RockSim Virtual Rocket Contest #3 CONTEST - IS OVER! Contests:   All   Previous   Next

Essence's Model Rocketry Reviews (EMRR) is happy to introduce a third "virtual" rocket contest. We are excited as this has been a never-before-done "virtual" rocket activity and we see no limits. So this time, with our wonderful sponsors, we are eggstra eggsited. So don't be chicken and enter our Egg-Payload "Virtual" Rocket Contest.

So, grab your copy of RockSim (or the Demo version) and build a rocket that meets the requirements below and the "virtual flying" contest will take place on December 15, 2003.

Contest Requirements:

• RockSim Owners: Entry must be (1) RKT file (any version)
• RockSim DEMO Entries: Entry must include the following:
  • All the information from the Parts List
  • A drawing of your fins
  • Thickness of your fins (material is in Parts List)
  • Location of your fins with reference to the rear of the rocket in inches
• Name your Rocket
• Contestants may only have (1) entry
• Contestants must be on EMRR's Announcement List to be eligible
• 1% Bonus will be gained on each contest flight if you build, fly and produce pictures of the rocket:
  • (1) Picture of the rocket static
  • (1) Picture of the rocket launching or descending
• Entries must be received by 12/14/2003.
• Contest will take place from 12/15 - 12/19.

CLICK HERE FOR Q A

CLICK HERE FOR Fine Print

RockSim Rocket Design Requirements:

• Rocket Design Specs:
  • Motor Configuration:
    • Designer's choice (staged, cluster, or single)
    • Total Thrust allowed must be <81 Newton Seconds (e.g. single F motor, 4-D's, 1-E+D's, etc.)
    • These are valid Motors and Curves (virtual3.eng)
      (if you need assistance loading these, e-mail me)
  • Egg-bay:
    • Must be BT-70 with provisions to maintain the egg within a 2½" free space and accessible from 1 side.
    • Each contestant will be assigned a different egg from a set of eggs in the EMRR refrigerator at the time of the contest. To give you some guidance, NAR contest rules says an egg would weigh between 57 and 63 grams.
  • Body Tubes:
    • At least three diameters of body tubes must be used on the exterior of the rocket, the Egg-bay may count as one.
    • All exterior tubes must be at least 3 times longer or shorter than any other exterior tube
    • Diameters must be standard tube sizes (selected from RockSim Database)
  • Fins:
    • There must be at least 2 sets of fins of 2 - 6 fins
    • They must each be mounted on at least two different exterior tubes
    • At least one fin set must have at least 7 points in custom design (include leading and trailing edges) with no point closer than ¼" to another (the idea is to have points and not corner rounding)
    • Fins can not be any thinner than 1/8" of an inch
    • RockSIM 7x asymmetrical fins are allowed
• Materials must be standard weights that are in the Rocksim database
• Materials must be standard thicknesses that are in the Rocksim database
• Must include realistic recovery and launch lugs (motor hook is optional)
  • Important: each of the events will require the safe landing of your egg, therefore, a landing speed of < 13 feet/second
• NO CP Overrides
• NO Mass Overrides
• NO additional Mass Objects for adjusting weight and CP
  • Allowed Mass Objects are realistically sized/weight shock cord, eye-screws, etc.
• Must have at least 1 caliber of stability (RockSim Based) when loaded with your selected motor(s)
• Select the rocket part colors that your would like to see posted
• Specifics
  • You must choose your motors for Event #1, #3, and #4
    • Motor selection must match motor tube size, no adapters and no masking tape allowed
    • All motor tubes must have a motor assigned to them for each flight
  • You must select your 48" rod angle, less than +/- 31 degrees, for Event #1
  • You must select your 48" rod angles, each being less than +/- 31 degrees, for Event #4 (Drag Race) for three different wind conditions. Be sure to give the proper "plus" or "minus" sign indication:
    • 1) 2-7 mph slight variable
    • 2) 5-10 mph slight variable
    • 3) 7-12 mph slight variable

