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Ballistic Coefficient:
A measure of a projectile's ability to coast. It is defined as Cb = M/CdA where... (more)

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Reviews/Articles = [53]
Recommended Motors = [29]
RockSim Files = [8]
Center of Pressure = [2]
Tips = [2]
Stories = [4]
Glossary = [8]

Reviews & Articles

  1. Alien Enterprises - Monocopter M-24 by Estus, Herb
    helicopter, 24mm - (15" x 3" - oz)
  2. Apogee Components - Heli-Roc by Stevens, Chan
    helicopter, 10.5mm (micro), 13mm (mini) - (14" x .544" - 0.77 oz)
  3. Apogee Components - Heli-Roc by Rognlie, Alan
    helicopter, 10.5mm (micro), 13mm (mini) - (14" x .544" - 0.77 oz)
  4. Apogee Components - Texas Twister by Helmen, Hank
    helicopter, 10.5mm (micro) - (14.38" x 0.736" - 0.62 oz)
  5. Apogee Components - Texas Twister by Elder, Greg
    helicopter, 10.5mm (micro) - (14.38" x 0.736" - 0.62 oz)
  6. Art Applewhite Rockets - Bumble Bee Monocopter (13mm) by Stevens, Chan
    monocopter, tumble, 13mm - (1.5" x 3.0" - 0.4 oz)
  7. Art Applewhite Rockets - Dragonfly Monocopter (18mm) by
    monocopter, tumble, 18mm - (8" x " - 0.9 oz)
  8. Art Applewhite Rockets - Dragonfly Monocopter (18mm) by Little, Glenn
    monocopter, tumble, 18mm - (8" x " - 0.9 oz)
  9. Art Applewhite Rockets - Dragonfly Monocopter (18mm) by Stafford, Dick
    monocopter, tumble, 18mm - (8" x " - 0.9 oz)
  10. Art Applewhite Rockets - Hornet Monocopter (18mm) by Cox, Bob
    monocopter, tumble, 18mm - (6" x " - 0.8 oz)
  11. Art Applewhite Rockets - Whirlwind Monocopter (24mm) by Stafford, Dick
    monocopter, tumble, 24mm - (10" x " - 1.5 oz)
  12. Article - Helicopter Rocket Comparison by Stevens, Chan
    Comparison of different Helicoper Rockets - (Comparison Article)
  13. Estes Industries - Cosmic Cobra by Eichelberger, Bill
    helicopter, parachute, 18mm - (19.5" x 1.35" - 3.1 oz)
  14. Estes Industries - Cosmic Cobra by Deeter, Greg
    helicopter, parachute, 18mm - (19.5" x 1.35" - 3.1 oz)
  15. Estes Industries - Cosmic Cobra by Elliott, Jared
    helicopter, parachute, 18mm - (19.5" x 1.35" - 3.1 oz)
  16. Estes Industries - Cosmic Cobra by Sindel, David
    helicopter, parachute, 18mm - (19.5" x 1.35" - 3.1 oz)
  17. FlisKits - Rose-a-Roc by Stevens, Chan
    helicopter, 18mm - (16" x .736" - oz)
  18. FlisKits - Tiddlywink by King, Ray
    helicopter, 6mm (micromaxx) - (10" x 3" - .2 oz)
  19. FlisKits - Tiddlywink by Roth, Glenn
    helicopter, 6mm (micromaxx) - (10" x 3" - .2 oz)
  20. FlisKits - Tiddlywink by Stevens, Chan
    helicopter, 6mm (micromaxx) - (10" x 3" - .2 oz)
  21. J.A.P. Systems - D izzy Monocopter by Gardei, Douglas
    helicopter, 24mm - ()
  22. J.A.P. Systems - D izzy Monocopter by Binstock, Mort
    helicopter, 24mm - ()
  23. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - High Rotor II Helicopter by Burger, Tim
    helicopter, 13mm (mini) - (12.75" x 0.56" - 0.529 oz)
  24. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - Micro Maxx Rotaroc Helicopter by Davis, Clive
    helicopter, 6mm (micromaxx) - (9.75" x .25" - .25 oz or less)
  25. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - Ultimate I (helicopter) by Stevens, Chan
