Want to certify Level 1? Ask yourself: "What comes first, the rocket or the motor?"

Neither. First decide on what you want to achieve before deciding on a motor/rocket combination. Do you want to certify Level 1, or do you want to make a statement? Level 1 is the easiest certification to obtain, all you have to do is fly a rocket and have the recovery system be seen to deploy.

When I certified Level 1 I scratch built a 4" rocket that only went about 1,200 feet on a H220 and came back to earth on a single parachute. It was a very safe bet that it was going to work and followed the universal rule of certification, Keep It Simple, Stupid or KISS for short.

You could build a minimum diameter rocket to try for the H or I class altitude records, or you could fit your rocket with dual deployment. Making a rocket more complicated for the sake of it leads to potential problems on your certification flight.

For Level 1 it's not necessary to build a highly complex rocket. Build a simple rocket and fly the complicated one on your next flight. You'll be Level 1 certified and thinking of all the things that you can now do, including your level 2.

KISS, Keep it simple stupid.

So now you've just got to decide on which motor and rocket combination you're going to fly.

Part 1 - Choosing the right motor

Part 2 - Choosing the rocket that's right for you

Part 3 - Designing your own rocket with RockSim

Part 4 - Constructing your rocket

Back to the main certification page

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Last update: Tuesday, 30-Mar-2004 03:46:38 EST