Flight Log¶
Flight Records¶
Flight #2 - 2026-02-22 (L2 Certification)¶
Conditions¶
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Enköping, Sweden |
| Weather | Winter |
| Event | SMRK Launch Day |
Configuration¶
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Motor | AeroTech J350 (~25-year-old reload from Rolf Örell) |
| Casing | 38/720 |
| Liftoff weight | 3100 g |
| CG location | 115 cm from nose tip |
| CP location | 130 cm from nose tip |
| Recovery mode | Dual deploy (electronic, CATS Vega) + motor backup |
| Drogue | 18" at apogee (electronic) |
| Main | 48" at lower altitude (electronic) |
| Motor delay | 14s factory (unmodified, backup safety charge) |
Recovery Design¶
Dual deployment was required by the 500m landing radius constraint. Simulations showed that with main-only recovery from ~1000m, any wind above 4 m/s would carry the rocket beyond the allowed radius.
Triple-redundant ejection: two electronic black powder charges via CATS Vega (drogue at apogee, main at altitude), plus the motor's original 14s delay charge left unmodified as a safety backup.
Flight Data¶
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Expected altitude | 1100 m |
| Actual altitude | ~1000 m (estimated, flight log pending) |
Flight log not yet downloaded from CATS Vega.
Results¶
- [x] Successful launch
- [x] Stable flight
- [x] Dual deployment worked
- [x] Recovered intact
- [x] L2 CERTIFICATION ACHIEVED
Motor Story¶
Originally ordered an AeroTech J420R-14A from Space Rocket Technology (Germany). DHL shipping label created 4 February but the package was never picked up — no tracking movement after three weeks. Rolf Örell had some ~25-year-old AeroTech J350 reloads in stock and offered one. It worked perfectly.
Certification¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Certification | Tripoli L2 |
| Certifying Authority | Rolf Örell (TRA# 3728) |
| Flyer | Tõnu Samuel (TRA# 38105) |
Flight Video¶
See L2 Certification for video.
Flight #1 - 2026-01-24 (L1 Certification)¶
Conditions¶
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Enköping, Sweden |
| Weather | Winter, snow on ground, -5°C |
| Event | SMRK Launch Day |
Configuration¶
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Motor | AeroTech H128W-14A |
| Liftoff weight | 2350 g |
| CG location | 115 cm from nose tip |
| CP location | 130 cm from nose tip |
| Stability | ~1.5 calibers |
| Recovery mode | Single deploy (motor ejection) |
| Delay | ~8s intended (14s factory - 8s drilled + 2s disk) |
Flight Data¶
| Parameter | Predicted | Actual (CATS) |
|---|---|---|
| Apogee | 208 m | 141.58 m |
| Burnout velocity | — | 45.69 m/s |
| Burnout altitude | — | 39.84 m |
| Burn time | 1.4 s | 1.33 s |
| Time to apogee | 6.0 s | 5.68 s |
| Motor delay | 8.0 s | 9.47 s |
| Deployment after apogee | — | 5.12 s |
Altitude recorded by CATS Vega flight computer (file: fl001.cfl).
Results¶
- [x] Successful launch
- [x] Stable flight
- [x] Recovery deployed
- [x] Recovered intact
- [x] L1 CERTIFICATION ACHIEVED
Analysis Summary¶
The 32% altitude shortfall (208m predicted → 141.58m actual) has three identified causes:
-
Mass discrepancy (primary): Burnout velocity of 45.69 m/s at 39.84m gives theoretical max of ~146m (no drag). Reaching 208m would require ~58-60 m/s burnout velocity, indicating rocket was heavier than simulated.
-
Temperature compensation gap: MS5607 barometer uses hardcoded 15°C in altitude formula, but flight was at -5°C. This causes +7.5% altitude overestimate (~10m). True apogee approximately 132m.
-
Venting lag: No venting holes in rocket body. Evidence: altitude plateau at apogee (141.4-141.6m for ~1 second), pressure oscillation 100680-100730 Pa for 1.5s. Ascent velocities appear artificially low with only 4.6m apparent drag loss vs expected 15-25m.
See Flight #1 Analysis for detailed telemetry and recommendations.
Certification¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Certification | Tripoli L1 |
| Certifying Authority | Rolf Örell (TRA# 3728) |
| Flyer | Tõnu Samuel (TRA# 38105) |
Photos¶
Launch photo and recovery photo with Liza holding "SIPSIK" rocket - see certification documentation.