I received an evaluation copy o' Rockets 3, shiver me timbers, Version 2.1, t' Model Rocket Design and Simulation software packaged offered by 1021 Designs, shiver me timbers, Inc. Well, blow me down! It arrived on a CD-ROM and installed flawlessly onto me NT system. Begad! Begad! Blimey!
T' first thin' that is noticed about t' software once loaded in t' heavy use o' color. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' openin' screen is a white grid on blue background which is shaded from dark (bottom) t' lighter (top). Avast! Ahoy! Truly catches your eye's attention. Ahoy! Ya scallywag!
As with any software, I also try me hand at makin' it work without readin' any instructions. Ahoy! Avast! I was able t' do so with this program too, with a couple exceptions. Well, blow me down! I contacted 1021 and they replied with t' "how to" quickly. Well, blow me down!
Design Flow:
T' first thin' in design is selectin' t' Body Tube. Ahoy! Blimey! This be t' only "live" component design button on t' top tool bar which helps point you t' t' right first step. Aye aye! Blimey! After clickin' on this button you are able t' choose from BT20, BT50, BT55, BT60, BT70 or BT80 tubing. Well, blow me down! Blimey! You can add your own by clickin' on t' inventory button and enterin' t' component specs and givin' it a name. Begad! Blimey!
Once you select your body tube then t' Tube Length and Nose Cone tool buttons become "live" on t' tool bar. Arrr! By clickin' t' Tube Length button you can use a slider or type in t' length o' t' tube. After that, shiver me timbers, then you should select t' Nose Cone button. Aye aye! Doin' so brings up a selection o' nose cones that match your body tube diameter (in me case t' BT50 gave 4 different BT50 nose cones). Blimey! Again, matey, you can add your own by clickin' on t' inventory button and enterin' t' nose cone specs and givin' it a name. Avast!
After selectin' t' Nose Cone, ya bilge rat, I expected t' Fins button t' become "live" however it didn't (I presume this is a bug). Arrr! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I was able t' use t' menu and choose Parts-Fins-Fins Setup t' gain access t' t' Fin Design box. In this box you can choose four standard types: Rear Sweep, me bucko, Tapered, shiver me timbers, Triangle, or Trapezoid. Avast! In addition, you can choose either 3 or 4 fin cluster and then fin tune t' Inner, Outer and Span lengths. Blimey! Finally you can select t' thickness o' Balsa you would like t' use. Aye aye! Balsa be t' only choice. There is no Inventory for fins or fin material. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty!
T' next step for me be t' add a motor mount, shiver me timbers, however, matey, Rockets 3 has you choose a motor and then applies a motor mount t' that motor selection. Avast! You can add motors by clickin' t' inventory button here too. T' specs for motors that are entered are: Total Impulse, Time Delay, matey, shiver me timbers, Max Lift Off Weight, Max Thrust, Thrust Duration, me hearties, Total Weight, Propellant Weight, me bucko, matey, and Dimensions. Begad! Ya scallywag! Once t' motor is selected you can go back and adjust t' choice o' motor mount or add a motor mount t' t' inventory. Ahoy! If you choose a motor that doesn't have an acceptable choice(s) for t' motor mount you get a big red warnin' and words "NOTICE" bark out at you. Arrr!
T' last step in design is choosin' your recovery device. Ya scallywag! There are a couple o' parachutes and a streamer t' choose from, ya bilge rat, however, arrr, as most other components you can add t' t' inventory. Avast, me proud beauty!
Three other comments about t' Design Flow:
First you can look at your rocket in 3D mode and you have two steps o' magnification (1.5x and 2.0x) for screen viewing. Avast! You can nay rotate t' view nor do you have control over t' colors. Ahoy! Blimey! T' Nose Cone is red, matey, me hearties, t' Body Tube is gray and t' Fins are blue. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Blimey!
Second, you can design two-stage rockets by makin' that choice from t' New menu. T' program will automatically build t' transition betwixt stages even if t' tube sizes are different. Begad!