    helicopter, 13mm (mini) - (12.75" x .541" - 0.46 oz)
  26. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - Ultimate II (helicopter) by Andrade-Cora, Jose
    helicopter, 18mm - (23 9/16" x " - 1.3 oz)
  27. Venus Model Rocketry - Corkscrew by Stevens, Chan
    helicopter, 13mm (mini) - (13.75" x .543" - 0.4 oz)
  28. DesCon 02 - Mk81 Snakeye by Day, Timothy
    A helicopter style recovery rocket - (-- 1st Place Winner --)
  29. DesCon 06 - Dizzy Lizzy by Jenkins, Chip
    A helicopter recovery rocket - ()
  30. DesCon 11 - Dust Devil by Stafford, Dick
    A 2 x 24mm + 32mm clustered monocopter - ()
  31. DesCon 11 - Micro Maxx Monocopter by Applewhite, Art
    A micro-maxx rocket with a twist… a lot of them - ()
  32. DesCon 11 - Scroton by Eilbeck, Chris
    A three bladed rocket powered helicopter - (-- 1st Place Winner --)
  33. DesCon 14 - Three Bird by Damerau, Drake
    Cluster (3x24m) Tri-copter - ()
  34. MODS - FlisKits - Whirlygig by McFarland, Matthew
    FlisKits Deuce-Bash Contest Entry - ()
  35. OOP - Estes Industries - Gyroc (K-24) by Eldredge, Tom
    Helicopter recovery rocket - (10" x 5.5" -)
  36. OOP - Apogee Components - Micro Whirl-A-Tron by Urbanek, David
    helicopter, 10.5mm (micro) - (11.375" x .446" - .25 oz)
  37. OOP - Cognis Aerospace - Gnat by
    helicopter, tumble, 18mm - (7.1" x 0.76 x 0.8 oz)
  38. OOP - Estes Industries - Helicat by Sullivan, Kevin
    helicopter, parachute, 18mm - (33.5" x 1.35" - 3.7 oz)
  39. OOP - Estes Industries - Helio Copter by Stafford, Dick
    helicopter, parachute, 18mm - (25.4" x 1.346" - 2.89 oz)
  40. OOP - Estes Industries - HyperX (RTF) by Terrell, Steve
    helicopter, parachute, 18mm - (19" x 1.35" - 3.1 oz)
  41. OOP - Estes Industries - Skywinder by Gilmer, Jeff
    helicopter, 18mm - (20" x 1.35" - 2.5 oz)
  42. OOP - Estes Industries - Skywinder by Lee, John
    helicopter, 18mm - (20" x 1.35" - 2.5 oz)
  43. OOP - Estes Industries - Skywinder
    helicopter, 18mm - (20" x 1.35" - 2.5 oz)
  44. OOP - Estes Industries - Turbo Copter by Besaw Jr, Donald
    helicopter, streamer, 18mm - (13.9" x 0.74" - 0.9 oz)
  45. Plans - University of Indiana - Cyclone - Maple Seed Rocket by Hill, Wayne
    A "maple seed" recovery rocket - ()
  46. Scratch - Bad to the Bone by King, Ray
    A Box 'O Parts Design Contest entry - (32" x 1.75" - 7.2 oz)
  47. Scratch - Cicada Killer by Stafford, Dick
    helicopter, 6mm (micromaxx) - ()
  48. Scratch - Grizzly Behr Monocopter by Stafford, Dick
    A monocopter made from paint stirrers - (13.5" x 0.75" - 2 oz)
  49. Scratch - Popsicle Monocopter by Applewhite, Art
    A 13mm monocopter (Odd-Roc) made from popsicle sticks - (0.5" x 7" - 0.5 oz)
  50. Scratch - Push Me Pull You by Stafford, Dick
    cluster, helicopter, 6mm (micromaxx) - (1.25" x 6" - oz)
  51. Scratch - Semi Three by McClain-Furmanski, Dennis
    A "maple leaf" recovery monocopter - (17" x 5" - oz)
  52. Scratch - The Amazing Underperforming Mono-Nano-Copter by Stafford, Dick
    helicopter, 6mm (micromaxx) - (1" x 0.25")
  53. Scratch - Whirlygig-24 by Stafford, Dick
    This is a 24mm version of this odd, helicopter design - (8" x 0.9" - 5.6 oz)

