|
| |
|
Nike Dart is a scratch built rocket that
is fairly small but sports a 54 mm motor mount. It can fly on anything
from an H123 motor to a K185 motor.
The nose and fins are painted in a
"day-glow" fluorescent red-orange that is great for visibility but drives
cameras nuts! Film just can't seem to capture this color. This is a
RUST-OLEUM paint called 1955 fluorescent red orange. Under coat it with
white and over coat it with clear and it looks absolutely great. It's a very
high visibility color.
|
|
Length: |
4 feet, 6
inches |
|
Diameter: |
2.685 inches |
|
Weight: |
4.5 pounds
without motor |
|
Motor: |
54mm mount
accommodates up to K550 motor (Aerotech 1706 NS case.) |
|
Altimeters: |
Missile Works RRC2 |
|
Locator: |
Walston radio
transmitter |
|
Payload: |
none |
|
Parachute: |
Rocketman R7 |
|
Built: |
Spring 2002 |
|
First Flight: |
July 20, 2002
on I161 motor at Bothers Oregon launch site |
|
Construction: |
Body
tube: flexible phenolic + 2 layers of 6 oz fiberglass
Fins: Acme fin can for 54mm motors
Nose cone: plastic PML "intellicone"
View
Nike Dart construction details here.
|
|
|
Click on any photo to see a larger version of it. |
|
Nike Dart was launched
for the nineteenth time on October 16, 2005 at a
Tripoli Idaho
launch. Once again it was flying on an
AeroTech
I218 Redline motor. It reached exactly 1600 feet. This photo
was rotated for "dramatic effect". It was actually another
perfectly straight up flight!
|
|
Photo by Vern Knowles |
Nike Dart Flight #17
On April 16, 2005 the Nike
Dart flew on an Aerotech I218
Redline motor. Nice boost but a slight
weather cock. Apogee was at 1608 feet.
|
Photo by Frank Ross |
|
 |
Nike Dart Flight #15
September 25, 2004
I flew Nike Dart
at XPRS 2004 on a K185 to an altitude of 10,431 feet. This
effort captured first place in the Economax contest for K-class motors.
|
|
|
Nike Dart as it landed on
the playa. It sure is easy to recover rockets at Black Rock. They
can be seen from a long ways away and you can drive straight to them.
|
 |
Nike Dart Flight #13
"Lucky 13" was on an I284 motor. (Love that
motor!) It was very very fast off the pad and reached 3301 feet.
June 12, 2004.
Photo by Joe Bowen. |
 |
 |
Nike Dart Flight #7
Nike Dart flew on a J350
motor at the Tripoli Idaho Fairfield launch site on August 23, 2003.
Very nice boost phase,
but deployment ejection was quite early. (Cause unknown.)
It only reached 3268 feet
but it was undamaged. |
 |
 |
Nike Dart Flight #5
Nike Dart at the
"Fire in the Sky" launch
on May 23, 2003. This flight was on an Aerotech J420 redline
motor. It weighed 6.75 lbs at liftoff. Perfect straight up boost to 4515 feet
for a very nice flight. The exhaust flame was a bright pinkish/red during
the main part of the motor burn. |
Photo by Frank Ross |
 |
Nike Dart Flight #2 Nike Dart at the XPRS-1 launch
at Black Rock desert on Sept. 28, 2002. It weighed 8.44 pounds with
the K185 motor and reached 11,031 feet. This was only the second flight of
this rocket.
Flawless boost and
recovery on an absolutely perfect day for flying rockets! |
|
Photo by Scott Carter |
Photo by Scott Carter |
Nike Dart Flight #1 Nike Dart on Pad-3 at the Brothers
Oregon launch site.
July 20, 2002 |
|
First flight of the Nike Dart
was outstanding! It
was July 20, 2002 at Brothers Oregon. I flew it on an I161 motor to
1669 feet. Very nice recovery, no damage. Lift off weight was
6 pounds, 6 ounces.
|
| |
|
