Sanctioned NAR Record Trial

Sanction #4005-17-T

Sponsored by O. Lee James III (NAR #15058 SR), Southwest Regional Contest Board Chairman Record Trial will start 1 hour after NSL range opens and end 1 hour before NSL range closes each day of NSL 2017. No record attempts during the night launch. Record attempts will not interfere with any aspect of NSL flight operations. All altitude tracking will be by electronic altimeter.

Aspiring record setters will:

• Conform to all NSL instructions and decisions by NSL officials.
• Contact the RTD to schedule an attempt not later than 3 hours prior to range close.
• Provide their own payloads for events requiring a payload.
• Coordinate their own individuals to perform timing functions for duration records.
• Return all flights as recovered to Record Trial officials no later than noon MST, 29 May, 2017.
• Finalize all flight preparations with the RTD prior to approaching the NSL check-in.

The RTD will:

• Conform to all NSL instructions and decisions by NSL officials.
• Supervise all record attempts.
• Coordinate Contest Jury members.
• Issue registration forms and flight cards.
• Issue timing devices.|
• Because the purpose of the Record Trial is to try to surpass existing NAR records, NAR membership is required to participate in this activity.

Sierra Blanca Challenge (Cumulative Altitude)

Approximately 30 miles north-northeast of Alamogordo is Sierra Blanca peak (elev. 12,003′), the highest peak in southern New Mexico.

Using two or more flights, the contestant must try to have the sum of the altitudes of all flights come as close as possible to 12,003 feet without going over. The contestant must use the same rocket for all flights, but may use any motors suitable for use in that rocket. If the sum of the contestant’s flights exceeds 12,003 feet, the last flight will be dropped, and the previous sum will be the contestant’s final score. The contestant whose score that comes closest to 12,003 feet without going over is the winner.

Centennial Challenge

Originating sometime in the 90’s, the Centennial Challenge duration contest has become a tradition at major launches in Alamogordo. This event is open to rockets greater than 100 inches in total length and where the total impulse of the motor is to not exceed 100 newton-seconds. The rocket must be at least 100″ in height when leaving the launch rod, rail, or tower. Motors may be clustered or staged, but the total of all installed motors must not exceed 100 ns, and the recovered sustainer must be at least 100″ in length. Timing starts at lift-off and continues until the rocket lands or is no longer visible. The rocket must be flown and recovered in flyable condition. When flown, assigned timers will time the duration of the flight and annotate the time on the flight card under the supervision of the contest director or an assigned judge. When the rocket is recovered, the flyer will bring it back to the contest director or assigned judge to verify recovery. The longest flight durations will be posted on “under 18” and “18 and over” lists.

Mass-launch of V2’s

This is a tie-in with the history of V2 test flights at nearby White Sands Missile Range. Anybody with a flying model of the V2 may participate. The mass launch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

1. All range procedures described elsewhere in this handbook will be in effect for the V2 mass launch. All rockets in the mass launch must go through the same safety inspection as other rockets. The RSO may require a greater rod/rail angle than at other times during NSL operations depending on weather conditions.
2. There will be at least two spotters, with one located at the north and one at the south end of the fence line.
3. At most six rockets will launch at a time:
a. Up to six rockets can launch simultaneously from the launch rack, or
b. Up to two rockets, with up to an I motor, can launch simultaneously from the free-standing launch pads
4. Any rockets J or above will launch individually from the free-standing launch pads after all the smaller rockets have launched.
5. Countdown for a launch will commence when the rockets in the previous flight have ejected their recovery systems, and are otherwise regarded as being in a safe state by the LCO.

Model Upscale Contest

The goal of this contest is to build an upscale of a commercial model rocket kit in accordance with the rules of this contest. This contest is open to anyone but all contestants must present their rockets and documentation to the Contest Director by 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 27, 2017. All rockets will be judged and flown during National Sport Launch 2017.

1. The contestants and judges
• Anyone can enter any number of rockets.
• There must be a minimum of three rockets entered for the contest to proceed.
• If there are sufficient entries, the contest will be divided into mid power and high power divisions. There must be at least 3 entries in each division in order to split into divisions.
• The winner will be determined by a panel of no less than three judges awarding points to each entry based on the rules of this contest.
• No judge can enter the contest.
• The judges should be at least a L1, preferably L2, with a lot of building experience.

2. The entries
• Each rocket entry must be an up scale of a model rocket produced by a commercial model rocket manufacturer.
• Slight changes are allowed for use of rail buttons for launch lugs and motor retention without penalty.
• Documentation of the original kit being upscaled must be included and may contain instructions of the original kit, photographs, catalogs, etc.
• The rocket must be at least two motor classes larger than the original.
• Any certified motor or combination of certified motors may be used.
• If the model rocket chosen to upscale is a scale rocket itself, the builder must upscale the model rocket and not the actual rocket.
• All rockets will be judged on Saturday beginning at 9:00 a.m. of NSL 2017. All entries must be placed on the judging table by 9:00 a.m. All rockets must be flown prior to 11:00 a.m. on the Monday of NSL 2017.
• All rockets must be returned to the judges after being flown to inspect for damage. Any rocket not returned for post flight inspection is forfeited from the contest.

3. The scoring
Points will be awarded for the following eight categories, five areas for building of the rocket (300 points maximum) and three areas for flying the rocket (200 points maximum). In addition up to 100 points may be deducted if the rocket sustains damage after flying. Points for each area are identified on the judges scoring sheets as well as detailed description for each area and guidelines to the judges for awarding points in each category.

• Static points:

◦ Documentation 10
◦ Magnitude of scale 80
◦ Degree of difficulty 80
◦ Similarity of outline 80
◦ Finish, color, and markings 50

• Flight points:

◦ Flight Performance 100
◦ Motor(s) used 40
◦ Complexity of flight 60

4. The contest
• Each contestant will provide their documentation and the approximate time of their flight to the judges by 9:00 a.m. Saturday. All entries will be on display and judged at the same time. This wil lalso be the time for photographs to be taken of all entries for any articles to be written.
• Scale-like qualities are to be judged from a distance of at least one meter from the model. Judges may then closely examine the model to judge it for craftsmanship.
• The contestants will not be allowed to be in the judging area while the judges are examining the entries.
• The judges are not allowed to discuss the scoring of each entry with each other until after all scoring, including the flight and post flight inspections, are complete for all entries.
• All judges must witness all flights made in the contest.
• All scoring will be done on the judging sheets provided and turned into the Contest Director.
• In the event of inclement weather and no flights are made in this contest, the winners will be awarded based on points from static judging only.
• If a contestant is unable to fly for any reason, they will receive no flight points but will not be disqualified as long as the entry is judged to be flight worthy in its construction.
• The score from all the judges will be added by the Contest Director for a cumulative score.
• The winners will be announced no later than 1:00 p.m. on Monday of NSL 2017.