Timelines of the coming weeks are quite frankly mentally destructive lol
Shane and I officially move one week from today, and that's no small feat considering there's two of us but a full three-bedroom house (mostly full because of rocket stuff smdh)
Less than three weeks after we're officially out of this house we are heading to Kansas City to build the 10" Nike Smoke. Then, after Airfest, I'll have approximately another three weeks to build the N1560 rocket.
So, I've got to try to get a plan together amidst all of this moving chaos so I can hit the ground running after the move is out of the way. I have everything but the fins, and Joe Barnard has graciously offered to let me cut them on his CNC. Nice. That's one problem solved.
What you're looking at is, effectively, a shortened and slightly more optimized version of "The Bobs" from last year. This rocket uses a full-diameter carbon fiber airframe (no submin here, I think the gains are negligible at this scale and speed. Discussion for another day). There is, however, no coupler. The nosecone slides right over the end of the case and the electronics bay will be bolted to the top of the motor case. In addition, this will be a single deploy flight. It's going to drop like a rock, so I'd like to make a few things clear here, so I can get some expectations and dreams broken immediately:
This rocket, in all likelihood, will not have onboard video. Just as likely is me never having another chance to get my hands on this motor, so I'm going to trim the fat in every aspect possible.
Given that this is a single deploy, there is a decent chance I will lose one of the fins on landing. There will be NO tip-to-tip layup. Though I will be submitting paperwork for the N altitude record, I couldn't possibly care less if I actually get it. All I need out of this project (that's been in my dreams for the past four years) is that I did as much as I can within my skill levels to squeeze as much altitude as I possibly can out of it without it coming apart on ascent.
I have accepted that this rocket (all approximately $3,000 of it) is going right in the trash. I'm going to try my damndest, but I'm really pushing the envelope in terms of my personal rocketry experience.
Folks, may I introduce you to Project Valhalla. Named after my late friend Justyn Palmer's rocket, it's a minimum diameter CTI N1560 project that currently simulates to 80,000 feet and Mach 2.8. If you're familiar with the current N altitude record holder, you'll note that it's damn-near a carbon copy with an airframe instead of machined aluminum reducer rings.
Let's do this S.