OK, what I would like to know, do I need some kind of Simulator program to document/prove that a rocket I designed is stable and flys and all that, to post it here?

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Scotty Dog
NAR 90998

There are two programs that are both "designers" and "simulators", RockSim and OpenRocket.

RockSim is a commercial program, costs about $130, but is 'polished' to a degree where we can get a lot done with it. Most here use this program, both for ease-of-use, and for the fact we can easily read and edit each other's files.

OpenRocket is newer, not-so-polished, and a bit limited in its capabilities. However, it's also FREE and open source. It's written in JAVA, and has already gone through a numbers of builds. It produces ORK files, and it can read simple RKT files. It is not compatable with the RockSim 9 PODS feature, however, and fails to deal with them in any manner.

I'd say try OpenRocket first, get familiar with the way it works, then purchase a copy of RockSim. The way both programs handle design is similar (not identical) enough that OR makes a good tool for learning RS. Once you get comfortable with RS, you'll stick with it and you'll enjoy using it.

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Craig McGraw

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SAM 0044
AMA 352635

He's asking if his designs that he wants to post in this forum have to be done on Rocsim/OpenRocket instead of on a pencil and paper.

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I love sanding.

Ahhh...

Sorry for the hiccup...

When I originally started this section, I said sketches and other images would be fine as submissions. I'm not going to go back on that...

However, it really helps if the design can be "proven" with a simulation or two; we get to see how it is expected to perform using different engines. Using the simulation also helps you as a designer to see if the design is acting the way you expect it to.

That said, if you have already "proven" a design by flying it, but you haven't run it through RS or OR, a pencil sketch (or a JPG, or a TIF, or a PNG...) is still acceptable. Just include a text description of where parts should line up, and a good parts list. Someone else here (me, or someone with either RS or OR) can work up the simulations for you and post them.

When posting, notice how in the last few years I've started placing each design into its own thread in "Designer's Studio". When you post a new design, do the same. This way, each design can have its own separate discussion. Works a lot better than the "Scrounged" threads used earlier...

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Craig McGraw

BARCLONE Rocketry -- http://barclone.rocketshoppe.com
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SAM 0044
AMA 352635

EchoVictor draws his up in Publisher or something like that. He doesn't use design software.

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Scott D. Hansen
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WOOSH NAR Section #558

Thanks for the info. I have never used a sim..Oh, I did have Apogees free trial for a month. That amounted to squat. I would like to be able to use them. There has been alot of contest and other design places that require that your rocket be Simulated . One thing tho, alot of my designs I think would take an expert to get the info into a sim. Odd fin shapes,angles on tubes ,half tubes,custom NCs,ect. I guess at this point I should at the least start playing around with OP and go from there.

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Scotty Dog
NAR 90998

Some of my early... early designs in Barclone are PDF conversions of designs done in MacDraw.

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Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

Sometimes it takes some clever "work arounds" to actually get a rocket with unique features programmed into a simulator...

Take the Saturn V for instance. None of the programs *I* know of can handle the half-conical F-1 engine fairings... you either have to program them in as "profile fins" (like profile model airplanes-- those 'flat as a pancake' types) or some concoction of partial tubefins or something...

Needless to say, neither of these 'solutions' really models the REAL appearance of the fairings, or accurately predicts their affects on CP location and stability (and drag for that matter). BUT, you can get "fairly close" but "not all the way".

Agree that for "truly unique" unconventional designs, the programs leave a lot to be desired... but they ARE slowly getting better... like the pods feature in RS9 (though I didn't spring for RS9).

Later! OL JR

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The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

Seems like a few pics and/or a video of the actual ROCKET flying would prove what you designed was stable and flies much better than ANY simulator. Assuming of course it was a successful flight.

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