Five Clans Rocket Team

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Five Clans Rocket Team
Gray Wolf 8 Flight Readiness Report 2007-2008
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Introduction

• Dan Hawk, Statement of Work/ System Readiness
• Christine Skenandore, Safety
• Lana Otradovec, Motor Casing Weight
• Lisa Annamitta, Parachute Packing
• Shane Skenandore, Launch Pad Design
• Sheila House, Recovery
• Dan Hawk, Experimental Payload

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Statement of Work

• To construct a durable, reusable, high power
  rocket that would approach an apogee of 5,280
  feet carrying IR/ thermal imaging equipment with
  the purpose of discerning wolf signatures in an
  attempt to help determine wolf population, their
  territory, and changing habitat.

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System Readiness

• As of March 30, 2008 no ground testing has been
  completed.
• February 23, 2008 was first flight test using
  sub-motor K550W. The parachute system failed the
  piston rammed the parachute into the nose cone
  where it remained during the flight. Freefall
  1,000 feet to the frozen ground cracking a fin.

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System Readiness (cont.)

• March 22, 2008 Gray Wolf 8 was launched for level
  2 certification it was a successful flight
  mission. Dan Hawk and Shane Skenadore are level 2
  certified for the intended motor, L1300.
• All the parts have been obtained for the launch
  pad, but we have not built it as of March 30,
  2008. The design uses an old lawn mower deck,
  allowing it to rotate 360 degrees, while a boat
  winch allows horizontal to vertical rail movement.

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Safety

• We forgot our first aid kit on the February 23rd
  launch. This caused us to create a checklist for
  all our gear. So, on the March 22nd launch we had
  our first aid kit available.
• We are always cognizant of wearing our safety
  glasses, masks, gloves and we remind each other
  when we forget.

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Safety (cont.)

• When we ground tested, we had a designated area
  away from the rocket where spectators needed to
  be before testing the February 22nd test failed.
• At Bong, igniters are not installed until the
  rocket is at the registration table, and prepped
  to launch. The rocket is then moved to the launch
  pad.

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February 22, 2008
Failed ground test wrong Christmas tree bulbs?
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Motor Casing Weight

• Washers as weights are added to a long screw
  between nuts. The weights are installed in the
  motor casing, then balanced to simulate
  propellant weight and proper distribution. This
  allows us to accurately measure Center of Gravity
  without using a motor casing with propellant.

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Screw, washers, motor casings, scale
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Screw, washers, duck tape to hold weights steady
in motor casing.
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Parachute Packing Demonstration

• Lisa will show how the parachute is packed into
  Gray Wolf 8.
• New parachute shroud design to help protect the
  parachute. Para-Shroud.

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Launch Pad

• We should have some work if not the entire pad
  built by USLI presentation time of April 7, 2008.

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Recovery

• Drogue parachute 42 deployed at apogee using
  Perfect Flight altimeter.
• Main parachute 72 deployed at 600 feet using
  Perfect Flight altimeter.
• March 23rd was a successful mission using a 56
  main at apogee.

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February 23, 2008
Parachute failed to deploy damage? Cracked fin!
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Cracked fin
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Removing damaged fin from 2-23-08 test flight
6cm sq destructive test pieces.
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March 23rd, test flight damage.
A minor crack to a different fin so small the
camera did not want to focus on it!
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Experimental Payload

• Sony DSC-F707 Cyber-shot
• Harrison and Harrison 88a filter
• 2- .6 ND filters

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Sony DSC-F707

• High Points
• 5.24-megapixel CCD delivering image resolutions
  as high as 2,560 x 1,920 pixels. (4.94 million
  effective pixels)
• 1.8-inch color LCD monitor.
• Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) with data display.
• 5x optical zoom with 2x Precision Digital Zoom.
• 9.7-48.5mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lens,
  equivalent to a 38-190mm lens on a 35mm camera
• High-tech Autofocus for challenging lighting
  situations (see below), plus Manual focus option.
  
• Hologram AF assist light for low-light and
  low-contrast focusing.
• NightShot and NightFraming IR modes for "no
  light" framing and shooting.
• Through-the-lens (TTL) flash metering.
• Adjustable apertures from f/2 to f/8.
• Program AE, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority,
  and Manual exposure modes, plus three preset
  Scene modes.
• Shutter speeds from 1/1,000 to 30 seconds.
• Adjustable ISO with sensitivity equivalents of
  Auto, 100, 200, and 400.
• White Balance setting with three presets and a
  manual setting.
• Multi-Pattern, Center-Weighted, and Spot metering
  options.
• Built-in, pop-up flash with four modes.
• External flash "cold" shoe and connection socket.
  
• Movie with sound recording mode.

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Payload (cont.)
Sample IR Image from www.irdreams.com
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Payload (cont.)
Sample IR Image from www.irdreams.com
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March 22, 2008 test launch Gray Wolf 8 Richard
Bong Recreational Area, WI.
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Gray Wolf 8 clearing the launch rail!
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Gray Wolf 8 smoke trail
March 22, 2008
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56 Parachute
Nose Cone/ Fwd Section
28 Shock Cord
Piston
Tail Section
600 lb Piston Strap
March 22, 2008
Point of Impact other side of ravine
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Willie Annamitta tough going
March 22, 2008
Gray Wolf 8 successful flight intact with minor
damage.
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Willie, Gray Wolf 8, better view of launch
terrain at Bong Recreational area, WI
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Gray Wolf 8 on display at Bake Sale fundraiser
rocket club support appreciation!
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Hayden, painting his skill level 1 rocket it
sure looks fast!
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We couldnt read the directions fast enough for
these two guys engineers?
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Magan, cutting her parachute her rocket has a
red see thru payload bay!