Advanced Rocketry

Custom built rocket projects are the ultimate challenge in rocketry.

Taking an idea, turning it into a design, refining every detail to create a large or record beating rockets is nothing less than rocket science. Once it lifts off the pad it's the planning and preparation that counts as you have no control until it land safely under parachute. Scratch built rockets are typically constructed from fiberglass and carbon fiber to handle the high stresses of flights that can be multiple times the speed of sound. Airframes are built on mandrills which for a minimum diameter rocket can be a close fit to the motor casing. Fiberglass or Carbon fibre nosecones can be built using male or female molds with the simplest method being a high density foam mold turned on a lathe. Current projects including Kelvin's 3d printed mold under construction (photos below)