In the Beginning......

I had been thinking of possibly doing a L3 project, then one day the perfect kit was offered up for sale at a reduced price.  A Smokin' Rockets 7.5" AMRAAM kit.  It is slightly larger than full scale (7.5" dia vs. 7" dia) and will make for a great L3 project.  If all goes according to plan this will be flying at this coming years (2004) LDRS.  Planned motor if available (please Anthony keep it on schedule) is the Cessaroni Pro98 M smoky sam.

this is what the finished kit looks like
[from smokin rockets website]

Q & A

As work on the project progresses I've started to get some questions about the project.  Those that I think might interest others I'll post and answer here.

Q.   Why did you get a kit, aren't you supposed to build a scratch project?
A.   First off this is not a kit with detailed (or for that matter any) instructions.  So in that sense there really is no difference whether I buy a "kit" or just go ahead and order parts.  After all the real test is whether or not I have the ability to build a large rocket capable of withstanding the stress of  M+ powered flight and more importantly the ability to do so safely (check-lists, redundant electronics etc).  As to why a kit, that's very simple to answer, I live in a condo, my shop consists of little more than a workmate bench and some portable tools (dremel, drill, cutoff saw, small combo disk-belt sander).  Having the fins already cut and the tubes pre-glassed is worth the extra money to me.

Q.   Is this your first "big" rocket?
A.   No, last season I built a modified Loc Bruiser-EXP, 7.5inch x 10 feet tall (just 2 feet shorter).  This was not capable of being a level-3 rocket since it is the cluster version with a 54mm and 2 - 38mm mounts.  It was my first highpower cluster, first airstarted flight (not counting 2 stage), first use of an ARRD (all laundry out the front), first use of redundant electronics (G-WizMC and ARTS, same combo will be used on the Amraam), first attempted use of the GPS-Flight system.  The Bruiser was built as if I were doing a L3 bird, fully glassed and reinforced, in large part to hone my skills.

Q.   Where do you learn this stuff? (from a NARTARC competitor)
A.   There are many ways to learn the things needed for a project like this, but the most enjoyable way is being active in your local club.  At CTRA-NARCONN I have learned many things from the more experienced members and I like to think that from time to time get to return the favor.

Q.   How much does this cost?
A.   Although I am keeping receipts, I have carefully avoided adding them up.  I'm sure the numbers would scare me.  At some point when this is all over I will add the numbers up, but for now it's full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes.

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