| A
Guide to Amateur Rocketry
U.S.
Army Field Artillery School
Fort
Sill, Oklahoma
A rare
and classic handbook for designing, building, testing, and flying successful
home-built rockets.
One of
the first--perhaps THE first, and one of the most useful--handbooks
for amateur rocketry. Apparently first published in the late 1960s,
it's one of the few documents anywhere showing early military support for
this hobby.
An excellent
guide for everyone interested in getting started making their own experimental
rockets, showing how it's done with common materials and chemicals.
Provides detailed information and data for solid propellants made from
ordinary zinc dust mixed with sulfur (the so-called "micrograin" formulas).
Contents
1.
Introduction
General
Components
Propulsion
Aerodynamic
problems
2. Propellants
and the combustion process
Chemistry
of propulsion
Propellant
characteristics
Relative
quanitities of each propellant
Propellant
performance data
Combustion
process
Specific
impulse
Propellant
loading and compaction
3. Rocket
engine design
General
Thrust
Exhaust
velocity
Design problem
4. Ignition
systems
System components
Igniter
Relay box
5. Aerodynamic
surfaces
General
Nose cone
Body
Tail fins
6. Rocket
launches
General
Rail launchers
Launcher
bases
Elevation
quadrants
7. Rocket
testing and performance
General
Preliminary
tests
Flight performance
evaluation
Determining
rocket flight velocity and ballistic path
Determining
rocket flight altitude
Thrust
Specific
impulse
8. Organization
General
The scientific
method
Organize
to learn
Financial
considerations
9. Safety
Legal
Unqualified
advisers
Unknown
propellants
Rocket firing
operations
With
tables showing coefficient of thrust, nozzle area expansion ratios, etc.
Plus a glossary of terms, abbreviations, and definitions.
The Guide
was issued with the blessings of Major General Charles P. Brown, then Commanding
General of the U.S. Army Field Artillery Center and Fort Sill Commandant,
U.S. Army Field Artillery School. In the preface, Gen. Brown says
"The United States Army desires to extend the maximum degree of assistance
to, and to cooperate fully, these budding scientists in their experimentations.
To further assist our young scientists, the United States Army Field Artillery
School has prepared this booklet."
According
to the text:
"Empirical
information contained in this booklet is based on data obtained from 36
actual firings and 6 static firings of zinc-sulfur propelled rockets.
Flight performance was measured by radar and slow motion photography.
Thrust, chamber pressure, and burning time were monitored during the static
firings. Values included in the examples and the preparation of the
tables are based on slide rule computations."
Explains
the thermochemistry and reactions of zinc dust and sulfur propellants.
Shows exactly how to calculate the correct amounts of each ingredient,
and how to load and compact zinc-sulfur propellants. Guidelines for
safely developing, mixing, and testing new and unknown propellants.
Shows
how to calculate propellant density, specific impulse (Isp), how to predict
and calculate engine thrust. How to calculate propellant grain size,
combustion chamber wall thickness, nozzle dimensions, exit area and diameter.
Has many
illustrations, showing various nozzle designs, with instructions on how
to make them; rocket motor and nozzle dimensions; etc etc.
Explains
how to design and build reliable rocket motor igniters, relay boxes, and
firing panels (circuits included).
 
Covers
trajectories, component alignment, drag, construction details, center of
gravity, with detailed examples of all calculations.
Various
ways to design a high-performance nose cone
 
Fin
design and placement, fin mounts, launching guides
 
Several
designs for rocket launchers
Drawings
and illustrations for how to design
and
build two functional static test stands
Includes:
-
The formulae
for calculating flight paths and estimating flight altitude
-
How to organize
and run a local rocket club
The original
document is comprised of 52 pages. Unfortunately, the quality of
that document is very poor, having been originally printed with
a simple mimeograph machine onto low-quality paper at Fort Sill.
We've
reproduced the original in its original size, with two pages side-by-side
on each sheet of paper. While the text material certainly isn't "beautiful,"
it is legible, and the information quite useful. Please don't expect
a "like-new" book with sharp, clear text--this is a hard-to-find and very
rare document. You'll have to read it carefully to understand everything.
Every
"amateur" rocket experimenter and model rocket flier deserves this rare
and unusual book.
In terms
of publishing quality, this reprint is made on much better paper, with
a much better printer, and is very nicely bound (the original was
simply folded and stapled). Reprinted with high-quality laser
machinery using bright-white, acid-free paper. 11 x 8-1/2" size,
loaded with diagrams, 52 pages, and quality bound. ISBN 1-878628-NEW
$17.45
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Ordering
by mail ? Other
questions ?
For more
information
about advanced nitrate-type solid
propellants, join our active, free discussion group for "amateur" experimental
rocket scientists, at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NO3-Propellants
For more
information
about Jetex, Jet-X, Dyna-Jet,
and other microjet propulsion devices, join our active, free discussion
group for micropropulsion and pulse-jet enthusiasts, at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Jet-Ex-Press |
