Some important news...

[rick m]

[pauldear]

Yes, I sort of guessed that might be the case.

However, $6K for a 1kg payload is very, very impressive. That seems to be comparable to, or cheaper than, the per-kilogram cost of large commercial launches. And you can do a lot with a 1kg payload!

[generalissimus1966]

I claim i can build the vehicle within thousand pound sterling cost, but i have no idea how to launch it officially.
Now i'm working at guidance unit, you can see almost completed "brain" here

Also i bought 90 kilos (200 lb.) of sodium perchlorate for only 6750 roubles (i.e. just over $200, can provide the invoice, and this chemical is still available from that seller, at bit higher price, though, http://rushim.ru). I converted it to AP using fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate and sold a part of residual sodium nitrate for 1$ per kilo, so now i have about 50 kg (110 lb) of AP that cost me only $5/kg (1.5 pound sterling per pound weight). it's enough for the upper stages of the launcher.
Regulations in our country prevent any possibility of building and launching of the guided vehicle of this class and size, so i'll become a criminal exactly at the moment i'll try to assemble parts together...

[pauldear]

Hi, general

Yes, the legal aspects of launches are definitely a headache... the best I can say is that the N-Prize doesn't take an interest in that aspect of things. Plus, any legal costs (even the cost to get out of jail...) are definitely not counted as part of the budget...

Paul

[generalissimus1966]

Well, now i doubt if i should or should not register as a team to claim the prize.
If i'll build it sometime I surely will not follow any deadline or follow these rules (I need much heavier battery to provide the power for the transmitter, I think the battery itself will be more than 20 gram). I think amateur orbital launcher is a great challenge itself, great enough to be restricted by the artificial guidelines.
look at this .
If i'll find a way to braze them together with the silver solder, it will be the first stage chamber. To minimize the cost of the silver solder, I prepared it myself using dead high current electrical switches and relays to extract silver from there. I spent only $30 (1000 roubles) for nitric acid and propane for the furnace to acquire silver worth $250 and to mix this with copper, zinc, cadmium and nickel. But it is tooooo slow! I started this over decade ago, in the beginning of 2003. and I did not complete the chamber yet!

[pauldear]

Well, you certainly have persistence, ingenuity and dedication! Is that rocket stage made of hollow tubes for active cooling?

[generalissimus1966]

Yes, it's the planned first stage liquid fuel engine chamber. It looks very much like Gamma Mk.301 chamber that was used in Black Knight and later in Black Arrow. But after some experience I changed my mind from kerosene and HTP to isopropyl alcohol with the liquid oxygen. At least it is cheaper and easier to buy. It did not affect much the tubes but the injector plate must be completely redesigned. HTP and kerosene have volumetric ratio 7:1 and alcohol with oxygen nearly 2:3, so I need new nozzles and collector tubes.

Planned thrust is between 1600 and 2200 lbf. Takeoff weight of the vehicle must be 1400 lb.

[Monroe]

Have I seen this design somewhere before? I was wondering what the chamber pressure was. I also noticed some flattening in the tubes and I have a possible solution for you. If you fill the tubes with fine sand they are less likely to collapse in that manner and it's pretty easy to get the sand out after. I guess you know copper work hardens and your annealing during your bending process. The reason I ask about the chamber pressure is you never have to worry about the chamber exploding you have to worry about it collapsing from the cooling pressure that is always above chamber pressure. You may want to consider nickel plating the inside once you weld the tubes together. I wonder if you could just continue nickel plating until all the tubes are joined and encased? Neet work so far!

Monroe

[generalissimus1966]

[Monroe]

Sounds good! Keep it going!

Monroe

Sure, I understand but what I meant was the dimpling that shows in the bright spot of the light there. When you mandrel bend tubing it helps prevent that "Collapsing" of the tube wall and a little sand in there helps that. Not that I see it as much of a problem in your prototype there. It might look a tiny bit nicer