Contest Events:

• Your rocket will be flown in (4) events and will accumulate a total score:
  1. Eggxact Altitude: your rocket will fly with an egg, your choice of motor combination, and with your selected launch rod angle. The objective is to be closest to 1500 altitude and have an egg-safe landing within the field. RockSIM 7 variations will be active: Launch Conditions and Competition Settings. The placement score will be based on closest to the target altitude (feet).
     - See Results
  2. MEgga Altitude: your rocket will fly with an egg and a "contest impulse motor combination", a "contest mass-override", and "contest conditions". The objective is to have the highest altitude and have an egg-safe landing within the field. The placement score will be the Altitude (ft).
     - See Results
  3. Chickens Don't Fly: your rocket will fly with an egg and your choice of motor combination. The objective is to have the slowest flight and lowest altitude and have an egg-safe landing within the field. RockSIM 7 variations will be active: Launch Conditions and Competition Settings. The placement score will be based on lowest altitude (feet) and the slowest velocity (f/s).
     - See Results
  4. The Scramble Race: your rocket will compete in an all-rocket Scramble drag race with an egg and your choice of motor combination. All will fly at once in three races with your selected launch rod angle. The flight must have an egg-safe landing within the field. Placement will be based on 1) Fastest to clear launch rail (sec) with 48" rod; 2) Longest time to landing (sec), and 3) Lowest Range (closest to pad in feet).
     - See Results
• DQ Conditions
  • Deployment fail as determined by RockSIM
  • Descent/Landing must be < 13 feet/sec vertical
  • Any of the Competition Settings
• DQ Results
  • No results for just that event (you will get 1 point in the placement score)
  • Same egg will be used, even if broken, for all events
  • Lost rocket is only lost for that event

* NOTE: All "contest" settings and entries will not be disclosed until all entries are in!

• • Submission Checklist
    • RockSIM RKT file from any version/demo
    • Rocket Name
    • Motor selection for Contest #1, #3, and #4
    • Launch Rod angles for Contest #1 and #4

PRIZE TABLE:

	CD-ROM called "Simulating Strap-On Boosters to RockSim"
	A copy of the Spaceship Handbook by Jack Hagerty and Jon C. Rogers, published by ARA Press. Over 100 Data Sheets on 75 different spacecraft. (see review)
	Any Style Flying Saucer of your choice of design up to a 29mm motor mount.
	Any Style Flying Saucer of your choice of design up to a 29mm motor mount.
	Neubauer Super Tube (see review)
	Neubauer D Region Tomahawk
	$40Gift Certificate
	Sunward's Moondance (see review)
	Sunward's Desert Fox (see review)
	Set of Advanced Information Reports: #1 - Motor Installation #4 - Ace Fugue Shroud Method #5 - Boosted Dart Theory #6 - Motor Selection and Performance Optimization #7 - Ground Support Equipment #8 - Stability #10 - Advanced Construction Techniques

Let the Games Begin!

14      8      1      6    12     9     7      5     13      2      17     11   4    16         3            10          15

NAME OF ENTRANT	NAME OF ROCKET	FILE	Current STANDING!
#3 - Bob Cox	Omelette Of Zeus		2
Length=21.9" Width=2.22" Weight=3.48 oz Fin Points=so many Motor=18mm x1 Egg=60g
EMRR Comments: There were too many points to count in these very unique (now let's see ya make them) lightning bolt fins! Impressive. Bob won the Chickens Don't Fly event (#3) with an interesting technique.

#10 - Drake "Doc" Damerau	Eggs-ample		4
Length=28.0" Width=2.22" Weight=2.54 oz Fin Points=7 Motor=18mm x5 Egg=58g
EMRR Comments: Working the flexibility of a 5 motor cluster.

