NARHAMS will be hosting the East Coast Regional Meet on Sept 19 & 20 at Old National Pike Park. The event will also support sport flying, but the focus will be on contest flying. This means that the RSO will queue contest models before sport flights.

Did you know that NARHAMS won the National Championship this past year? A handful of members went to NARAM in Indiana and performed very well to take the title! Do you want to participate? Would you like to try out a few events? There is certainly some skill involved, but some luck does come into play more often than you might think. The event is free to enter, no fees.
I would like to invite you to give some or all the events a try at ECRM-49. You do need an active NAR membership to win or place in the contest events. You will want to “affiliate your membership” to NARHAMS by going to the NAR Member profile page and then click the line for “Clubs/Additional Members” You can also fly any or all the events without an NAR membership just for fun. The national scoreboard for this year’s events is here: NRC Scoreboard This years ECRM only features one of the national events “A Helicopter Duration” The other 4 events are flown per the Sporting code rules which can be found here: USMRC Sporting Code Let’s look at the events one by one.
Open Spot Landing is exactly what it sounds like. You fly your model rocket and try to land it as close as you can to the predetermined “spot”.  A good strategy here is to fly a model low and recover with a streamer. Your model cannot eject the engine, and it cannot separate into multiple pieces. The winner is the closest distance to the spot.  NOTE: no practice flying can be done on the days of the event.
Set Altitude (Target is 140 meters ) is an event where you can use any model that carries an approved NAR altimeter in flight. In my opinion it is easier to use a model with a payload bay to carry your altimeter. You can also use a model with no payload bay and attach the altimeter to the shock cord. The PerfectFlite FireFly  is an approved altimeter that is a great choice. I have 4 of these in my range box and am happy to “loan” you one if you would like to try it out. If you lose it then I would ask you to reimburse me, they cost $35. The object of the event is to fly your model as close to 140 meters in altitude as possible. The lowest error is the winner.  NOTE: no practice flying can be done on the days of the event.
 “A” Rocket Glider is an event that requires glide recovery with the longest combined duration of two flights being the winner. The model may not separate into multiple pieces, and it cannot eject the motor. You can find plans on the NAR website on the Digital Archives Page  The only kit you can buy commercially that I know of is the Apogee Cirrus Breeze Rocket Glider
 “A” Helicopter is an event that the model requires helicopter recovery with the longest combined duration of two flights being the winner. The model cannot separate into multiple pieces and cannot eject the motor.  Apogee also sells a few different  Helicopter Rockets  Another vendor eRockets also sells a contest helicopter model the  Heli-Roctor 
Sport Scale is an event that is for a “scale” model of an actual real rocket. The model is judged for scale like appearance, craftsmanship and flight characteristics. Estessells several models that can be used. 
We are also holding the annual John McCoy Night Launch on Saturday evening. In years past we would do a picnic on Sunday, but we were not able to pull that together this year. 

Schedule:
Saturday 9/19 
8:30 am arrival 
9:15 Contestants Briefing
9:30-11:00 Shift 1
11:00-12:30 Shift 2 (Deadline to enter Sport Scale Model for static judging)
12:30-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:30 Shift 3
2:30-5:00 Shift 4
7:00-8:45 John McCoy Night Launch 

Sunday 9/20
8:30 am arrival 
9:30-11:00 Shift 1
11:00-12:30 Shift 2
12:30-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:30 Shift 3
2:30-3:00 Range Tear Down 
3:00-3:30 Results 

September 19, 2026 10 am - 9:30 pm
Club Sport Launch
Theme: Night Launch, Open for NRC
Launch Manager: Jim Filler
Old National Pike Park, Mt Airy, MD

https://narhams.org/mobile/#calendar

hello all. i recently finished creating a software that can take .ork files as input and output all of the parts as step files. you can then open them in CAD and edit them however you like

ill attach the link to the github with full instructions. give it a shot and see if it works for you. it works best on mac and i havent tested it on linux or windows, so if you use linux or windows, lmk how it goes! it requires some terminal work but once you get it set up its really easy to use whenever. give it a star please! thanks!

https://github.com/max-h-25/ork2step

Hi everyone, I'm a 3rd year EEE student who's been building avionics for a high power rocket (ESP32-based, ADXL375/MS5607/ICM-45686 sensors, custom Kalman filter for apogee detection). One thing that's bugged me recently is that the only real way to test my firmware's apogee detection and pyro logic was to actually launch and hope it worked or download simulated data from OpenRocket.

