Sledgehammer M1550 Launch - Onboard video cam

This was the biggest launch of the day, with the largest motor permissible in California.

Mavericks Sledgehammer flying on a Aerotech M1550 Redline motor.

It was a perfect flight, with video capture the whole way, even to recovery.

In this case, the camera is pointing outward from the rocket, looking back to the flight line.

At the beginning, the beeping sound you hear is one of the flight computers signaling which of the pyro channels is connected. This is used to deploy the parachutes at apogee, based on barometric and accelerometer sensors.

After launch, it goes into a bit of a spin. You can see how fast it gets up out of the clouds.

The turbulence up top is the BP explosion deploying the parachutes. The nose cone has its own 60 chute and can be seen briefly.

I would not recommend watching the whole video as it takes a while to get back to ground unless you are interested in the spinning survey of Snow Ranch.

I entered this launch in a contest to see how close we can get to exactly one mile of altitude (5,280 ft.).

After a while, and after landing, you can hear the audible signal of the peak altitude recorded by the flight computer: 5 beeps, 2 beeps, long beep, 4 beeps = 5,204 ft.

Not bad for the mile high club.

Photos and more info: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/3091222567/

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Rocket
• Mavericks
• LUNAR
• rocket
• launch
• on-board
• video
• Sony
• PC-1
• blastoff
• M1550
• redline
• motor

[davidt2468]

What is the beeping for?

[jurvetson]

@davidt2468 the beeping is from the two flight computers. Before launch it signals which of the four pyro channels are connected (in this case, just the 2nd one, for main parachute deployment at apogee). On the way back down, the beeps signal the altitude, one digit at a time. But there are two going at the same time. =)

[brenn702]

it seems like it takes longer for it to got down, Where did you buy it ? How much? and where would be a good place to launch it in nevada?

[jurvetson]

@brenn702 I bought the first development unit of the sledgehammer kit from giantleaprocketry and modified it. You can find it if you search for those two words.

Black Rock Desert is the place to launch in Nevada. I'd go to an event, like Mudroc next weekend, or XPRS, or my favorite, BALLS.

[jurvetson]

Yes. Snow ranch. I just launched it again yesterday on a aerotech mojave green M1500. Will post photos this week on flickr

[TheMovieMaker123]

firing the parachute that high seems a bit risky incase it drifts away, does it have a locator build in just in case?

Would it not be better to place the chute in the base of the rocket and allow it to free fall to a lower hight before deployment?

im interested in building something is all.

[jurvetson]

you can add tracking from Big Red Bee or G-Wiz. When I fly high, I would use dual deployment off the flight computer (small drogue at apogee and the main chute at 800 ft.)

[mrrepeat]

LoL UFO at 1:04!!! I KNEW IT!!! LMAO

[jahartmanbaker]

the strange object is at 1:04 on the mid to upper left. I don't see anything at 1:10

[chase1234551]

@mrrepeat There's something called an airplane.

[aelsforces]

1:09 UFO :D!!

[Hamradioismyhobby]

Chuck norris taking his christmas pictures

[hataskane]

@pro50ryder its just an other rocket, if u watch in the beginning there was more then just this rocket that went up.

[coolbluelights]

@mnmcbm1 ... the rocket is spinning

[pro50ryder]

lol my bad i just read its the nose cone lol

[pro50ryder]

whats in the sky 1:04

[Crioxide1]

thats how I get home from school everyday. :D