Saturday started with bringing the loader over from FAR.
Loader and blockhouse with the old roofBlockhouse with old roof timbers removed
Bill and Jon arrived as the demo was finishing up and we quickly jumped into removing the nuts that held the old 2x6s on top of the cinder block walls.
It was a pleasant surprise to see that all the cells were filled with concrete. Bill and Jon cleaned the bolts while I cut the new 2x6s and drilled new holes for the bolts to go through.
Bolts in the blockhouse walls
We attached the new 2x6s and added an additional one to the front of the blockhouse to give the roof a slope to shed rain water. By the time this was done, it was lunch time.
Bill Inman looking at his favorite rocket power sourceAnother shot of the 2×6 beams installed on the blockhouse
After lunch the 1 1/8” Tongue and Groove plywood was installed. I brought the loader over from FAR and Jon was able to send up pieces in the bucket. The wind started to pick up and we had to fight a little to get the plywood in. After lining it up and tapping the sheets together I screwed them down to the 2x6s.
Plywood installed on the blockhouse roof
We then used the loader to lift up a couple of the timbers into place and were able to do a test fit. By now it was getting late and we decided to call it a day.
The first railroad timbers in place for a test fitDiscussions with our neighbors near the end of daylightGetting the alignment right for the timbers & adding screwsBlockhouse state at the end of the first day of work
Sunday morning was dedicated to getting all the timbers up onto the roof and screwing them to the plywood and also to each other.
Working on installing the rest of the timbersJon Wells using the loader to lift timbers on top of the blockhouse as Dimitri moves them into placeView of the blockhouse from the vertical test stand with all the timbers installed
Keith Yoerg was able to come out for the day. He wanted to do a couple of tests on the parachute deployment charges for his upcoming launch.
Still shot from a video of Keith’s drogue parachute test
After two successful tests (drogue and main parachutes), he jumped in and helped get lumber up to the roof, cleaning the site, and helping install the trim work. He also received a crash course in how to drive a piece of heavy machinery and drove the loader for the first time.
Keith in the loader after learning how to operate it
After the timbers were all placed and secured, the top sheeting of 11/32” plywood was screwed down to them. Some trim work was applied to cover up the gap created by having a sloped roof.
Picture from Saturday before timbers were installed showing the roof slopeTrim installed under the sloped roof
We tried to lay down the roofing paper, but the winds picked up and we had one of the cut sheets fly off the roof twice so we decided to leave that for next time
With a little sunlight left in the day, the USC trench was filled in before the loader was taken back to the FAR site.
Dimitri filling in the “USC Trench”Dramatic lighting as Dimitri continues to fill in the USC Trench
The long awaited work event at the Reaction Resesrch Society’s private testing site, the Mojave Test Area (MTA) took place as planned on Saturday, October 3rd. We had a good turn-out to take on a few of the much needed repairs, cleaning and maintenance activities around the site. These work events not only improve the site but also enhance it’s appearance for our visiting guests. The RRS takes pride in our one-of-a-kind site and working on our site makes us all more closely connected as public activities are so few during these unprecedented times. All activities were able to maintain social distancing and everyone had their mask.
The primary purpose of this event was maintence activities but secondarily we were ready to conduct launches if members had projects ready. I was the pyro-op in charge for that day if there was to be any launches. Wolfram had cancelled his first flight attempt of the Gas Guzzler two-stage rocket due to concerns with excessive heat. Also, my next attempt to fly my nitrous-oxide hybrid rocket was postponed as we needed more people to work the planned maintenance events throughout that day. Bill Inman had contacted me with his proposed solar heater experiment. After a cursory review of his experiment, the society allowed him to proceed. Bill makes a very long journey to the MTA from Carson City, Nevada, and we are glad he has chosen the MTA to conduct his initial experiments for his next generation steam rocket.
Osvaldo led the repair and refurbishment efforts that day. Despite the higher peak temperatures that day, a lot of work was done which has helpful in restoring the site.
The arched sign welcomes our membership and guests to the RRS MTA. Still looking great after years in the desert.
REPAIR OF THE 8-INCH ADJUSTABLE BOX RAIL LAUNCHER
The 8-inch adjustable box-rail launcher was damaged in a failed solid motor launch last year at the MTA. The resulting explosion destroyed the four adjustable rail guides and distorted a few of the box frame members. Given the heavy and large size of this box rail launcher, it was only practical to conduct repairs at the site and bring in new steel materials to be cut, grinded and fitted for welding such that all parts fit correctly.
Getting ready to build new rails in the 8-inch adjustable rail launcher
The replacement rail guides used thick square stock instead of the previously used round stock. This was done for both having a flatter surface for clamping and holding the rails in place but it also made moving the rails easier to do than with the closer fitting round rails. The square slider pieces were also more easily welded to the square rails with much grinding.
