Howard Smart's Page
AKA: Logic Officer
Location: San Diego, CA
Certification Level: L2 NAR and Tripoli
Club Memberships: DART,TRASD
Favorite Rockets: Nike Anything
Biography:
I had my start in rocketry when I was 11 years old. Estes Alpha Starter Kit. I still have the launch pad.
BAR in 2005 when I found the DART club. What a great bunch of people. Got into HPR thanks to Andy Woerner. Thank goodness I didn't have to finish filing my LEUP. What a pain.
Currently taking it easy in HPR for a while, spending more time working on my skills in NAR competition and NARTREK advanced levels. I held a NAR record once for about a month. I'll have to go higher next time.
Going out once in a while to launch rockets is great. Having a mission makes it much more interesting. More people should do NARTREK and the EMRR Challenges! Bring it on!
Favorite Quote:
He that breaks a thing
To find out what it is
Has left the path of wisdom
- Gandalf the Gray
Personal Home Page: http://web.me.com/hsmart/Nike_Ajax_Build/Welcome.html
Club Home Page: www.dartrocketry.org
RocketReviews.com Pages:
2011-05-14
18mm Contest Rocket
Flight
49 sec, winner of 1/2A PD event - 1/2A3-4 - Fiesta Is. [More]
Icarus
Flight
Second attempt at C ELD. 7.1 sec, shortest duration of all the entries. Egg survived late deployment. - C6-3 - Fiesta Is. [More]
Icarus
Flight
C egg loft duration. DQ - Stuck chute. Egg survived - C6-3 - Fiesta Is. [More]
QCR Flexwing
Flight
Second attempt. Deployed but never transitioned. Steep glide. DQ by the Contest Director as "no glide." - 1/2A3-2 - Fiesta Is. [More]
QCR Flexwing
Flight
Flexwing duration contest. Failed to deploy wing - foam piston stuck on back end of spars and held them together. DQ. - 1/2A3-2 - Fiesta Is. [More]
2011-04-29
Kenny's Trimaran - 2010 Design This Spaceship Contest Entry - Summary
Build Entry
Even though this was one of the simplest models in the Challenge, it was quite a challenge to build. I often found myself staring at it wondering just how I was going to make some part look right and be sturdy enough. In the end I was happy with how it came out. I would have loved to make it even ... [More]
Kenny's Trimaran - 2010 Design This Spaceship Contest Entry - Flight/Recovery
Build Entry
I launched this three times on December 4 in Plaster City, CA. It was a beautiful day, perfectly calm, temperature in the 60s. The rocket was a head-turner. Everyone who saw it asked me whether it was a kit or where I had gotten it. The first launch was with an Estes D12-3. This was a little ... [More]
Kenny's Trimaran - 2010 Design This Spaceship Contest Entry - Construction/Finishing
Build Entry
The construction of this rocket was a nonlinear process. Many parts can be worked on concurrently. When it all comes together it is quite satisfying. The pods are constructed by centering an 18mm tube inside a shorter 24mm tube. I made sure the aft centering ring was flush. I also added a ring ... [More]
Kenny's Trimaran - 2010 Design This Spaceship Contest Entry - Components
Build Entry
The large diameter of the central body is 2.6 inch, the narrow section is 1.6 inch. The nose cone and tubes are all from Apogee.
