More Random Thoughts

The contest is in 60 days. Based on what we filed for our FAA application we need to do the following tests:

1. Full Vehicle Static test (Already done well enough to satisy the FAA, but not well enough to satisfy us)


2. Tethered Stable Hover Test


3. UnTethered Stable over Test


4. NG-LLC Simulation up/down translation test


5. 90 Second Hover Duration Test (could be combined with #4)

the location we test is a voulenteer effort, we can only really test on the weekend, we have te following days until the event: 

• Aug 30–31


• Sep 6–7


• Sep 13,14


• Sep 20,21.


• Sep 27,28


• Oct 4,5


• Oct 11,12


• Oct 18,19

We have to buy the event insurance at lease 30 days before the event. ($30K to $50K)So we have 4 weekends before the insurance trigger The Aug 30,31 weekend will be spent retrying our static test, provided I can resolve my issuse before then.

Some thougts on the problems. We have three problems:

Our Permangenate flow is not what it should be. We designed this system to just turn on the permangenate and let it flow at 4% of full thrust for the duration of the flight. This is done via a blow down system with the permangenate stored in the  the legs. In our last test the legs depresurized before the end of the run. It was quite clear that we have a leak in the presurization side of the system. It could be Sliding O-ring Seals on the Legs, Leak in the plumbing, leak in the vent valve.

Our Throttle valve seems to have to poor of control for the peroxide flow, at 20% open we have full flow. So we sill need to reduce the size of our main valve. I’m going to try and accomplish fixing both of these this week.

We have big osscilations in the chamber pressure. We are goin to add some baffels, possibly reduce te size of the chamber slightly.