Manufacturer Recommended Motors

  1. Alien Enterprises - Monocopter M-24
    D11P, D7-RCT, E6-RCT, E7-RCT, E12-RCT, E11-3J, F12-3J
  2. Apogee Components - Heli-Roc
    13mm: 1/2A3-2T (first flight), A3-4T, A10-3T, B7-6, C6-7; 10.5mm: 1/4A2-2 (first flight), 1/2A2-2, A2-3, B2-3, B2-5
  3. Apogee Components - Texas Twister
    1/4A3-3T, 1/2A3-2T, A3-4T
  4. Art Applewhite Rockets - Bumble Bee Monocopter (13mm)
    1/2A3-2T, A10-0T, A10-3T, A10-PT
  5. Art Applewhite Rockets - Dragonfly Monocopter (18mm)
    A8-3, B4-2, B6-0, B6-2, C6-0 & C6-3
  6. Art Applewhite Rockets - Hornet Monocopter (18mm)
    A8-3, B4-2, B4-4, B6-0, B6-2, B6-4, C6-0, C6-3
  7. Art Applewhite Rockets - Whirlwind Monocopter (24mm)
    D11-P, D12-0, D12-3, E9-P, E9-4
  8. Estes Industries - Cosmic Cobra
    B4-2, B6-2, B6-4, C6-3, C6-5
  9. FlisKits - Rose-a-Roc
    1/2A6-2, A8-3, B6-2, C6-3
  10. FlisKits - Tiddlywink
    MicroMaxx
  11. J.A.P. Systems - D izzy Monocopter
    D12-5, D12-7
  12. OOP - Apogee Components - Micro Whirl-A-Tron
    1/4A2-4 (first flight), 1/2A2-6, A2-7, B2-7
  13. OOP - Cognis Aerospace - Gnat
    1/2A - B
  14. OOP - Estes Industries - Gyroc (K-24)
    1/2A6-2, A8-3, B4-4, B4-6, B6-4, B8-5, C6-5
  15. OOP - Estes Industries - Helicat
    B4-2, B6-2, C6-3, C6-5
  16. OOP - Estes Industries - Helio Copter
    C6-3, C6-5
  17. OOP - Estes Industries - HyperX (RTF)
    B4-2, B6-2, C6-4, C6-3, C6-5
  18. OOP - Estes Industries - Skywinder
    B4-2, B6-2, C6-3
  19. OOP - Estes Industries - Turbo Copter
    1/2A6-2, A8-3, A8-5, B4-4, B6-4, B6-6, B8-5, C6-5, C6-7
  20. Plans - University of Indiana - Cyclone - Maple Seed Rocket
    1/2A3-2T, A3-4T
  21. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - High Rotor I Helicopter
    A, B, C
  22. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - High Rotor II Helicopter
    1/2A, A
  23. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - High Rotor III Helicopter
    D
  24. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - High Rotor IV Helicopter
    1/4A
  25. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - Micro Maxx Rotaroc Helicopter
    Micro Maxx
  26. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - Qualifier II (helicopter)
    B, C
  27. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - Ultimate I (helicopter)
    1/2A3-2, A3-4
  28. Qualified Competition Rockets (QCR) - Ultimate II (helicopter)
    Estes C6-3, Apogee D3-3, Apogee C4-3
  29. Venus Model Rocketry - Corkscrew
    1/2A3-2, A3-4, A10-3

