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Amateur Rocket Motor Construction: A Complete Guide To The Construction Of Homemade Solid Fuel Rocket Motors
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About Amateur Rocket Motor Construction: A Complete Guide
Product Description Written for people who aren't rocket engineers, "Amateur Rocket Motor Construction" teaches the reader how to make real solid fuel rocket motors with simple tools and easy-to-find materials. Richly illustrated with more than 600 photos and drawings, this incredible 8-1/2 x 11, 528 page book contains everything you need to know to make 5 homemade rocket fuel formulas and 54 proven and tested rocket motor designs. Review By Dr. John Steinberg, 2004 President of the Pyrotechnics Guild International As President of the Pyrotechnics Guild International and as an avid rocket enthusiast myself, it gives me great pleasure to provide a glowing review of this exemplary text. Superlatives are truly in order. While my personal interests lie more along the lines of pyrotechnic rocketry, this book, focused on amateur rocketry, nevertheless was a pleasure to read. The book is exhaustive in its scope and well organized. The reader may explore amateur rocket motor construction in as little or as great depth as desired. It is by far the best book on the subject I have read. Sleeter's book begins with an historical review of the subject and a discussion of the work done both in remoter history and by our more modern predecessors. A political and philosophical discussion of issues related to this hobby in the modern era in the United States is included. This reviewer finds himself in wholehearted concurrence with the author's perspective. A sober and balanced review of both safety and the necessary legal requirements is presented in detail. Safety is foremost in the author's presentation throughout the text, in all aspects of testing, compounding, and firing of motors. The second chapter discusses the basics of rocket motor tubes and types, their classification, and nozzles. Both core-burners and end-burners are discussed. A thorough discussion of rocket tooling follows in the next chapter. While many enthusiasts will not be machinists, the depth of the discussion extends to tool manufacture and machining in the next two chapters. The book is accompanied by superb illustrations throughout which make the understanding of the technical aspects of machining accessible to all readers. Chapters Six and Seven provide information on chemicals used and the preparation of these chemicals for use in rocket motor fuel compositions. Sources and types of chemicals are given. The discussion of charcoal types, particle sizes, and uses for rocket motor fuels is as good as any I have read. Tube construction and purchase are each presented in detail in Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine details the basic fuel compositions and variations on these major themes. Burn rate adjustment, use of binders, mixing and preparation are presented in a logical and coherent fashion, again, well illustrated as may be seen in every section of this excellent book. Chapter Ten provides, in seventy odd pages or so, the best-illustrated and most lucidly written description of rocket motor assembly and construction available to the hobbyist. All pertinent aspects are reviewed in detail. Nozzle formation, use of tooling, containment devices, spindles, and accessory tools are provided. Problems the novice is likely to experience are addressed, and solutions to these common dilemmas are offered. Two stage motors are reviewed, as is the concept of the "passfire" and other ignition techniques. Chapters Eleven through Fifteen discuss in superbly illustrated detail the construction, design, and performance characteristics of motors for each of the basic fuel types. The technical detail and engineering perspective in these chapters make this book a superb reference text for those interested in the details of power characteristics and the influence of these factors on flight performance. Chapter Sixteen provides an historical perspective on the rockets that the author initially made, which used damp fuel and were dried after assembly. Currently, the author
