We received a call from Luke DeLisio, an Aeronautical Engineering student at Purdue University, inquiring about the possibility of a Precision Board Plus donation for a very interesting project they were undertaking.
Their mission: To design, assemble and successfully launch a rocket – with an egg inside. Mission success rides on the rocket achieving an altitude of exactly 1,000 ft. AGL, dropping to the ground in minimal time, and deploying a parachute with an intact egg. The project has been codenamed Sputnik Seven.
PBHT-60 was used as a mold for the rocket fuselage.
They started out with a design using RockSIM Software, selecting motor configurations to account for speed and height goals.
They then selected which materials they were going to use. The rocket was built entirely from scratch, consisting of a carbon fiber tube, carbon fiber nose cone, and carbon/honeycomb fins. It was assembled using a 2-part epoxy due to its strength and ease of application.
Here are several students applying a liquid mold release to Precision Board Plus PBHT-60 for the rocket fuselage mold.
Preparing the fuel bladder:
The fuselage was constructed by sandwiching 2 layers of prepreg fiberglass between a PBHT-60 mold and an inflatable bladder filled with air. All components were then placed in an autoclave for curing.
Launch time….will the egg survive?!??
The return to earth:
The egg was successfully recovered intact. Mission Success!
Thank you to Luke and all the students who participated in this project for sharing it with us!