Building the TTV Rocket - Part 1

Apogee TTV Rocket

The new "Timer Test Vehicle" (TTV) is specifically designed to give you an economical way to try out your electonic staging timers before you commit to putting them in an expensive high power rocket. Flying 2-stages with small composite motors is a cheap and effective way to learn the skills you'll need to take your big rockets to spectacular heights.

This rocket is a marvel of engineering, with lots of features packed into a small rocket. It includes an electronics bay, ejection baffle, through-the-wall-fins, laser-cut plywood centering rings, and two nylon cloth parachutes. It can also be used to test dual-deployment electronics, or a Jolly Logic Chute release. You can get this rocket today here!

Estes So Long

For extreme attitudes, the So Long two-stager can reach over 3600 feet on a combination of two F15 motors – that’s more than two-thirds of a mile high! The kit includes a large payload section so you can send your high-altitude experiments aloft. And for safe returns, the two bright orange streamers are easy to spot and designed to bring your rocket down quickly – don’t let this one drift away! A simple but rugged design means a fun build that you’ll be launching in no time. Get this fun 2-stage rocket here.

Aerotech J615 Aerospike Nozzle Motor

The new Aerotech J615 reload motor is the first model rocket motor using an aerospike nozzle!

The primary advantage of an aerospike nozzle is its ability to maintain high efficiency at varying altitudes. Aerospike engines are the baseline engines for many single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) designs. This new motor also features the "super thunder" propellant formulation, and comes with an adjustable delay grain. Be the first in your club to get this historic high-power rocket motor.

Simple Timer For Staging

The new Simple Timer from Apogee Components controls ignition of upper stages by setting a time from liftoff when the air-started motor should ignite. Its built-in logic prevents ignition of the upper stage if the rocket goes unstable or is tilted more than 45° from vertical at the time of ignition. This new version of the device now includes an apogee deployment channel for extra safety, so you don't need a separate altimeter in the rocket. If you want to stage high power rockets, this is what you need. It is also great for high-drag rockets (like spools and pyramids shapes) that need a quick ejection at apogee.

North Coast's Argo D4 Javelin

North Coast Rocketry has released a 1/17th scale version of Argo D4 Javelin. The real rocket that this is based on was a four stage beast which consisted of an Honest John military rocket as the first stage, topped by two surplus Nike booster motors in tandem, and finally an Altair X-248 top-most stage (that did not have fins), which was adapted from the Vanguard program. But this model rocket kit is much simpler, just a single stage using a high-thrust 24mm diameter motor. It is a beautiful model that is sure to make all your rocketry friends very jealous.

Apogee Kestrel Rocket Kit

Apogee's Kestrel is a medium-size, high-flying bird that comes with a large 29mm diameter motor mount. Besides a large payload bay, it has curved swept fins and a drag reducing boattail to give it sleek aerodynamic properties. With the right size engine, you can push this bird to supersonic speeds. But the new 29mm motors (see below) will also give this rocket a pleasant, soaring flight. It also comes with a 24mm motor adapter, so you can even fly it on a low power C11 motor from a small launch field. Get one or two today!