When I got back into rocketry after a couple years off, I saw Internet sites describin' rocket cameras. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I already had t' Astrocam, but I wanted more. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Specifically, matey, I wanted as many pictures I could get per flight. Ahoy! Avast! And so t' quest began...

Amazingly, me bucko, me hearties, me brother had an Opus 35 camera. Ya scallywag! Many people had modified this for airborne use, so I tried that. Ahoy! Begad! It almost worked, matey, but I think I broke t' camera. Avast, me proud beauty! In fact, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I broke two other cameras in t' process. Blimey! Whoops. Avast, me proud beauty! It was then I came across t' RC Aerial Photography Site. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! This guy had used a Digital camera t' take pictures from an RC glider. And, he claimed it could be used in rocketry. Cool, me hearties, I thought. Well, blow me down! So I began t' research t' DC 20 digital camera for rocketry use. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! A normal 35mm camera could take 36 shots, but this could only take 8. Begad! Oh well, me bucko, me hearties, ya bilge rat, it's better than one picture per flight. So I got a DC 20 for me birthday. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I just got t' rocket controller, but that was no problem t' assemble. Aye aye! Ahoy! I added a phono jack with a nail in it t' use as a switch.

T' camera mount is simply a board o' 3/16 inch aircraft plywood and 2 centerin' rings made out o' t' same substance. Well, blow me down! One centerin' rin' has two holes in where a wire is looped. This makes it easier t' pull t' mount out o' t' BT.

Here be t' top view:

Here be t' side view:

With electronics installed

I used VCP t' come up with t' necessary stability calculations. Aye aye! Eventually I'll post t' forward fin size, arrr, etc. Ahoy! (T' model uses forward fins t' make sure it will nay be overly stable. Arrr! Avast! I later found these are nay needed and broke them off) But for now, me hearties, I'll just describe t' payload section. Ahoy! T' body tube is a full length o' Estes BT-80 (2.6" diameter) with two strips o' folder material glued t' t' top and bottom o' t' BT t' add thickness t' t' Estes/Aerotech BT joint. Blimey! It is covered with clear tape (masking?) for a smother transition. It has a 4" tube coupler made out o' corrugated cardboard with one layer o' paper peeled off. Ya scallywag! T' lower bulkhead is 3/8" plywood with two holes for t' wire for shock cord/parachute attachment. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Above this bulkhead is about 2" o' paddin' t' absorb some o' t' lift-off stress. Arrr! Avast! T' camera mount sits on top o' this and points t' camera out o' a small slit in t' side o' t' BT. Arrr! Ahoy! Again, t' tube is reinforced with folder material for strength. Aye aye! Finally t' Aerotech Initiator nose cone gets put on top. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! T' whole payload section was painted gold. It is now painted red t' match t' cone.

T' original design:

After I snapped off t' fins:

T' Launch

T' first launch was on a F25 29mm Aerotech single use engine. Ahoy! It supposedly broke 500'.

Future Projects

My newest booster is goin' t' be light enough t' loft t' camera on a D or E engine.