Rocket Designer - Grade 4
6 Days
Ages 13 To Adult
Links to Courses
Rocket Designer Grade 1
Rocket Designer Grade 2
Rocket Designer Grade 3
Rocket Designer Grade 4
Rocket Engine Designer Grade 1
General Information
This class will teach you how to design and build an amateur rocket with a dual deployment parachute recovery system. A small drogue parachute will be deployed at peak altitude and a larger main parachute will be deployed at a lower altitude to minimize wind drift of the rocket. The parachutes will be triggered by an electronic timer built by students. Using the knowledge gained in Rocket Engine Designer - Grade 1 of Rocket Camp or the AE-101 class, (Note: AE101 is not part of Rocket Camp. It is an adult motor design class) students will also design and build your own solid rocket motor for the rocket. The motor will use 4" PVC pipe for the chamber.. Your instructor will be John Wickman, a professional aerospace engineer and internationally known in the field of rocket propulsion.
1st Day (9:00 am to 5:00 pm)
You will start in the morning designing your rocket and rocket motor using a series of software programs to calculate your motor's and rocket's performance. After the design process is done, you will cut PVC pipe into the required lengths for your propellant cartridges and cut wooden cores for casting. You will make a simple rocket nozzle using PVC fittings, water putty and graphite throat inserts. In the afternoon, you will be either making your nosecone on the lathe or cutting out your fins. For those cutting out their fins, they will also start mounting them on to their rocket body.
- Design Your Rocket Motor
- Design Your Rocket
- Prepare Propellant Cartridges For Casting
- Start Making Your Rocket Nozzle
- Start Making Nosecones
- Cut Fins - Mount To Body Tube
2nd Day (9:00 am to 5:00 pm)
Under the supervision of your instructor, you will mix and cast solid rocket propellant into your cartridges. This will be the last day to complete your nosecone, mount your fins to the body tube and your rocket nozzle. You will make a coupler for the upper and lower body tubes and install it along with your launch lugs. The 4" PVC pipe rocket chamber will be insulated with rubber sheets and RTV rubber.
- Mix and Cast Solid Rocket Propellant Into Your Cartridges
- Insulate Rocket Chamber
- Finish Nosecones
- Finish Cutting Fins and Mounting On Body Tube
- Finish Rocket Nozzle
- Install Launch Lugs
- Make Body Tube Coupler and Install
3rd Day (9:00 am to 5:00 pm)
The propellant that you mixed and cast yesterday will have cured into a nice rubbery propellant. After pulling the wooden cores out of the propellant, you will clean the propellant surfaces and trim any excess propellant from your cartridges. You will then insulate the motor bulkhead, install the propellant cartridges into the chamber and glue the motor bulkhead and nozzle to the chamber. You will make the bulkheads required for your rocket and install an electronic bay for your parachute deployment electronic timer.
- Pull Cores and Trim Propellant Grains
- Insulate Motor Bulkhead
- Assemble Your Rocket Motor
- Cut Upper Body Tube Bulkhead and Install Ejection Charge Mounts
4th Day (9:00 am to 5:00 pm)
Today, you will test your timer to make sure it is working properly. After that you will finish most of the major assembly of your rocket by installing the upper and lower rocket bulkheads plus make a compartment in the rocket for your timer. You will also make the parachute rigging attaching your parachutes to the upper body tube bulkhead.
- Finish Assembly Of Electronic Timer
- Test Electronic Timer
- Mount Lower Body Tube Bulkhead
- Glue On Motor Spacers
- Mount Main Parachute Compartment to Bulkhead
- Install Parachute Rigging
- Mount Upper Body Tube Bulkhead
5th Day (9:00 am to 5:00 pm)
This will be the last day before launch to finish your rocket and get it ready for flight tomorrow. You will make the parachute ejection charges, which will be triggered in flight by your timer. You will mount your motor inside the rocket plus mount the timer in the rocket and wire it to the ejection charge system. A test will be done by you to make sure the timer will start when the rocket liftoffs. You will pack your main parachute and install it inside its compartment in the upper body tube. Finally, you will make the igniters for your rocket motor.
