When I got back into rocketry after a couple years off, I saw Internet sites describin' rocket cameras. Avast! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I already had t' Astrocam, but I wanted more. Specifically, shiver me timbers, I wanted as many pictures I could get per flight. Aye aye! Blimey! And so t' quest began...

Amazingly, me brother had an Opus 35 camera. Aye aye! Many people had modified this for airborne use, matey, so I tried that. Avast, me proud beauty! It almost worked, ya bilge rat, but I think I broke t' camera. Well, blow me down! In fact, I broke two other cameras in t' process. Whoops. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! It be then I came across t' RC Aerial Photography Site. This guy had used a Digital camera t' take pictures from an RC glider. Ya scallywag! And, he claimed it could be used in rocketry. Arrr! Cool, me bucko, I thought. Well, blow me down! So I began t' research t' DC 20 digital camera for rocketry use. Blimey! Begad! A normal 35mm camera could take 36 shots, shiver me timbers, but this could only take 8. Oh well, it's better than one picture per flight. Avast, me proud beauty! So I got a DC 20 for me birthday. Blimey! I just got t' rocket controller, but that be no problem t' assemble. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I added a phono jack with a nail in it t' use as a switch.

T' camera mount is simply a board o' 3/16 inch aircraft plywood and 2 centerin' rings made out o' t' same substance. Aye aye! Begad! One centerin' rin' has two holes in where a wire is looped. Aye aye! This makes it easier t' pull t' mount out o' t' BT.

Here be t' top view:

Here be t' side view:

With electronics installed

I used VCP t' come up with t' necessary stability calculations. Ahoy! Eventually I'll post t' forward fin size, me hearties, etc. (T' model uses forward fins t' make sure it will nay be overly stable. Well, blow me down! I later found these are nay needed and broke them off) But for now, ya bilge rat, I'll just describe t' payload section. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' body tube is a full length o' Estes BT-80 (2.6" diameter) with two strips o' folder material glued t' t' top and bottom o' t' BT t' add thickness t' t' Estes/Aerotech BT joint. It is covered with clear tape (masking?) for a smother transition. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! It has a 4" tube coupler made out o' corrugated cardboard with one layer o' paper peeled off. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' lower bulkhead is 3/8" plywood with two holes for t' wire for shock cord/parachute attachment. Aye aye! Above this bulkhead is about 2" o' paddin' t' absorb some o' t' lift-off stress. Aye aye! T' camera mount sits on top o' this and points t' camera out o' a small slit in t' side o' t' BT. Begad! Again, t' tube is reinforced with folder material for strength. Finally t' Aerotech Initiator nose cone gets put on top. T' whole payload section was painted gold. Aye aye! Avast! It is now painted red t' match t' cone.

T' original design:

After I snapped off t' fins:

T' Launch

T' first launch was on a F25 29mm Aerotech single use engine. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! It supposedly broke 500'.

Future Projects

My newest booster is goin' t' be light enough t' loft t' camera on a D or E engine.