#15 - Chan Stevens	Shake Your Tail Feathers		1
Length=27.1" Width=2.6" Weight=3.67 oz Fin Points=7 Motor= Sust: 18mm x1 Boost: 18mm x7 Egg=59g
EMRR Comments: Large tail feathers, to be shaken! And this 2-stager did shake them. It proved to be take the MEgga Altitude event (#2) by flying 34 feet higher than Bob Cox's.

#13 - Michael Mangieri	Egg-citable		6
Length=28.7" Width=2.2" Weight=5.49 oz Fin Points=7 Motor=24mm x1 Egg=61g
EMRR Comments: Was able to work something into the rules that was unexpected... an extended motor tube becomes an external tube! This is a sleek looking rocket.

#8 - Claude Paquin	Iron Chef		6
Length=21.0" Width=2.22" Weight=2.94 oz Fin Points=8 Motor=24mm x2 Egg=60g
EMRR Comments: We get the "point" Claude. (That's the first thing that popped into my head when I first looked at this rocket). Unique fins give it a unique look. Nice.

#4 - Jim Myers	Yolkum		3
Length=45.1" Width=2.6" Weight=11.24 oz Fin Points=8 Motor=18mm x4 Egg=59g
EMRR Comments: Jim's sleek-line designed paid off as he was the closest to 1500 feet in the Eggxact Altitude event (#1). Only missed it by 1 foot!

#7 - Bruce Levison	Eggbeater		6
Length=23.9" Width=2.22" Weight=4.26 oz Fin Points=7 Motor=24mm x1 Egg=60g
EMRR Comments: Always coming to the contest with something unique, Bruce has done it again. He is actually a master RockSIM designer.

#2 - Doug Gardei	Eggsterdam		4
Length=32.4" Width=2.22" Weight=7.43 oz Fin Points=9 Motor= Sust: 24mm x1 Boost: 24mm x1, 13mm x 6 Egg=57g
EMRR Comments: Wow! 2-Stager, multiple motors. This entry shows the variety we were hoping for from this contest!

#6 - Morgan Lee	Mr. Eagen (sounds like Mr. EGGen)		10
Length=21.3" Width=2.22" Weight=3.65 oz Fin Points=15 Motor=24mm x1 Egg=61g
EMRR Comments: How can you not say that this rocket is the most creative and theme based of the bunch!! Love it! Morgan, go build it!

#16 - Bill Krosney	Eggscalibur		9
Length=34.2" Width=4.0" Weight=5.2 oz Fin Points=9 Motor=18mm x4 Egg=59g
EMRR Comments: Bill did the most thorough job in designing and documenting his experience. Read it here. Thanks for the nice comments and sharing the experience.

#12 - Ron Meyers	Eggnaut		13
Length=35.0" Width=2.6" Weight=8.91 oz Fin Points=7 Motor= Sust: 24mm x1 Boost: 24mm x2 Egg=57g
EMRR Comments: This would make a cool looking 2-stage rocket. I like the extension of the motor tubes and also the rear fin.

#5 - Frank Ross	E.G.G.-3		11
Length=39.8" Width=2.22" Weight=5.41 oz Fin Points=8+ Motor=24mm x1, 18mm x3 Egg=59g
EMRR Comments: Another slick interpretation of getting 3 external tubes. Don't know if it would get pass a "real" RSO, but it certainly works for a "virtual" RSO.

#9 - Joe Policy	Eggsterminator		12
Length=33.1" Width=2.22" Weight=4.74 oz Fin Points=14 Motor=24mm x3 Egg=63g
EMRR Comments: With tail feathers, this rocket has a unique look. The 3rd body tube is interestingly placed on this.

#1 - Steve Naquin	Eggo		15
Length=36.9" Width=3.1" Weight=16.23 oz Fin Points=12 Motor=29mm x1 Egg=58g
EMRR Comments: I always sit in anticipation of the first entry. This is because I build a test model or two to finalize the rules and events, but never know if it too specific. Steve's first entry helps resolve that.

