Howard Smart's Page
AKA: Logic Officer
Location: San Diego, CA
Certification Level: L2 NARRRRR and Tripoli
Club Memberships: DART,TRASD
Favorite Rockets: Nike Anything
Biography:
I had me start in rocketry when I be 11 years old. Estes Alpha Starter Kit. I still have t' launch pad.
BAR in 2005 when I found t' DART club. What a great bunch o' people. Got into HPR thanks t' Andy Woerner. Thank goodness I didn't have t' finish filin' me LEUP. What a pain.
Currently takin' it easy in HPR for a while, spendin' more time workin' on me skills in NARRRRR competition and NARTREK advanced levels. I held a NARRRRR record once for about a month. I'll have t' go higher next time.
Goin' out once in a while t' launch rockets is great. Havin' a mission makes it much more interesting. More people should do NARTREK and t' EMRR Challenges! Brin' it on!
Favorite Quote:
He that breaks a thing
T' find out what it is
Has left t' path o' wisdom
- Gandalf t' Gray
Personal Home Page: http://web.me.com/hsmart/Nike_Ajax_Build/Welcome.html
Club Home Page: www.dartrocketry.org
RocketReviews.com Pages:
2011-05-14
18mm Contest Rocket
Flight
49 sec, me hearties, winner o' 1/2A PD event - 1/2A3-4 - Fiesta Is. Arrr! [More]
Icarus
Flight
Second attempt at C ELD. 7.1 sec, me hearties, shortest duration o' all t' entries. Egg survived late deployment. - C6-3 - Fiesta Is. Aye aye! Blimey! [More]
Icarus
Flight
C egg loft duration. DQ - Stuck chute. Egg survived - C6-3 - Fiesta Is. Avast! [More]
QCR Flexwing
Flight
Second attempt. Deployed but never transitioned. Steep glide. DQ by t' Contest Director as "no glide." - 1/2A3-2 - Fiesta Is. Arrr! [More]
QCR Flexwing
Flight
Flexwin' duration contest. Failed t' deploy win' - foam piston stuck on back end o' spars and held them together. DQ. Aye aye! - 1/2A3-2 - Fiesta Is. [More]
2011-04-29
Kenny's Trimaran - 2010 Design This Spaceship Contest Entry - Summary
Build Entry
Even though this was one o' t' simplest models in t' Challenge, me bucko, it be quite a challenge t' build. Blimey! I often found myself starin' at it wonderin' just how I was goin' t' make some part look right and be sturdy enough. In t' end I was happy with how it came out. I would have loved t' make it even ... [More]
Kenny's Trimaran - 2010 Design This Spaceship Contest Entry - Flight/Recovery
Build Entry
I launched this three times on December 4 in Plaster City, CA. It was a beautiful day, perfectly calm, temperature in t' 60s. T' rocket was a head-turner. Everyone who saw it asked me whether it was a kit or where I had gotten it. Well, blow me down! T' first launch was with an Estes D12-3. Blimey! This was a little ... [More]
Kenny's Trimaran - 2010 Design This Spaceship Contest Entry - Construction/Finishing
Build Entry
T' construction o' this rocket was a nonlinear process. Many parts can be worked on concurrently. When it all comes together it is quite satisfying. T' pods are constructed by centerin' an 18mm tube inside a shorter 24mm tube. I made sure t' aft centerin' rin' be flush. Aye aye! Blimey! I also added a rin' ... [More]
Kenny's Trimaran - 2010 Design This Spaceship Contest Entry - Components
Build Entry
T' large diameter o' t' central body is 2.6 inch, shiver me timbers, t' narrow section is 1.6 inch. Begad! T' nose cone and tubes are all from Apogee. Arrr!