RockSim Library

  1. Apogee Components - Heli-Roc by VanMilligan,Tim
    [v8.x] helicopter, 10.5mm (micro), 13mm (mini) (14" x .544" - 0.77 oz)
  2. Apogee Components - Heli_Roc by Van Milligan, Tim
    [v8.x] 13mm, helicopter (13.68" x 0.544" x 0.51 oz)
  3. Apogee Components - Texas Twister by VanMilligan, Tim
    [v6.x] helicopter, 10.5mm (micro) (14.38" x 0.736" - 0.62 oz)
  4. Estes Industries - Cosmic Cobra by Policy, Joe
    [v7.x] helicopter, parachute, 18mm (19.5" x 1.35" - 3.1 oz)
  5. Descon - Dizzy Lizzy by Eldredge, Tom
    [v7.x] A helicopter recovery rocket ()
  6. OOP - Estes Industries - Gyroc (K-24) by Eldredge, Tom
    [v7.x] Helicopter recovery rocket (10" x 5.5" -)
  7. OOP - Estes Industries - Helio Copter by Stafford, Dick
    [v6.x] helicopter, parachute, 18mm (25.4" x 1.346" - 2.89 oz)
  8. Scratch - Whirlatron by Johnson, Kevin
    [v6.x] RockSim 5, an attempt to sim a Rose-a-roc style model to predict altitude. Rotors are entered as short, wide fins. (17" x 0.765" - 1.3oz)

Center of Pressure (CP)

  1. Apogee Components - Texas Twister by Van Milligan, Tim 12.24 from nose
  2. FlisKits - Tiddlywink by Roth, Glenn 6.00 from nose

Tips & Hints

  1. Fins
    Featured Tip: The Hurricane Helicopter Blade Twisting Device - I have been building and studying helicopter recovery rockets for the last couple years. I have read a number of R&D reports as well as attended a number of NARCON presentations on how to improve performance. One of the key areas identified is blade twist. Blades should be twisted at steep angle of incidence near the... more
  2. Fins
    One of the "pain in the a---s" is making/sanding the correct angle on the blades for "Helicopter Recovery." The other is trying to hold the blade, while sanding. I found an old book, (one you no longer want), and has a plastic cover. Or cover the book in plastic or wax paper. **Cover shouldn't move**. Lay one edge of your helicopter blade along edge of book. Most people mark the blade with a line down the middle in pencil. Then draw another line down the middle of Half of the blade. So you have the blade divided in "half" and one half divided again or 1/3. Take some masking tape, I use painters tape, and run a long piece with the edge along "middle" pencil line. You're now protecting 1/2 the blade and exposing "trailing edge of blade. Take a few more pieces of masking tape and go over end of the masking tape, **being sure not to cover blade,** Use your finger nail and press down tape so it's secure. Take a very long sanding block, (tile float, with sand paper attached works), longer than blade. Hold on slight angle and sand edge ‘til you start to sand "masking tape." Once you r satisfied with "trailing edge," remove tape. Repeat by turning blade 180 degrees and taping middle of 2nd half of blade to book edge. (only 1/3 of blade exposed). Sand till satisfied with "leading edge." This works well and is relatively fast, if you’re making multiple blades. - G.R. (PA)

