| | [Not displaying correctly? View web version.] | Peak-of-Flight Newsletter #640: | |
Do you want to try electronic staging, like on the new Nike Hercules? If so, which electronic device should you pick? The answer depends on what your mission and budget are, and maybe what other features you might want. So the first part of this article by Martin Jay Mckee, will look what features might be most desirable for different applications. The other goal of this article is to provide a basic tutorial for each of the electronics systems (that Apogee sells) so that once you have chosen a device, you'll know what steps you need to do to make it work properly for your rocket. Also in this Issue is a FREE Plan: "The Cloud of Bats" Technically, a large group of bats is called a "cloud," and this rocket lives up to that name. It is based on a BT-60 size tube, and it can carry up to a total of 24 bat-shaped parasite gliders up into the sky. At apogee, they all fall off, and it really does look like a cloud of bats as the flutter and zoom around the launch area. We had planned this rocket for our Halloween issue, but weather delays caused us to postpone it until now. But we think it was so fun that we just had to share it. Check it out! | | Read the rest of this week's article, either on a downloadable PDF for printing out, or on our website (great for viewing on your phone)! Previous issues of our newsletter are found at our archive page. |
| Check out the latest products to hit Apogee's shelves! | Nike Hercules Rocket Kit | |
The first production run of 100 kits is NOW ready! This 1/10th scale replica of the Nike Hercules missile is the most enjoyable kit you'll ever build. It challenges you, but the payoff is extraordinary in how well it performs and the excitement it brings to any launch. It is the most accurate and detailed version of the missile, and it actually operates as a 2-stage rocket. Plus, there will be a limited-time offering of a $50 incentive in Apogee store-credits if you get it flow by June 1, 2025. We don't want this sitting in a collector's build pile. It needs to be flown! |
| RS-Pro v4.2.0 Upgrade | |
There is a new free upgrade for RS-PRO software users. This version now has allows for simplified flight events. You'll notice that they look and function just like the ones in the normal version of RockSim. The "advanced" flight events are still there (we didn't take them away), in case you want to do crazy things like deploying parachutes on the way up before motor burnout. The next time you start RS-PRO, you will be prompted to download the upgrade. |
| Featherweight Blue Jay PLUS Altimeter | |
NOW Shipping! The Featherweight Blue Jay PLUS is a new entry-level altimeter that does dual-deployment, and a whole lot more. Use it to: Dual Deployment so you don't have to walk so far to get your rocket Electronic Staging - for high altitude flights (this is the PLUS version) Data logging - so you can record and analyze you're rocket's flight Can be set up like a Chute Release for rockets with very small tubes Simple set-up via a bluetooth app on your smart phone Doesn't require a separate power switch - turns on/off with a wave of a strong magnet (the magnet is included!) It is the smallest dual-deployment altimeter on the market, at 1.454"L x 0.657"W x 0.482"H and it will fit into a BT-20 (18mm dia) tube. They will fly off the shelf, so get one today! |
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| | Launch of the Week Our free plan in this issue is called the Cloud of Bats. In this simulation, I removed all but three of the gliders, because the processing time to calculate all the glider flights gets to be a bit long with 24 gliders on it. But it still is a fun simulation. I also gave the rocket some spin on the way up, just to see how the simulation would go, and it seems to have worked just fine. Check it out in 3D here! | |
| Customer Testimonial “Just this last week I finished building the Apogee Star Lift Mega Lander. That was a very fun (and different) rocket build. There were lots of pieces that assembled into the articulating landing legs but they went together so easily. The detailed instructional DVD along with the well thought out design and precision high tolerance laser cut pieces made the assembly a success and a pleasure. On a smaller scale the Mega Lander kit is a fine example of what we in aerospace manufacturing call Determinant Assembly. This is a concept in airframe manufacture where expensive hardpoint tooling is replaced with self-locating detail parts that determine the configuration of the assembly by their own dimensions and certain coordinating features incorporated into the design of the parts. Another great Apogee kit I've built was the Zephyr. It was a pleasurable build and a great flyer. I got my NAR High Power level 1 certification with the Zephyr. It and the Mega Lander are very cool and impressive rockets.
I have been doing business with Apogee for about 10 years and it has been a very positive experience. Way to go Apogee!” -- Mark Bowen | |
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| I'm now actively seeking writers for articles to appear in this newsletter. And I want unique and cutting-edge articles because that is what you want to read, right? I realize this, so to get articles from outside writers that have the same level of quality, I'm going to have to pay a lot of cash to make it worth it for them. So I've come up with a compensation package where I'll pay up to $350 for good how-to articles. Are you a writer, and does that interest you? That is a lot of cash! Far more than you'll get by writing for other magazines. And with over 23,000 worldwide subscribers, if you write for the Peak-of-Flight Newsletter, you'll gain a lot of notoriety. Writing for the Peak-of-Flight Newsletter is a great way to show off your rocketry projects and your technical expertise, at the same time as helping out other rocketeers. Imagine how great you'll feel knowing that you made a difference to the hobby. If you're interested in writing, see the guidelines on our site. | |
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