I printed out a profile of the design using a 3D software program, and used this to make measurements to scale up the design. The pod's outer diameter is 24 ... [More]
2011-04-27
Kenny's Trimaran - 2010 Design This Spaceship Contest Entry
Build
This is a very interesting rocket built from a 3D model as part of the Design This Spaceship contest. The rocket has a large nose cone, narrow waist section, and three outboard pods that look like jet intakes. [More]
2011-04-02
NARTREK Gold Rocket
Flight
Separated at ejection. Booster is RIP - G104-M - Plaster City [More]
Son of Squat
Flight
Perfect - H123-M - Plaster City [More]
2011-03-05
Son of Squat
Flight
Probably 8 sec would be a better delay - I140-9 - Plaster City [More]
Callisto
Flight
H242-10 - Plaster City [More]
Nike Smoke 5.5
Flight
Dual deployment - J1520 - Plaster City [More]
2011-01-29
Quest Full Betty
Rocksim Design
[More]
LOC/Precision HyperLOC 835
Rocksim Design
[More]
Polecat Aerospace Nike Smoke (5.5")
Rocksim Design
[More]
Nike Ajax
Rocksim Design
[More]
2011-01-22
Madcow Rocketry Squat
Rocksim Design
[More]
2010-08-10
LOC/Precision HyperLOC 835 (Kit)
Review
Brief: Tall 4 inch 3FNC rocket built to be compatible with hybrid motors. I picked this rocket
specifically out of the LOC catalog when I was shopping for my level 2 project. It has a 54mm motor mount, and is
dual-deploy ready. It also comes complete with a drogue and main parachute.
... [More]
2010-05-16
Scratch 2X Astron Sprite (Scratch)
Review
Brief: 2X upscale of the original Estes Astron Sprite.
Construction:
1 Big Bertha nose cone
1 BT-60 body tube 5 7/8 inches
1 Ring fin - 4 inch LOC tube 1.45 inches longh
1 1/8 inch balsa sheet
1 BT-20 motor mount tube 2.75 inch
2 CR-20/60 centering rings
1 ... [More]
2009-03-28
Scratch Tube and Ring 2-Stage Rocket (Scratch)
Review
( Contributed - by Howard Smart - 03/28/09)
Brief:
This is a custom 2-stage rocket with no traditional fins. The booster has a large ring fin, and the sustainer has
tube fins.
Construction:
The body components for this rocket came from an old Quest Zenith staged rocket kit. The ... [More]
2009-03-14
Semroc Nighthawk (xKit) (Kit)
Review
Brief:
This is a pod-boosted glider. The unique features include a design that is essentially a flying wing, and forward
canard fins on the pod which are adjustable to give a vertical boost.
Construction:
This is a reproduction of an old Estes boost-glider, kit number K-34. It ... [More]
2009-02-15
Modification Der Red Max Army Patriot (Modification)
Review
Stage bash of two Estes kits, Der Red Max (0651) and U.S. Army Patriot (2056). A two stage rocket is produced with gap staging, allowing both booster and sustainer to have engine hooks. The upper stage looks enough like the standard Patriot to be mistaken for a stock model, enough to use the ... [More]
2009-01-31
Custom Rockets Aztec (Kit)
Review
This is a basic 3FNC two-stage rocket with direct staging. The fins on the booster and sustainer are identical, giving it a look that is just a bit different from other two-stage rockets.
The parts list:
1 Nose cone, plastic blow-molded
1 Elastic shock cord
1 BT-50 sustainer body
... [More]
Semroc Tau Zero (Kit)
Review
Brief:
This is a small Sci-Fi looking model with forward swept fins, a ring fin and a bulging nose cone.
Construction:
The kit contains:
Balsa Nose Cone
Body tube (also serves as 18mm motor mount)
Ring fin (body tube material)
Sheet of laser cut 3/32 in. balsa ... [More]
Semroc Hawk (Kit)
Review
Brief:
Near reproduction of a boost glider (BG) kit from 1965 made by AMROCS. This is a forward motor BG which changes from
boost to glide by ejecting the motor casing, shifting its CG to the rear for gliding flight.
Construction:
This kit contains:
(2) Balsa fin sheets - ... [More]
2009-01-10
Quest Payloader One (Kit)
Review
Brief:
This is a skill level 1 single-stage rocket with a see through payload section. It is a basic three-fin/nose cone
design with the addition of a plastic bulkhead and a plastic forward payload bay. Through-the-wall fin attachment makes
this kit unique among kits this size.
... [More]
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