A high power rocket is like a model rocket, only bigger and more powerful. Model rocket engines, or motors, range from A through G.
High power motors start with H. That means they have more than 160 Newton-seconds of total impulse.
I successfully did my HPR L1 certification attempt on September 17, 2016, in Berwick, Maine, with an Estes Leviathan. The motor was a Cesaroni H133 with a 9-second delay. This is a 29mm diameter motor with an average thrust of about 133 Newtons.
There are three levels of high power rocketry. Level 1 allows you to purchase and fly rockets with H or I motors. Level 2 covers J, K, and L motors. Level 3 is M or higher. These are some SERIOUS motors, and some of the rockets get quite heavy, so the safety rules and regulation of high power rockets is more strict than with model rocketry.
To do a Level 1 high power certification, you must be a member of a certifying organization. Here in the United States, that includes the National Association of Rocketry, and the Tripoli Rocketry Association.
You must build and fly a rocket on an H or I motor, recover it safely and successfully, and it must be judged by qualified witnesses to be capable of being flown again without making any repairs. Superficial or cosmetic damage is fine, but anything which must be fixed first will disqualify your attempt.
A Level 1 certification flight can be quite simple - in essence, it can be as simple as a model rocket flight, only larger. There is no need to use electronics or dual deployment of the recovery device, unless you choose to do so. The main thing is to do a safe flight, have a successful parachute deployment, and recover the rocket intact.
My cert flight went perfectly, and was probably the most fun I've ever had flying a rocket. Apart from a little mud on one fin, there was no damage. The rocket was recovered looking straight out of my workshop. Even though I only fly high power occasionally (due partly to the expense!), I was so glad I did it. Build well, fly safe, and have fun!
#estesrockets #modelrockets #stem
