♏️ 👶🏼 🤖 Amateur rocket science, how I make rockets and my mistakes I learn from (part 1) 🧕🏽 🐤 🐼

Written in this article is not an instruction for use. You do everything at your own peril and risk. Observe safety precautions

Case - material options and various factors for choosing a case

Each body for its own rocket chooses its own and for each in priority its own material selection factors. I choose the case with the least weight and the greatest strength . Weight needs to be reduced for a more stable and high flight, and strength is needed so that the body in flight does not melt and does not fly apart from pressure.

At first I chose PVC tubes for rocket bodies. They are strong enough, but they weigh not so much, but the weight must be minimized. It was because of the weight that I failed in the test runs, but more on that later.

After that I searched for other materials or a new technique for making the case and found a technique for gluing paper into a tube. After a day, the glue hardens and the body becomes durable like a PVC pipe and, in theory, easier. So far, I have not tested this technique, but in theory everything sounds quite tempting.

Types of fuel and engines

Fuel

Most often in amateur rocket science solid propellant engines are used. Since liquid fuel requires piping systems, a separate combustion chamber, for solid fuel the engine itself is a combustion chamber and nothing more is required from the engine.
There is a lot of solid rocket fuel, but caramel fuel is most suitable for amateur rocket science . It is quite easy to manufacture and not so cute as its name. This fuel is quite powerful and, when properly manufactured, produces impressive traction.

The composition of this fuel is as follows: 70% potassium nitrate, 25% powdered sugar and 5% charcoal. This fuel is highly flammable at low temperatures. Be as careful as possible.

Engines

Let's first explain what size the engine itself is and where it is placed. The engine should not be the size of the entire housing. Personally, I choose the engine size option dividing the height of the main body by 1.5. There should still be room for electronics, a parachute, and various temperature and altitude sensors. This free space is called the Payload Compartment. The housing for the engine itself is selected according to the same principle as the main housing, the smallest mass and the greatest strength are needed.

Test runs and possible cause of failure

Here is a video of the first test run of the engine from my Starship-1 rocket

The video shows that at the beginning the engine lacks traction and it rises only when the fuel runs out. Most likely, the problem of lack of thrust arose due to a small hole for the nozzle. As a result, there was a small jet of thrust supply and the engine took to the air only when the fuel was running out. But the problem is most likely not only in the supply of traction, but also in the mass of the engine. This draft could not lift the PVC pipe and fuel into the load.

Conclusion: engine problems arose as a result of:

Low thrust due to a shallow hole for the nozzle.
Masses of fuel and PVC pipes.