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]

   

Howard Smart