, feline.  These stereotypes limit my capacity as a functional being and have challenged me throughout my existence.
     In order to compensate for these challenges, I have hired myself an intelligent monkey to do my bidding.  I finance his education and in return he operates as my hand outside the condo I own.  In addition to everyday errands and needs, I have commissioned my monkey (hereby referred to as Zephyr) to aid in the realization of my dream.  I have him working on my rocket designs and in return pay for his aeronautical engineering degree.  Zephyr has advanced well since we began working together and mas already succeeded in aiding remarkable advances for the feline race in rocketry.  I am sure that he will eventually see us off into the Great Beyond.
     This blog is meant to be an extension of my will, in addition to Zephyr, into the outside world.  Here I can be a feline and say and do as I please, without being forced into the chains that are feline stereotypes.  Here I will post additions to my fleet, advances I have made in rocket building and aeronautics, as well as other relevant updates.  I hope that you will continue following my blog as I attempt to take feline race into space.