#17 - Nathan Schoenkin	Rocket in Pocket		17
Length=54.1" Width=3.1" Weight=21.6 oz Fin Points=7 Motor=24mm x4 Egg=60g
EMRR Comments: Designed to look like a pocket-knife, it has a unique profile. This was the heaviest entry and so it had some difficulties. But an entry is an opportunity!

#14 - Clive Davis	Der SchwarzenEGGer		14
Length=40.0" Width=2.6" Weight=3.27 oz Fin Points=10 Motor=24mm x4 Egg=62g
EMRR Comments: With those forward fins, this rocket looks "mean". Adding black, gives it an "evil" look. Ready to attack all those other chickens!

#11 - Dick Stafford	Scrambler		16
Length=55.6" Width=2.22" Weight=6.23 oz Fin Points=13 Motor=29mm x1 Egg=63g
EMRR Comments: If this doesn't look like an alien ship...

Eggxact Altitude: your rocket will fly with an egg, your choice of motor combination, and with your selected launch rod angle. The objective is to be closest to 1500 altitude and have an egg-safe landing within the field. RockSIM 7 variations will be active: Launch Conditions and Competition Settings. The placement score will be based on closest to the target altitude (feet).

EMRR Comments: What made this contest interesting, is the variability in techniques. Some use zero angle and varies motors to reach the altitude. The ones with a single motor, no doubt, varied the weight of the rocket. Others used rod angle to have the peak arc at 1500. As you can see, the leaders were very close with the difference probably attributed to egg weight and wind variation.

MEgga Altitude: your rocket will fly with an egg and a "contest impulse motor combination", a "contest mass-override", and "contest conditions". The objective is to have the highest altitude and have an egg-safe landing within the field. The placement score will be the Altitude (ft).

EMRR Comments:I made the equivalents for Apogee F10 motors for each rocket. I also, set each rocket to 6 oz (for 2-stages, they were set based on the proportional weight of the original). I set wind and thermals to zero, rod angle to zero and let them rip!

I really expected the 2-stagers to rule here and for the most part they did. But look at this single motor configuration of Bob Cox! It was only beat by 34 feet by a 2-stager! And those two rockets were over 1200 feet higher than the nearest competitors!

Chickens Don't Fly: your rocket will fly with an egg and your choice of motor combination. The objective is to have the slowest flight and lowest altitude and have an egg-safe landing within the field. RockSIM 7 variations will be active: Launch Conditions and Competition Settings. The placement score will be based on lowest altitude (feet) and the slowest velocity (f/s).

EMRR Comments:Now this event is what balanced out those two stagers and cluster rockets. Surprisingly, though, Bill Krosney's 4 motor Eggscalibur was able to compete with the single motor rockets and came in second. It was hard to beat Bob Cox's though. I've seen some perform like this at real launches. We usually laugh.

The Scramble Race: your rocket will compete in an all-rocket Scramble drag race with an egg and your choice of motor combination. All will fly at once in three races with your selected launch rod angle. The flight must have an egg-safe landing within the field. Placement will be based on 1) Fastest to clear launch rail (sec) with 48" rod; 2) Longest time to landing (sec), and 3) Lowest Range (closest to pad in feet).

EMRR Comments:The Scramble Race has started. This is the first round, with the wind fixed at 4mph. The Sub-Total here will be added to the next two rounds to come up with a total points for the three rounds. Those will then be ranked to come up with the event points to be added to the other three events.

EMRR Comments:This is the second round, with the wind fixed at 8mph. Here is where you really start to see rockets getting lost and damage to eggs (>13 f/s vertical). The rockets that are not getting DQ'd are the ones that are heavily angled "into" the wind, and/or reduced their motor sizes to avoid the higher altitudes.

EMRR Comments:This is the third round, with the wind fixed at 12mph. Really threw most rockets right out of the field. Two of the rockets that did not DQ used low power motors so that they didn't go too high. The third, must have caught a good thermal.