Stories

  1. Crash & Burn
    Like every other BAR, I have my fair share of youth induced crash and burn stories. But the one I distinctly remember was an Estes Gyroc that had a unique recovery method. The motor would eject, releasing the two hinged fins and the model would go into a rapid spin and helicopter to the ground. At least, it would in theory. I sanded the spars to release the fins just a little short and they barely made connection with the body of the engine. On the maiden voyage of my Gyroc, one of the fins slipped and released prematurely. The high rate of speed ripped the now very non-aerodynamic fin off and the Gyroc went spinning wildly in the yonder. The fin fluttered gently to the ground and my new Gyroc was shredded. - D.B.
  2. First Time
    My 1st rocket (Estes Helicat). It went up on a B4-6. Got to about 350 feet, then dropped. For some reason, it didn't eject the nose cone, and the helicopter part of the cone smashed trough the side of the booster when the cone hit the ground and got stuck there. S (VA)
  3. Other
    Back in my younger & more care free days (I.E. - When I was a stupid kid...) I lived in southern Illinois approx 15 miles from Scott AFB. My freind & I thought it would be quite amusing (?) to launch one of our higher flying birds (A Maxi Streak modified for a D engine) loaded up with shredded aluminum foil. Approx 15 minutes after the launch we were treated to a visit by two Air Force helicopters. Cool stuff for a couple of 15 year olds who really should have known better! - B.J.
  4. NARAM
    After participating in local and regional competition for about a year, I decided to test my skills against the big boys at NARAM 46. I spent a ton of hours preparing and developing a strategy for peak results. All of my friends with NARAM experience kept trying to humble me by claiming that flight points in every event would be a great achievement. Flight points?! Heck, I wanted hardware in at least 2-3 events and top 10 performance in half the events. That's the end of the cocky portion of the tale... Pursuing the event list, Monday looked to be my big day, with A boost glide and 1/2 helicopter duration. I'm no glider guru, but felt I could avoid embarrassment with my basic plane, which typically nailed 60-90 second flights. After separating under boost (DQ) on flight #1 (and nearly dive-bombing Chad Ring in the process), I coined my new NARAM motto--If at first you don't succeed, flight points, flight points, flight points! Flight #2 was an Edmonds Deltie, practically impossible to mess up, and somehow my one minute flight won me "best newbie" trophy for the event. I felt I'd kick [fanny] in the 1/2A helicopter event. I'd made several helicopter models that performed well locally, and my latest version was consistently nailing 90-120 second flights. Naturally, due to a burn string failure in the nasty humidity, I pranged and DQ's flight #1. Being too stubborn to learn from my mistakes (or listen to my new motto), I went right back up with the same bird (repaired), using the same type of burn string. I was rewarded this time with a burn string that TRIED to deploy, but only managed to cut through two of my three blades. The ‘copter tumbled haplessly down, pranging for another DQ, not even getting me flight points in my area of expertise. Scale and PMC were perhaps the most humbling events of the week. I seriously consider myself a good craftsman, and in local and regionals typically finished far enough ahead on static points that I had nailed first place even without flight points (yes, I know you have to fly to qualify). I went all out for NARAM, spending hundreds of dollars and many hundreds of hours building an Apogee Saturn V, and spent months finding a couple of motors for it (G80's have been pretty scarce since the fire). My PMC entry, while fairly nice looking (1:72 Tomcat), was only a half-hearted effort, as I'd never in my life had a qualified PMC flight, even in practice, and this particular attempt's prototype had failed in its only 4 test flights (again, not exactly a quick learner). The scale lineup Thursday night was simply awesome. I was amazed at the level of craftsmanship spread out on the table, and clearly overwhelmed by the "we're not in Kansas anymore" syndrome. My Saturn was around 6th place in static, but surprisingly my PMC was 3rd. With no mission points planned for the Saturn, and zero confidence in the PMC, I figured the trophy would elude me again. PMC flight day was the highest wind day of the week (go figure...), and there was plenty of plastic rain that day. The RSO, the venerable Trip Barber, gave my Tomcat a wary eye and reluctantly agreed to let it fly (also providing me some valuable alignment advice to combat the wind). With all the clay added for stability, the model was simply too heavy for the pair of teeny A10's, and after reaching dozens of feet of altitude (OK, about 100), it deployed the chute miliseconds before impact within a couple of yards of Trip. DQ. There was some fairly significant damage, though a little CA and a few hours of tweaking to remove some of the clay, and I was ready to try again. This time, karma was truly aligned against me, as Trip gave it an even more skeptical review, grudgunly allowed it to go, and the launch control officer was none other than Chad Ring, whom I'd chased earlier in the week with my DQ'd boost glider. Flight #2 achieved a staggering altitude of nearly 120 feet, deployed both chutes about 20 feet up, and came in for a very hard landing right at Chad's feet. After a very long (dramatic) pause, he declared "we'll let the ground decide--qualified flight". For non-NARAM types, this means he figured damage points would wipe out most/all of my flight points, but I'd at least get a qualified flight out of it. As luck would have it, the damage was minimal, and I wound up with 2nd place overall. The Saturn flew later that day, and was probably the most satisfying and energizing flight of my life (another story). 7th overall, no hardware. The ultimate irony, though, is that both my DQ'd glider and PMC flight #1 were nominated for the "Best Midwest Qualified Flight" award, given annually to the most spectacular DQ/failure of the meet. Apparently, I was the first ever double-nominee. I was also the first ever nominee who also, using the same rocket, won "real" hardware for the same event. I don't know whether to be proud of this or not, but I wound up taking home the trophy for BMQF, and it stands prominently beside my other NARAM trophies. - W.C.S. (Cincinnati OH)

