2007 Ideas
Eggcelerometer: Mount egg carrier (with egg) on top of a spring with known spring constant. Attach marker to base and run a strip of paper along side the spring. Incorporate into a rocket so now when the rocket launches, a line will be drawn down the strip of paper based on the acceleration the egg undergoes. On recovery, knowing the spring constant, by measuring the length of the line, you can calculate the peak G-force experienced by the egg.
Rocket name: Omegga to the Fourth
Fluidic gyrocscope stabilizing idea. Gyrscopic mass need not be solid, could be water in a tub, bucket, ring etc. Can be accelerated by gravity, other rocket engines, turbines etc. Can be rigged so when done providing gyroscope stabilization, it drains out making the rocket lighter.
Rocket altimeter scheme.
Attach 2 laser pointers aiming down at a slight pitch (perhaps a polar array to correct for obliquity). As the rocket ascends, the distance between the points grows. If you can measure that distance then you can calculate the rocket altitude.
Include an "Eggcelerometer" to determine maximum speed of rocket
Design "Gyroyolk" to eliminate need for a launch rod?!
"Spruce Gosling": a miniature version of "Spruce Goose"
Line the egg carrier with foam egg crate material to protect it.
Launch multiple eggs by breaking them first and emptying contents into bottles.
2005 Rocket Ideas
- Get 12 eggs in the air by rapidly firing multiple single (or double) egg designs. Use microcontroller to succesively trigger relays to ingite next engine as soon as previous one open circuits (ignitor is burned).
- REAL - Rapid Egg Airbourne Launcher
- REALTIMER - Rapid Egg Airbourne Launcher Timing Ignition Mechanism ….
- USS Nest Egg
- Spruce Goose Egg
- A 7-ft rocket is going to require a much taller launch rod
- Since finding an 8" diam nosecone is so hard… use the bodytube itself to make the nosecone! For the top part of the rocket, slice the tube in the proper "frustum" shape, then fold the tube over on itself to form a cone and glue it.
Miscellaneous
- Construct some "prefab" kits of various different egglofters and offer attendees to get them for free so they can build their own egg rockets. Price of accepting a kit is that you must build it and attempt to launch it.