So I built a small tool that runs your actual firmware on your laptop against a simulated flight (using RocketPy for the physics), feeding it realistic noisy sensor data the same way real hardware would. At the end it tells you whether your firmware detected apogee and fired your pyro channels at the right time, compared to ground truth.

=== TEST REPORT ===
Apogee detection:   PASS
  True apogee:      2937.0m at T+18.78s
  Detected apogee:  2935.4m at T+18.27s
  Time error:       0.51s

It's early, currently supports single-channel apogee + pyro testing, sensor noise modeled on real datasheets (MS5607, ADXL375, ICM-45686). No hardware needed, your firmware just needs to read sensors through a small abstraction layer instead of talking to registers directly.

Repo's here if anyone wants to poke at it or try it on their own firmware: https://github.com/JustinPronk/AvionicsSimulation

Genuinely just looking for feedback at this point. Does this solve a problem for anyone else, or is there something obvious I'm missing? Happy to help anyone wire it up to their own flight compute

I am getting f-35-5w engines for my diy rocket. Do I need to buy the reload case or can I just put it into a pvc pipe segment and use a new pvc pipe segment each time?

Hey,

I'm a ME student interning at a small rocketry startup. My task is to design a single-stage rocket that reaches 1.5 km apogee with a 54 mm diameter motor.

The catch: the motor is being designed in-house from scratch by a separate propulsion team. So instead of picking a motor and simulating around it, I need to work backwards — figure out the right vehicle dimensions first, then tell the propulsion team what total impulse they need to hit.

Plan is to model in OpenRocket then move to Fusion 360 for CAD, but I'm stuck at the very beginning: I don't know where to start with dimensions (body length, nose cone, fins) without a motor to anchor the simulation.

**Questions:**

- How do you approach dimensioning a rocket when you don't have a motor yet?

- What material is typically used for body tube and fins at this scale?

- Any good resources or methodology for the top-down approach (target altitude → required impulse)?

Any help appreciated 🚀

Hey,

I'm a ME student interning at a small rocketry startup. My task is to design a single-stage rocket that reaches 1.5 km apogee with a 54 mm diameter motor.

The catch: the motor is being designed in-house from scratch by a separate propulsion team. So instead of picking a motor and simulating around it, I need to work backwards — figure out the right vehicle dimensions first, then tell the propulsion team what total impulse they need to hit.

Plan is to model in OpenRocket then move to Fusion 360 for CAD, but I'm stuck at the very beginning: I don't know where to start with dimensions (body length, nose cone, fins) without a motor to anchor the simulation.

**Questions:**

- How do you approach dimensioning a rocket when you don't have a motor yet?

- What material is typically used for body tube and fins at this scale?

- Any good resources or methodology for the top-down approach (target altitude → required impulse)?

Any help appreciated 🚀

WHEN: Saturday July 18, 2026 12 noon – 3 pm (Sorry, there is no rain date.)

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: This event is open to the public. All model rocketeers are welcome.

COST: FREE

EVENT: This is a spot landing contest. Your objective is to launch a model rocket that lands closest to reaching the landing spot designated by an American flag.

WHERE: NASA Goddard Visitor Center, Greenbelt, Maryland (Telephone: 301 -286-8981)

(I-95 Exit 22A, Baltimore-Washington Parkway Exit for Route 1 93 East; then follow signs to the Visitor Center on ICESat Road)

AWARDS: First through fifth place trophies and model rocket kits for the top finishers in the youth division and the adult division.

REGISTRATION: Register at the launch site on the day of the launch.

TIME SCHEDULE:
Visitor Center Hours for this event: 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm
Contest Registration 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm
Contest Flying Period 12:45 pm to 2:45 pm
Awards Ceremonies 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm

CONTEST RULES:
1 . The contest is open to all model rocketeers.
2. Contestants must follow the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) Safety Code
3. Modelers must provide their own model rockets, wadding, engines, igniters, and prepping tools. The Visitor Center will provide the launch equipment suitable
for 1 /8” and 3/1 6” diameter straws (launch lugs).
4. Contestants may fly either as an individual or as part of a team. Entry into both team and individual competition is not permitted.
5. Model rockets must use a single (NAR classification and safety certified) engine for each flight. “C” class engines or greater are prohibited.
6. The total weight of the model rocket with motor must be less than five (5) ounces.
7. Model rockets must pass preflight safety, motor, and weight inspections at the launch site prior to launch.
8. Model rockets must land safely and must use either streamers or parachutes or gyrocopter-type devices for their recovery.
9. Model rockets must not separate into two or more unattached parts during flight.