Glossary

  1. Blade Twist
    The pitch angle variation on a helicopter blade from root to tip.
  2. Burn String
    Helicopter blade deployment method using thin string to hold blades to the body of the rocket. Ejection gases and particles burn through the string, allowing for blade deployment.
  3. Contest Acronyms
    The NAR uses a bewildering number of acronyms to describe its contests. As with most things of this nature, there is a logic to the naming which makes things much easier to understand once learned. The basic structure of an event name is a prefix, the event acronym and a suffix. The prefix is always the motor code (currently 1/4A thru G) and the suffix is either an "A" for altitude events or "D" for duration events if such a distinction needs to be made (some events, such as parachute duration, have the suffix "built in" to its name, thus don't use one). A futher appendage is the use of "MR" for "Multi-Round" events where you make several flights and pick the best ones. Lastly, there is a set of scoring acronyms used in judging the events, but are not part of the event itself.

    Event Acronyms:
    BG - Boost Glider
    DEL- Dual Eggloft
    DR - Drag Race
    EL - Eggloft Single
    FW - Flexwing BG
    HD - Helicopter Duration
    OSL - Open Spot Landing
    PAY - Payload
    PD - Parachute Duration
    PMC - Plastic Model Conversion
    PRA - Predicted Altitude
    PRD - Predicted Duration
    PSL - Parachute Spot Landing
    R&D - Research & Development
    RDA - Random Altitude
    RDD - Random Duration
    RC/RG - Radio Controlled Rocket Glider
    RG - Rocket Glider
    SC - Scale (often seen written out)
    SCA - Scale Altitude (sometimes seen as Sc.Alt)
    SD - Streamer Duration
    SL - Spot Landing
    SPSC - Sport Scale
    SPSY - Space Systems
    SR - Superroc
    SSL - Streamer Spot Landing
    STA - Set Altitude
    STD - Set Duration
    SUSC - Super Scale

    Note that there is an ambiguity in the Eggloft event notation. "DELA" could mean the generic Dual Eggloft Altitude event or D Eggloft Altitude. For this reason, the prefixes are normally separated from the event acryonym by spaces.

    Flight Card/Results Acronyms:
    BRK - Broken Egg or
    EGG - Broken Egg
    CATO - obvious, I hope
    DQ - Disqualified flight
    NC - Track Not Closed
    NG - No Glide
    NR - No Return
    PRG - Prang
    ROT - No Rotation
    SHR - Shread
    TL - Track Lost
  4. HD
    See Helicopter Duration.
  5. Helicopter Duration
    A competitive event in NAR-sanctioned launches, using rockets with helicopter recovery.
  6. Helicopter Recovery
    A method of model rocket recovery in which long blades are deployed at apogee so that the rocket descends gently through auto-rotation. See Helicopter Rocket Reviews.
  7. Monocopter
    Monocopters are single-bladed helicopters. The engine, whether an airplane engine or rocket motor, both drives and counteracts the lift forces produced by the single blade. See Monocopter Reviews
  8. Rotor Blades
    Wing-like extensions, rotating around a central hub of a helicopter or autogyro.
   

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