Smooth Landing Test - You can test landing smoothness by using a small egg as payload. Make sure that it is securely padded to prevent rattling inside the capsule. Be sure to put the egg in a small plastic bag before installing it into the “fairing” (as it is called in a real rocket), to avoid a mess should the egg break during flight.

Thrust & Ejection Rate Test - See the difference in thrust and ejection delay! Use different “D” size engines and delay ratings. If you use an “E” size engine, you may need to change the engine-mount since they are longer. An ejection rate of “0” means that it does not have an ejection charge. If you use one of those, be aware that your rocket will not deploy the parachute, and it will crash. To prevent damaging or destroying your rocket, always run a simulation in one of the altitude predictors, prior to launch.

Why does the parachute have a hole in the middle? - The reason to have a hole in the middle of the parachute is to accelerate the decent slightly. If you do not make a hole in the middle, the rocket may drift too far out of reach. However, if the hole is too big, then the rocket may fall too fast, resulting in a rough landing. Start with a 1” diameter hole in your parachute, and, using the same size engine, launch it three times. The second time, make the hole 1˝” diameter, and the third time make the hole 2” diameter. Use the small egg as payload to test the smoothness of the landing. What do you notice? (Don’t forget to put the egg in a small plastic bag!)

MORE EXPERIMENTS TO BE POSTED SOON
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Last Updated: 12/20/2004