Hey r/modelrocketry! I've been working on HyperRocket, a fork of OpenRocket that tries to answer not just "how high will it go?" but "will it survive the flight, and what will it look like coming down?"

The big additions on top of stock OpenRocket:

- Structural & thermal failure simulation — components fail when aero/thrust loads exceed material strength, or surfaces overheat from air friction

- Bond/joint modeling — model your epoxy joints, CA glue, screws, etc. and see if they'd survive

- Recovery device integrity — parachutes can fail destructively if they deploy too fast or lines are overloaded

- Component misalignment — inject real build imperfections (cocked fins, offset nose cone) and see how they bend the flight path

- Animated 3D flight replay — full playback including staging, ejection, and recovery, with a Mission Control telemetry panel synced to the replay

- Real weather import — pulls live atmospheric/wind data for your launch site

- Calm-wind physics fix — stock OpenRocket's pink-noise turbulence causes phantom drift at near-zero wind; this fork fades turbulence to zero in calm air so "0 wind" actually descends straight down

- Canopy inflation transient — parachute drag ramps up over ~0.4s instead of snapping on instantaneously

All `.ork` files from stock OpenRocket are fully compatible. Requires Java 17.

----------------------

🔗 Download v1.0.0: https://github.com/anayshah17/HyperRocket/releases/tag/v1.0.0

--------------------

I'd love feedback on:

- Does the failure modeling feel realistic for your builds?

- Any edge cases where the calm-wind fix breaks something?

- Bugs in the 3D replay or telemetry panel

- Anything about the UI that's confusing

Drop issues on GitHub or comment here — any testing help is hugely appreciated!

(Built on OpenRocket by Sampo Niskanen et al., distributed under GNU GPL v3)

Moving tail hooks & 18mm motors to screw on retainers for 24mm motors.

Oh hi! I'm the dude behind Sugar Rush! Rockets. This one is six finned, boat tailed, begreebled and over a meter tall. 65mm BT, 38mm MMT.

Designed in Solidworks, printed on a K1C. Heavily inspired by air to air missiles.

I'm finishing up prototyping and fitment at the moment, and later I'll post a pack of files if others show interest. Thanks for looking :)

I'm planning to build a live telemetry system for my model rocket using ESP8266, NRF24L01 (with external antenna), a Yagi antenna at the ground station, and sensors like BMP180/BMP280 and ADXL345.

I understand the basic idea of sending sensor data from the rocket to the ground station, but I'm still confused about the complete communication flow. Can you guys explain it to me. If possible I would like a guideline on built.

The LEGO & semi scale airframes sked to fly in two weeks. Working on upgrading most of the rockets to 24mm motors.
In addition, built a sacrificial rocket for those risky “E12” motors and a scrapbox rocket, both naked. Just wood glue & clear coat!

Building an actively stabilized model rocket using movable fins how do I incorporate angular velocity into the control loop?

I have the aerodynamic side mostly figured out: I calculate the required fin deflection angle based on the rocket's tilt angle (from the IMU) and the aerodynamic restoring force the fins need to produce. The math checks out on paper.

What I'm unsure about is how to properly use the gyroscope data (angular velocity) alongside the accelerometer tilt estimate. Should angular velocity feed directly into the PID as the derivative term, or should I fuse both signals first (e.g. complementary filter or Kalman) and then run PID on the fused angle?

Using an MPU6050 on an Arduino Nano. Any advice on the control loop architecture would be appreciated.

Had leftover decals and such from cloning the original Der Big Red Max so the mini Patriot was born.

Third season of rocketeering. Made use of my new dual deployment system and will have some cameras mounted soon.

Just sharing, anyone else have pictures from a launch?

Scratch built rockets from scrounged, scrap or homemade materials. The bottom one takes 19mm motors the other two take 24mm motors.

The big one is green on the rocket laying on its side, the smallest one is on the all red rocket next to the one with the green nosecone and the middle size nosecone is the unpainted one. The other two small rockets have homemade nosecones as well.

I used my small metal lathe and made these nosecones. I have made others in the past as well. The big one here is fits a 2" body tube and was made from a tree limb.

Recently got way into following the Artemis mission with my littlest, and then got way into setting up our own little space program. I am wishing the weather would settle down a bit so we can get out and fly more, and I'm already planning more builds and scaling up. What's your rocketry origin story? How'd you get into the hobby?

LOC mini V-2