Rocket Build Project

Boost Velocity

Terminal Velocity

Max Altitude

Drag Modeling

Flight Testing

MAE 2

Rocket Project
Two-person teams will design, build, and fly a compressed-air launch vehicle.
Use flight test video to validate trajectory predictions.

Project Design Report

Due FRI 31 OCT 2014
10% of final course grade
4-page maximum length
Content
Configuration Sketches
Design Calculations
Documented Flight Performance

MAE 2

Boost Velocity
The boost velocity is the velocity achieved when the rocket motors cut off.

T P d / 22

center-of-gravity

W =mg

V b =boost velocity
f =fuselage length
T =thrust
W =weight
m=mass
g=gravity

T =thrust
=piston efficiency 0.01 0.02
P=air tank pressure
d =fuselage diameter

V b= 2 f

T
g
m

Note: Drag force is ignored during boost phase.

MAE 2

Terminal Velocity
The terminal velocity is found during descent, when the drag force is exactly
balanced by weight.

1
mg=W = D= V 2 S C D
2

center-of-gravity

W =mg

V t =terminal velocity
g=gravity
=density

B=ballistic parameter
m=mass
S =reference area
C D =drag coefficient
MAE 2

V=

2g m
SCD

V t=

B=

2g B

m
SCD

Maximum Altitude
The maximum altitude of the rocket is found at the point where the rocket stops
climbing -- which means that its velocity is zero.

The maximum altitude expression depends on the boost velocity as well as the
terminal velocity.

hmax =maximum altitude

g =gravity
V t =terminal velocity
V b =boost velocity

h max =

MAE 2

V 2t
2g

ln

[ ]
V 2t V 2b
V 2t

Design for Maximum Altitude

12

Maximum Altitude (m)

10

B = 60 kg/m2

B = 40 kg/m2
4

B = 20 kg/m2
2

0
4

10

12

14

16

Boost Velocity (m/s)

MAE 2

Total Drag Summary

The ballistic coefficient depends on the rocket drag characteristics.

B=

m
SCD

The drag coefficient is found by estimating contributions from the fuselage and tail
fins.

S C D=

D fus
q

all fins

D fin
q

1
q= V 2 =dynamic pressure
2
MAE 2

Fuselage Drag

D fus=fuselage drag
d =fuselage diameter
f =fuselage length
= f / d =fineness ratio
q=dynamic pressure

D fus

d 2
=C d
q
2

McCormick, B.W., Aerodynamics,

Aeronautics, and Flight Mechanics,
Wiley, 1979.

MAE 2

Tail Fin Drag

The drag from tail fins comes mainly from skin friction.

D fin
q

S fin =wing fin area

S=reference area
AR=aspect ratio
b=span
c r =root chord

0.02 S fin

c t =tip chord

b2
2b
AR= =
S c r c t

cr
ct

b
S = c r ct
2

Note: Use S/2 as the

area of a single fin.

MAE 2

Drag Build Up Example

Fuselage:

D fus

D fus

d 2
0.08
q
2

d =2.1cm

=0.28 cm 2

Tail Fin:

S fin =7.5cm

D fin

D fin

0.02 S fin

=0.15 cm 2

Total (with 4 tail fins):

S C D=

D fus
q

all fins

D fin
q

S C D =0.88 cm 2

=0.2840.15

Ballistic Parameter:

m=4 grams

m
4g
100 2 cm 2 kg
B=
=
S C D 0.88 cm2 m 2
1000 g
MAE 2

B=45

kg
m2
10

Static Stability for a Rocket

Queijo, M.J., and Michael, W.H.,
Wind-Tunnel Investigation of the Low
Speed Static Stability and Control
Characteristics of A Model of Bell MX776, NACA Report RM SL9G08, 1949.

stable
with fins

unstable
without fins

MAE 2

11

Rocket Design Summary

A high boost velocity is needed to maximize altitude.
High propulsion efficiency (eta)
Long fuselage
Low mass

A large ballistic parameter reduces the rate of deceleration in coast phase.

High mass
Low drag
Small area tail fins
Fuselage length about four times the fuselage diameter

Static stability is needed to insure a smooth vertical flight path.

MAE 2

12

Analytical Predictions
Record air pressure before launch; then use the pressure to estimate thrust.

T P d / 22

T = thrust
=piston efficiency 0.015

P=air tank pressure

d =fuselage diameter

Use weight scale to get the rocket's mass; then estimate boost velocity.

V b= 2 f

T
g
m

f =fuselage length
m=rocket mass

Estimate drag characteristics; then compute ballistic parameter.

B=

m
SCD

Compute terminal velocity and maximum altitude.

V t=

2g B

h max =

V 2t
2g

MAE 2

ln

[ ]
V 2t V 2b
V 2t

13

Test Flight Data

The boost velocity is found just after the rocket leaves the launch tube.
The terminal velocity is found just before the rocket lands or crashes.

number of bricks
number of movie frames

6 inches feet
120 frames
brick
12 inches sec

units: ft/sec

The maximum altitude is found by counting the number of bricks from the launch
point to the highest point in the flight.

h max total number of bricks

6 inches feet
brick
12 inches

MAE 2

units: ft

14

Resources
NASA Rocket Modeler III
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/rktsim.html

Kerbal Space Program

https://www.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php

Open Rocket
http://openrocket.sourceforge.net/

MAE 2

15