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Peak of Flight Newsletter #458:

Building a Rocketry Club

Back in 2015, when David Heitmeyer was a senior in college, he started on a journey by creating an engineering competition team for rocketry. Having since graduated, he finally got a chance to watch the team he helped start to compete in the 2017 IREC competition. He is now trying to expand this team concept to other universities. This short article is a summary of how he got the team going and what you might do at your school if you want to have success in starting a team.

Read the rest of this week's article here.

Previous issues of our newsletter are found at our archive page.

What is new in rocketry? Here are the latest items to land on Apogee's shelves!

Fin Shape Science Experiment Kit

The Fin Shape Science Experiment Kit allows you to find out through experimentation which shape performs the best. The rocket is designed to allow the fins to be quickly switched between flights so that the only variable being tested is the actual shape of the fins.

In this kit, there are four pre-cut fin shapes you can test, and another eleven patterns that you can choose from to make your own hand-cut fins. It also comes with a BT-55 size (33mm diameter) fin alignment jig so you can make sure all the fins are perfectly straight and uniform when attaching them to the rocket. The included display stand allows you to stand the rocket upright when you have it in your science experiment at school.

Fin Alignment Guides

Apogee has those inexpensive laser-cut cardboard fin alignment jigs that position and holds the fins while the glue dries. You get perfect alignment so your rocket flies straight as an arrow. This allows all the fins to be added at the same time in order to speed assembly. Now in five sizes: 13mm (BT-5), 18mm (BT-20), 24mm (BT-50), 33mm (BT-55).

Adrel Altimeter

This small data-logging altimeter was designed specifically for the modelers that compete in international rocketry competitions (FAI). It easily fits into a 10mm diameter tube and weighs a mere 1.8 grams of battery (battery not included). It records 9 minutes of flight data (at 15 samples per second) that can be analyzed after recovery. It is the official altimeter used in FAI (international) competitions.

CP/CG Stickers

This year, we'd like to present a unique "sticker collection" as your Christmas gift to you when your subtotal on your Apogee order is $35 or more. The stickers feature a collection of CG and CP symbols, as well as other decorative items that you can use to dress up your rockets. Printed on self-adhesive vinyl, these stickers are the highest quality you'll find in the rocketry industry.

(EXTENDED) This offer ends December 31. Just use the coupon code Holiday17 at checkout, and the cost of the sticker collection will automatically be deducted from the order total.

Midge - Two-Stage NAR Payload Rocket

The Midge was specifically designed for the NAR's "Payload Altitude" contest event, but it can be flown just for fun too. It is a two-stage, minimum diameter rocket for 13mm diameter motors that is just big enough to carry the standard 1 ounce, BT-20-diameter payload weight plus a small altimeter. The purpose of the event is to launch this weighty payload to as high an altitude as possible. The Midge accomplishes this because of its two-stage design that minimizes weight and its minimum diameter design. You'll be impressed by how high a small mini-engine can launch a rocket!

Save 25% on two great holiday gifts: the award-winning 2018 Year In Space Desk and Wall Calendars, now available on Amazon. Get the link and more info at www.YearInSpace.com.

“Nothing but good things to say about my purchases and interactions with your company. It's been honest, straightforward and of great value. The effort and time engineering you put into the into the Saturn 1B kit has made it a passionate and gratifying experience. Your staff has been right there to respond to any technical questions and your order updates leave nothing in question. You didn't just sell me paper tubes like other places... you've helped me build a dream and accomplish a masterpiece. Your re-engineering of the Norris Soyuz kit is awesome as well. I appreciate your work."

-- Dave Spokes

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