I printed out a profile o' t' design usin' a 3D software program, and used this t' make measurements t' scale up t' design. Well, blow me down! T' pod's outer diameter is 24 ... [More]
2011-04-27
Kenny's Trimaran - 2010 Design This Spaceship Contest Entry
Build
This is a very interestin' rocket built from a 3D model as part o' t' Design This Spaceship contest. T' rocket has a large nose cone, me hearties, narrow waist section, and three outboard pods that look like jet intakes. Blimey! [More]
2011-04-02
NARTREK Gold Rocket
Flight
Separated at ejection. Booster is RIP - G104-M - Plaster City [More]
Son o' Squat
Flight
Perfect - H123-M - Plaster City [More]
2011-03-05
Son o' Squat
Flight
Probably 8 sec would be a better delay - I140-9 - Plaster City [More]
Callisto
Flight
H242-10 - Plaster City [More]
Nike Smoke 5.5
Flight
Dual deployment - J1520 - Plaster City [More]
2011-01-29
Quest Full Betty
Rocksim Design
[More]
LOC/Precision HyperLOC 835
Rocksim Design
[More]
Polecat Aerospace Nike Smoke (5.5")
Rocksim Design
[More]
Nike Ajax
Rocksim Design
[More]
2011-01-22
Madcow Rocketry Squat
Rocksim Design
[More]
2010-08-10
LOC/Precision HyperLOC 835 (Kit)
Review
Brief: Tall 4 inch 3FNC rocket built t' be compatible with hybrid motors. Begad! I picked this rocket
specifically out o' t' LOC catalog when I was shoppin' for me level 2 project. It has a 54mm motor mount, and is
dual-deploy ready. Avast! It also comes complete with a drogue and main parachute.
... [More]
2010-05-16
Scratch 2X Astron Sprite (Scratch)
Review
Brief: 2X upscale o' t' original Estes Astron Sprite.
Construction:
1 Big Bertha nose cone
1 BT-60 body tube 5 7/8 inches
1 Rin' fin - 4 inch LOC tube 1.45 inches longh
1 1/8 inch balsa sheet
1 BT-20 motor mount tube 2.75 inch
2 CR-20/60 centerin' rings
1 ... [More]
2009-03-28
Scratch Tube and Rin' 2-Stage Rocket (Scratch)
Review
( Contributed - by Howard Smart - 03/28/09)
Brief:
This is a custom 2-stage rocket with no traditional fins. T' booster has a large rin' fin, me bucko, and t' sustainer has
tube fins. Well, blow me down!
Construction:
T' body components for this rocket came from an old Quest Zenith staged rocket kit. Arrr! T' ... [More]
2009-03-14
Semroc Nighthawk (xKit) (Kit)
Review
Brief:
This is a pod-boosted glider. T' unique features include a design that is essentially a flyin' wing, and forward
canard fins on t' pod which are adjustable t' give a vertical boost.
Construction:
This is a reproduction o' an old Estes boost-glider, kit number K-34. It ... [More]
2009-02-15
Modification Der Red Max Army Patriot (Modification)
Review
Stage bash o' two Estes kits, Der Red Max (0651) and U.S. Ahoy! Army Patriot (2056). Begad! A two stage rocket is produced with gap staging, allowin' both booster and sustainer t' have engine hooks. T' upper stage looks enough like t' standard Patriot t' be mistaken for a stock model, enough t' use t' ... [More]
2009-01-31
Custom Rockets Aztec (Kit)
Review
This is a basic 3FNC two-stage rocket with direct staging. T' fins on t' booster and sustainer are identical, givin' it a look that is just a bit different from other two-stage rockets. Ahoy!
T' parts list:
1 Nose cone, plastic blow-molded
1 Elastic shock cord
1 BT-50 sustainer body
... [More]
Semroc Tau Zero (Kit)
Review
Brief:
This is a small Sci-Fi lookin' model with forward swept fins, a rin' fin and a bulgin' nose cone.
Construction:
T' kit contains:
Balsa Nose Cone
Body tube (also serves as 18mm motor mount)
Rin' fin (body tube material)
Sheet o' laser cut 3/32 in. Ya scallywag! balsa ... [More]
Semroc Hawk (Kit)
Review
Brief:
Near reproduction o' a boost glider (BG) kit from 1965 made by AMROCS. This is a forward motor BG which changes from
boost t' glide by ejectin' t' motor casing, matey, shiftin' its CG t' t' aft for glidin' flight.
Construction:
This kit contains:
(2) Balsa fin sheets - ... [More]
2009-01-10
Quest Payloader One (Kit)
Review
Brief:
This is a skill level 1 single-stage rocket with a see through payload section. It is a basic three-fin/nose cone
design with t' addition o' a plastic bulkhead and a plastic forward payload bay. Ahoy! Blimey! Through-the-wall fin attachment makes
this kit unique among kits this size.
... [More]