- Make Parachute Ejection Charges
- Wire Timer To Rocket Ejection System
- Mount Motor In Rocket
- Mount Timer In Rocket
- Check Operation Of Timer
- Pack Main Parachute
- Make Igniters
6th Day - Launch Day!
This is the big day where you find out if your rocket motor and rocket performs as you designed them. You will pack your drogue parachute and install the ejection charges. Then, you will power up the timer and connect it to the ejection charges. After that, it is time to install the upper body tube to the lower body tube and take your rocket out to the launch. Once your rocket is on the launch pad, you install the igniter, check its continuity and arm the pad.
You will experience the anxiety that real life rocket engineers experience as you walk back to the launch control table. The tension mounts as the countdown begins for your rocket until you press the "launch" button. After a few seconds your rocket motor comes up to full power and your rocket heads into the skies with a deafening roar. As it makes a smoke trail in the sky, your rocket gets smaller and smaller until it is almost out of sign. The rocket engine cuts off as the rocket coasts to peak altitude. If you did the parachute ejection charge right, the nosecone pops off and your parachute unfurls, slowing the descent of your rocket. A minute or two later, the main parachute ejection goes off and your rocket comes down on a 10 foot diameter main parachute. Congratulations! Its a perfect flight. After the launch, students will receive an Advanced Amateur Rocketry Designer Certificate at a graduation ceremony.
- Prepare Rocket For Flight
- Pack Drogue Parachute
- Install Igniter
- Launch Rocket and Recover
- Graduate With An Advanced Amateur Rocketry Designer Certificate
- Soft Drinks & Pizza At Graduation Ceremony
Your Class Tuition Of $245 Includes!
- All Chemicals & Materials For Your Rocket Motor and Rocket
- Electronic Timer
- Rocket and Parachutes
- Lunches
- Advance Amateur Rocketry Designer Certificate
- Soft Drinks & Pizza At Graduation Ceremony
Click Here To Register For This Course.
Class Location &
Contact Information
Contact Information
The class will be held at CP Technologies facilities at 3745A Studer at the Natrona County International Airport. Turn off highway 20-26 just before the main entrance to the airport onto Industrial Road. Head for the large orange water tower which will put you on Studer. CP Technologies facilities are located about 500 ft from the water tower in a large two story white building at the corner of Studer and Moffett.
Contact John Wickman at the CP Technologies (307) 265-5895, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm for more information. CP Technologies is an operating division of Totally Benign Enterprises, 3745A Studer, Casper, Wyoming, 82604, (307) 265-5895.
Travel Information &
Motels In Casper, Wyoming
Motels In Casper, Wyoming
Air Travel
You can fly to Casper, Wyoming on Delta or United Airlines. Delta flights go through Salt Lake City, Utah with passengers routed on Skywest (The Delta Connection) from Salt Lake City to Casper. United Airlines flights go through Denver, Colorado with passengers routed on United Express to Casper. To save money, you can travel to Denver and then rent a car and drive to Casper. Interstate 25 will take you all the way to Casper.
Motels & Hotels
There are a variety of hotels and motels located in Casper in all price ranges.The following is a partial list of hotels and motels in Casper, Wyoming. You can click on the link below and see more motels along with their prices and maps showing where they are located. The class is held at our facility at the airport and there are no motels located at the airport.
- Super 8: (307) 266 - 3480
- Comfort Inn: (307) 235 - 3038
- Hampton Inn: (307) 235 - 6668
- Econo Lodge: (307) 266 - 2400
- Holiday Inn: (307) 235 - 2531
- Radisson Hotel: (307) 266 - 6000
- Days Inn: (307) 234 - 1159
- Casper Days Inn: (307) 234 -1159
- Parkway Plaza (307) 235 - 1777
You can click on the link below to get information on each hotel/motel plus see their room rates and actually book a room. Click here to see the Casper, Wyoming hotel/motel list plus obtain more information about their rooms, rates and make an on-line reservation.