SpaceX has caused me to develop a keen interest in rocketry. Therefore I want to start building model rockets.
The roadmap:
-Boardcomputer for logging data on a stock rocket
-Teststand for rocket motors
-Active stabilization via fins on a modified stock rocket
I am dreaming of doing much more than that but let's be realistic and try to accomplish those things first.
I have found a fablab in my town and went straight ahead and printed a nose cone for my rocket. Obviously I had to revise the boardcomputer so it would fit in the new cone.
The first launch with the first version of the board computer was a great success!
Everything was captured by the boardcomputer and the rocket landed only a couple of meters from the launch pad.
Information of the launch: 65g Rocket 16g motor with 10g propellant (B4-4) Boardcomputer v1.0 30g apogee: 60m
Data:
Unfortunately I set the accelerometer to +-8g per axis and this wasn't enough so there is a cut off. A very interesting thing to note is the downwards spike in altitude. Since I measure the altitude via the airpressure the explosive charge that sets off the parachute caused this wrong reading.
I have completed the hardware and software development of the first version of the boardcomputer. Its only purpose for now is to meassure and log temperature, pressure and with it altitude, and acceleration along the 3 axis.