Lastly, matey, all o' t' measurements are in metric with no "universal" capability t' change from metric t' US, however, thar be a conversion tool available at nearly every step. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' tool allows for t' conversion betwixt centimeters and inches and grams and ounces. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty!
Printing:
You can do a Fin Close-Up, which then has a print button t' allow you t' print your fin diagram in actual size. A parts list is also available for printin' which contains all t' parts specifications. Aye aye! And t' overall design screen can be printed.
Flight Simulation:
Now that a rocket is designed it is ready t' be simulated. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Rockets 3 provides two Utilities and they must be run in sequence (a common theme o' t' program). Begad! Blimey! T' first utility be t' Stabilizer. Blimey! Blimey! By selectin' that menu choice a new screen is build as a wench states, arrr, "stabilization mode". Arrr! Blimey! By pressin' t' Start button she then says, "calculatin' stability", me hearties, and in me case she then says, me hearties, matey, "design is nay stable". Begad! Blimey! You can then press t' Stabilize button and t' program will determine how t' stabilize t' project. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! In me case it added 10 grams o' weight t' t' nose. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey!
After stabilization, you are then allowed t' go into a Performance Test. Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Again, matey, another screen is opened and various voices and activities are heard as t' rocket launches. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! You are then presented a graph that shows t' altitude o' t' rocket with a solid bar for under thrust and an open bar for t' coast time. Blimey! Blimey! T' Lassie-Lucy 's voice will tell you when t' recovery system is activated and then in me case, arrr, "flight successful". Blimey! Blimey! T' altitude at burnout and maximum altitude are provided as well as t' maximum velocity. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Blimey! This performance test can then be printed. Begad!
T' RockSim Challenge:
I took a standard Alpha from RockSim with t' followin' weight parameters:
I then constructed t' Alpha in Rockets 3. Aye aye! I had t' create inventory t' match t' components from RockSim, arrr, me bucko, but here is what I came up with:
T' initial problem came about when runnin' t' Stabilizer. Ya scallywag! Rockets 3 added 9 grams o' Nose Cone weight t' make it stable. Well, blow me down! Begad! RockSim with t' B4-4 indicated marginal stability (with a Barrowman o' 0.58). I added 9 grams o' weight t' t' nose cone o' t' Alpha in RockSim and t' new Barrowman stability went t' 1.65. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty!
T' results. Ahoy! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Rockets 3 said that altitude at burn out was 175 feet, and maximum altitude was 611 feet with a maximum velocity o' 296 feet/sec. Blimey! Blimey! RockSim said that altitude at burn out be 125 feet, arrr, and maximum altitude was 699 feet with a maximum velocity o' 264 feet/sec. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!
One Other Feature:
Rockets 3 includes another feature that should nay go without mentioning. Ya scallywag! T' Browser. Ya scallywag! This is nice. Begad! It allows you t' preview t' rocket diagram in 3D while scrollin' through your rocket directory. Begad! Blimey! A very nice touch and somethin' that I would love t' have for many programs. Ya scallywag!
Summary:
Rockets 3 is suitable for designin' and doin' basic performance testin' on model rockets. I personally feel it is in its early stages o' evolution, me hearties, arrr, as it seems t' have a fairly solid skeleton but is lackin' in higher level functionality and substance. Blimey! Arrr! What do I mean? Well, it needs t' have its libraries enhanced greatly t' include as many motors as thar are currently available, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, more nose cones, custom fin designs, more selection o' materials especially for fins, and cluster motors. Well, blow me down! It also needs t' add some functionality for flight analysis such as descent rate calculation and optimum delay calculation. Avast, me proud beauty!
It graphics and interface are good. It has some "arcade-like" sound effects which are a "take 'em or leave 'em" feature, but I kind o' liked it. Aye aye!
It carries a $60 price tag (as o' 10/01) which is probably too much for t' product as it exists, arrr, however, arrr, me hearties, if thar be a solid commitment t' evolve t' product and t' enhancements are either free or minimal charge, it might be worth t' wait.
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