Payload
The 2023 payload intro project is designed to be a comprehensive and interesting way of introducing new members to all of the common tasks done by the team.
Last updated
The 2023 payload intro project is designed to be a comprehensive and interesting way of introducing new members to all of the common tasks done by the team.
Last updated
The intro project is designed with three main parts:
A series of workshops given at the beginning of the year to teach basic rocketry and payload knowledge as well as necessary skills (given the first few weeks of the school year)
A general rocketry/payload take-home quiz, taken alone (due roughly 1 week after assigned)
A glider design project, done with mentor guidance (due roughly 3 weeks after assigned)
The intro project may seem daunting, but don’t worry!
In addition to the existing resources on GitBook, all the returning payload members will be available to help.
We will assign a specific returning member as your mentor, but please reach out to any returning member for any questions. Also, feel free to DM Payload Lead, Tristan Steen, on Discord (chaddusmaximus).
We will also hold a series of intro project work sessions throughout the next weeks, giving an opportunity for hands-on help. Details will be announced on the #payload channel.
Above all, we hope that the intro project will be a fun, educational and rewarding experience.
Checkpoints Schedule:
By 2023-9-14 - Quiz Complete
By 2023-10-5 - Design Project Complete
Name all of the Specialty Subteams on STAR.
List all of STAR's previous rockets.
What are their diameters?
What Material(s) are they made out of?
Explain the difference between the chord line and the camber line.
Indicate which axes of rotation is controlled by each part of the aircraft:
Horizontal Stabilizer
Vertical Stabilizer
Ailerons
What is the maximum length of a payload cube that could theoretically fit in a 20cm diameter rocket?
A G-class motor is roughly how many times more powerful than a D-class motor?
With roughly what speed will a 10kg rocket hit the ground if in free fall from 1280m? (You may use g=10 m/s/s)
Is this a realistic speed to assume? Why or why not?
Give two pros and two cons of a dual-deployment (two parachute) recovery system.
How do altimeters measure altitude?
Is it possible to directly measure the velocity of a rocket during flight? Why or why not?
Describe two ways you might calculate the velocity of a rocket with the following sensors: GPS tracker, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope. What are the potential advantages and drawbacks of each method given?
Explain what each number means in the following UTS designation: #6-32x1
Explain what each number means in the following Metric screw designation: M6-1.0x20
Our goal is to build a mini glider that fits inside a 4” inner diameter, 12" long payload tube. Your task is to design and prototype a glider that can be ejected from the rocket for an unpowered flight to deliver a payload to the ground. Your glider does not have to fold like DAVE, but design the dimensions of your wing spars and stabilizers to fit in the payload tube as if it did. You will be responsible for designing your glider’s fuselage, wings, wing spars, and stabilizers. After that, you will build your design.
Engineering is defined by requirements!
Listed below are all the parts you will need to integrate into your design. It is easiest to make the vertical stabilizer a part of the fuselage
Components to Integrate:
Fuselage (Balsa Wood 1/8 inch thick)
Wing Spars (Balsa Wood)
Wings (Choice of Tissue Paper or Mylar)
Horizontal Stabilizer (Balsa Wood)
If you want to try a tissue paper or Mylar horizontal stabilizer, design balsa wood stabilizer spars
Vertical Stabilizer (Balsa Wood)
Materials Available:
Balsa Wood
Tissue Paper
Mylar
Tape
Sewing Pins
Super Glue
Elmer's Glue
Detailed Design Requirements:
All components when hypothetically folded must fit within the space of a cylinder, 4" in inner diameter and 12" in length.
All components must be mounted securely to your fuselage. Glue, tape, and sewing thread will be used to attach components to the fuselage, but it is required that indents or cutouts be designed into the fuselage to allow components to be securely placed.
The wings and stabilizers may be arranged in any reasonable format (keep in mind the principles of aerodynamics when designing your glider and keep in mind the CG and the CoP).
Your glider itself will not carry an official payload, but a place to hold a payload must be included in your design. This space must be able to fit two quarters side-by-side (a 1.91x0.955" rectangle). In your final build, quarters can be added or removed non-permanently depending on the stability of your finished glider to aid in its flight.
Your glider may be as elaborate or simple as you'd like, but it should adhere to the above requirements, and should be able to be manufactured given the resources and parts that Jacobs and STAR are providing.
If you have never used CAD software before, don’t worry! We will hold a CAD workshop during GM (date TBD). If you are not able to attend, there are also great online resources:
You all already did this, so don't download it again, but all of the information for downloading SolidWorks 2023 is in the #info channel on the Discord.
The first challenge of this stage is installing SolidWorks. The GitBook has a very helpful “SolidWorks Installation” page to help you with this.
SolidWorks is only compatible with Windows! If you use MacOS or Linux you have three options:
Use the on-campus CAD lab in Etcheverry 1XXX or Jacobs 10 both of which have SolidWorks pre-installed.
Install Windows and then install SolidWorks.
Only if the above is not feasible, you may use a compatible CAD program of your choice (Fusion 360 is recommended as it has many online resources).
The most challenging (and annoying) constraint placed on many payload projects is the size of the payload tube (the part of the rocket that the payload is stored in). Learning to work with the size limits of a cylinder is essential.
That's all the essentials to get you started on your design. Remember, you can come up with anything as long as it meets the detailed design requirements. Be sure to have your wing and stabilizer materials decided on before starting your design as they can influence your glider's weight and stability. Remember, if you need help be sure to reach out to your mentor or other payload members.
Now you start actually building your glider!
Your fuselage, wing spars, and stabilizers will need to be laser cut out of balsa wood. To do this, your CAD files will need to be put into Adobe Illustrator in order to upload the files to the laser cutter. This will be done during the specialty meeting following the 10/5 GM. Your finished Illustrator files will be sent to a payload member with a Makerpass and they will get the parts laser cut for you.
The GM of 10/12 will be your manufacturing day! Tissue paper and mylar will be provided for your wings (and possibly stabilizers) and glues, tape, and sewing pins will be provided to attach your components. Quarters will also be provided to add ballast weigh if necessary. After assembling your gliders we will go to the ramp behind Etcheverry and test them!
Congratulations on completing your intro project!
Please fill out your quiz on the Google Form here: (Due 9/14)
Tolerances are important, so consult the on the GitBook when designing to account for manufacturing differences.
We will use CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software in order to model our glider. STAR has standardized using as our preferred CAD software. If you have used CAD software other than SolidWorks, such as Fusion 360, Inventor, or Creo, then SolidWorks should not be too difficult to pick up.
In this project, your tube space is limited to 4" inner diameter and 12" length, a common size for a smaller-scale rocket. It is often convenient to work with space envelopes limited by a rectangle, so the foremost important fact to understand is that a 4" diameter circle will not fit a 4x4" square. Your usable space is limited to what you can fit (or ) within a circle.
When finished with your design, please upload your SolidWorks/other CAD files here: (Due 10/5)