EMRR Comments:Well, so ends a third contest. By far the most difficult contest as well! I loved the designs. I loved some of the new challenges this contest created. And I'd love to hear back from all as to your feelings.... what worked, what didn't, etc.

14	7	1	4	12	9	6	4	13	2	17	11	7	16	3	9	15

QA

• How does this Bonus thing work?
  • The 1% bonus improves your virtual flights by 1%. For example if you fly to 1540 feet, you will be recorded at 1555 feet. Yes, not much, but we suspect some very close competition and it is geared toward a "virtual" rocket contest, but we wanted to award some that actually built the rocket.
• If we submit a design and it doesn't qualify for some reason, are we allowed to rework the design and resubmit or even submit a new design?
  • Yes, either, both...we will review them and let you know.
• How are Contest Points scored?
  • Each of the first 3 events have a "placement score" described. That placement score will then be reversed ranked by the total number of entries. This will give the maximum number of points to the winner in the event. For example, if there are (4) entries and in contest #3 (minimum altitude) and entry #1 gets 800 feet, #2 810 feet, #3 750 feet and #4 950 feet. Then the scores will be 4 points for #3, 3 points for #1, 2 points for #2 and 1 point for #4.
• You say materials must be those listed in RockSim ... can I build/design any part using those materials?
  • Yes, you may, except the body tubes which must come from the database. Other parts: this does not imply that you have to take the part from the database.
• For the competition conditions the Model loss: at 25% seems rather high. . .
  • Launch site diameter:- This is the diameter of the launch site. Any rockets landing within this circle are not considered lost.<BR>Max. model drift range: - This specifies the maximum drift range beyond the outside of the Launch site diameter. Any rockets that drift beyond this range are considered lost.
    Model loss- This is the percent chance of a model falling outside the Launch site diameter being lost.
    
    So the field size is 4000 feet, with an extra 1000 feet drift range. In that 1000 feet drift range there is a 25% change of losing the rocket. Outside of that 1000 foot drift range, in others words outside of 5000 feet, the rocket is considered lost. So going for very, very high is one thing, but ensuring your rocket comes back is more important.
  • NOTE: If you have 7.00 - 7.01 this feature has a bug in it. So don't get frustrated with the results. Apogee will have this corrected soon (before the competition flying). You should work hard to keep it within the range of the field.
• You also have an ignition delay specified but do not include igniter variability for Drag Races, why did you do that?
  • It is a default, but unless the igniter box is checked the delay time is not activated.
• Aren't the RockSim 5 and 6 users going to be upset about not being able to use the RockSim 7 variations?
  • The point here is that everyone can compete. Their submissions will be converted to RS 7 for the competitions. They will miss out on some testing and the asymmetrical fin capability, but like in life, some compete with better training facilities than others... doesn't mean better facilities make for winners.
• For MEgga Altitude, the unknowns are difficult for the design. Can we get clarification?
  • If you concentrate on Contests 1, 3 and 4, EMRR will ensure success on Contest 2. We may even need to create motors to give everyone the same motor impulse and we won't have any DQ's. The objective of this contest has been to neutralize specifics of the design as much as possible to test the design out.
• I've downloaded the virtual3.eng file. How do I get RockSim to ONLY use those motors and ignore the other motors or other .eng files?
  • Put the ENG file in the DATA directory for RockSIM
  • Run Compile Engine program
  • Select only virtual3.eng and ---> move it over
  • Click Compile
  • Start RockSIM
• NO CP or Mass overrides. But... are the CP and mass overrides present for database objects OK? i.e. I select an Estes NC, or eye-hook that has entered a CP and mass override, is that OK?
  • Yes, Database CP's okay.

The winners agree to write a kit review using the format guidelines included in EMRR's site. Previous winners are eligible for future Rocket Give-Away. EMRR assumes no responsibility for the kit once it leaves our location. EMRR is not liable for any damages or injury caused by the assembly or use of the kit.