File:Experimental LOC Launch – 2 (259968720).jpg

Preparing the avionics. For the LOC IV, we used the simple tilt sensor seen at the bottom, to electronically ignite the black powder ejection charge after apogee. Since I am flying an experimental motor with an uncharacterized thrust curve, I can’t estimate in advance how long of a delay to use from launch to apogee. So the magnetic tilt sensor can sense when the nose cone starts to point downward, and can pop the chute. (it’s important that the rocket not fall over between arming it and launch =) This avionic package was pulverized into rubble in the flight right after mine as that rocket did a ballistic nose dive into the playa. We recovered all the little bits, even the blue capacitor.

Above it is the more sophisticated MC1 motor controller, prepping for insertion into my Firestorm54. It logs altitude with a barometer and triggers the smaller drogue chute ejection charge at apogee with an accelerometer (since the barometric readings become irregular at the Mach transition). It uses the barometric sensor to deploy the main chute when the rocket slowly falls back to 800ft. altitude.

It interfaces to a PC to give a flight log. So I know that I broke 10K ft. with my Firestorm54 on an Aerotech K185 long-burn motor, and my friend Erik used it to successfully break Mach1 with his Vertical Assault on a K695 redline motor.