Osvaldo and Dmitri did excellent work. With the right tools, material and skill, the job was done by mid-afternoon. The four rails are back in place, but some of the box rail members remain bent or distorted. Although not entirely perfect, the rail launcher should now be useful again for future tests,
John Krell (left) and Dmitri Timohovich (right) inspect the repairs on the 8-inch box rail launcher at the RRS MTA on 10/3/2020
TUMBLEWEED AND BRUSH REMOVAL
A lot of the team was working on clearing the immediate area of tumbleweeds near the many structures and sites around the MTA. Alastair Martin and Keith Yoerg worked many hours with a metal rake and shovel and made a marked difference around several overgrown spots. Tumbleweeds are a persistent nuisance throughout the western United States and Mexico as they thrive in the dry hot climate. Removing them is fairly easy, but disposing of them is far more challenging. Fire hazards are one of the topmost concerns in amateur rocketry. Our desert launch site is always under this threat. By periodic clearing and disposal, the threat of fire propagation can be minimized.
Clearing the east side of the container fenced area.The large vertical test stand after some clearing efforts both on the ground and on the upper decks.Second view of the large vertical test stand at the RRS MTA at the end of our 10/3/2020 work event.Waldo drags an old iron launch platform to clear the vegetation from around the MTA site
Keith and Alastair did a lot of hard work in manually clearing the edges and the upper decks of the vertical test stand. Waldo Stakes was also kind enough to drag the area to clear wider spaces more quickly, The result is a clearer work area better able to conduct rocketry activities at the MTA.
CORROSION PREVENTION AND PAINTING
Frank Miuccio and Chris Lujan worked on the metal lattice covers on the two front windows of the Dosa Building. They sanded and brushed on rust remover to clear the surfaces for a protective paint coating, It was a lot of fine detailed work but the resulting look of the metal grates without rust looks so much better.
Frank carefully sands, treats and paints the metal lattice covering on the front windows of the George Dosa building at the 10/3/2020 MTA work event.Chris Lujan steps back from his work on the other front window of the George Dosa building.
Little touch-ups can be very time-consuming but it is worth taking the time to do the job well. There are many areas around the MTA that could benefit from some corrosion removal and surface protection. Although the desert is dry, the caustic, salty, dry lake environment can erode steel surfaces over the years.
SOLAR CONCENTRATOR EXPERIMENT
RRS corresponding member, Bill Inman came out to the RRS MTA work event to conduct a test of his first prototype solar concentrator for heating his next generation steam rocket. The experiment was a simple apparatus design to focus sunlight on a length of 2-inch black-painted iron pipe holding roughly 2,7 liters of water.
The wooden box had two angled mirrors to focus most of the incident sunlight near the pipe. To avoid natural convection losses, his concentrator had a clear glass panel enclosure. In essence it is a trough heater. The goal was simply to understand the practical operation of this first device and make improvements to see if a solar-based heating scheme for a steam rocket is feasible. Bill’s device had approximate pressure relief should the concentrator over-perform.
Bill Inman’s first prototype solar trough collector for heating a steam rocket tested on 10/3/2020
Results were a little lower than expected, but a measurable gain in water temperature was measured after operating throughout that afternoon, Air temperatures reached a peak of 104 degrees Fahrenheit (F) and the peak water temperature was 180F, far short of boiling temperature (212F) at amibent pressure. Effective steam rocket temperatures are often around 350F to 400F. There is more work to be done.
A FEW SMALL ROCKETS LAUNCHED
Keith Yoerg prepares the Big Bertha for launch on his wire rail launcher.
Keith Yoerg had brought a few small rocket kits for launching at the MTA during a break in the maintenance work. A classic Big Bertha and Baby Bertha each with B6-4 motors. The winds were very light and good for launching these small rockets. Both were ably recovered.
IDEAS FOR FUTURE WORK AT THE MTA
Near the end of the day, we discussed new improvement tasks at the MTA. A few of these were listed below:
Further removal and disposal of tumbleweeds, there are a lot along the eastern fence and in the flame bucket of the large vertical thrust stand. Burning them under controlled conditions is one possibility but winds must be very low
More ideas for the new restroom facility were discussed that could take advantage of pre-existing materials or assets at the MTA
Removal and replacement of the bent steel panel on the vertical thrust stand. New steel panels were made with the matching hole pattern.
Rust removal, corrosion prevention and painting of the large vertical test stand structure is a lengthy project but would greatly improve the look of the whole site.
Removal and replacement of the old blockhouse roof and shoring up the existing walls is being considered as a lower cost upgrade to this important and often used asset at the MTA.
Taking some measurements around the bent panel on the vertical test stand at the RRS MTA
It was a great team effort that day and everyone worked very hard. Nearly all of the planned objectives were accomplished. It has been suggested that another work event at the MTA be planned for next month. We also hope to work in a few launches if we can.
These ideas and other topics will be discussed at the next meeting of the RRS on Friday, October 9th. We’ll hold this meeting by teleconference again due to COVID-19 restrictions. Those wishing to attend should contact the RRS secretary.
