Experimental Sounding Rocket Association

Tropos 2 Pictures

Motor case with injector plate


Nozzle seal/retaining ring


Thrust plate attached to motor tube (behind) with plumbing connection


Oxidizer plumbing (unmodified valve handle)


Nosecone hinge mechanism


Fuel casting mandrel


Fiberglass fins being made


Nozzle, convergent section (inlet)


Nozzle with retaining/seal ring


Melting the caramel


Ready to cast


Casting in progress


Adding more caramel



Mandrel being extracted



Drilling the airframe for mounting the thrust plate


Valve opening mechanism test



Riveting in the parachute door hinge



Igniter wires going up into the motor through the nozzle




Reinstalling the propulsion unit after resetting the valve release mechanism (Dyneema line)


Fuel looks slightly charred but not burned at forward end



Casting the "shorty" ignition test motor (reproduction of forward end of motor)


Marking lines on the boattail for the fin slots


Cooking the ingredients for the KNO3/sugar igniter


Injector plate and injector after ignition test


Ends of used (left) and "new" KNO3/sugar igniters


Installing the fins into the boattail


Inside view of boattail showing fin "through the wall" design for strength and stiffness


Installing the new KNO3/sugar igniters



Motor being fired


Nozzle end of motor after static firing


Injector end of motor after static firing


Cooking the water/corn syrup/sugar mixture


Closer view of the corn syrup/sugar


Prepping the rocket for launch


Pilot parachute


Launch preps


Rocket parts (nosecone on left)


Payload section


Recovery/payload bulkhead after launch


Motor and thrust plate (igniters at top)


Cooking the corn syrup/sugar fuel, performing a water drop test for "doneness"


Casting complete, mandrel centered in nozzle


Putting the melted pyrogen into an igniter


Motor and tank on new test stand in test cell, Sep 2009


Injector plate with charred ash

 



Motor tube (no fuel cast yet, nozzle not installed yet)


Inside of injector plate with injector


Bulkhead


Oxidizer tank and plumbing



Fuel raw material prior to casting


Airframe less fins and paint


Fiberglass fins being laid up


Machining the nozzle


Nozzle, divergent section (exit)


Nozzle (removable) installed in motor tube


Coating the mandrel with cooking spray


Mandrel in place, casting about to begin


Using a heat gun to keep the case and caramel warm


Casting complete, nozzle installed, washer placed in nozzle to center top of mandrel


Caramel fuel with forward mixing chamber, circular port, and nozzle throat (looking aft)


Plumbing prior to final assembly


Launch rail buttons with  screws to mount into plywood bulkheads


Loading with nitrous oxide in preparation for static firing attempt


Removing the motor and oxidizer tank from the airframe to reset the valve release system between firing attempts


Motor in boattail, removing injector plate screws



Injector plate has slight discoloration but no evidence of burning at forward end of motor


Marking lines on the boattail for the fin slots



Pyrogenic igniter about to be tested


Aft end of "shorty" motor after successful ignition test


Forward mixing chamber of "shorty" motor after test


Used (left) and "new" KNO3/sugar igniters


Laying up fiberglass strips to bond fins to boattail


Installing the motor and thrust plate into the boattail



Completed propulsion system prior to insertion into airframe tube (note new igniters)


Injector plate and injector after static firing


New (top) and eroded nozzles


Casting the motor with the sugar mixture


Motor with corn syrup/sugar ("hard candy") fuel


Main parachute (15-foot diameter)


Raising the rail


Vertical on the rail


Filling with nitrous


Main body with parachute


Tank and plumbing after launch


Nosecone and locator transmitter


Main body tube (upside down)


Casting the motor



Melting and mixing the igniter ingredients


Completed igniter


Disassembling the motor after the static firing


Forward end of motor with ash/char deposits