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

Amazingly, me brother had an Opus 35 camera. Many people had modified this for airborne use, so I tried that. Well, blow me down! Avast! It almost worked, arrr, shiver me timbers, but I think I broke t' camera. In fact, I broke two other cameras in t' process. Whoops. It be then I came across t' RC Aerial Photography Site. This guy had used a Digital camera t' take pictures from an RC glider. Avast, me proud beauty! And, he claimed it could be used in rocketry. Avast, me proud beauty! Cool, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I thought. So I began t' research t' DC 20 digital camera for rocketry use. A normal 35mm camera could take 36 shots, but this could only take 8. Oh well, it's better than one picture per flight. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! So I got a DC 20 for me birthday. Begad! I just got t' rocket controller, arrr, arrr, matey, but that be no problem t' assemble. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Ya scallywag! Arrr! 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. Well, blow me down! Begad! Eventually I'll post t' forward fin size, me hearties, etc. Ya scallywag! (T' model uses forward fins t' make sure it will nay be overly stable. Arrr! I later found these are nay needed and broke them off) But for now, I'll just describe t' payload section. Aye aye! 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. Begad! Begad! It is covered with clear tape (masking?) for a smother transition. Aye aye! 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, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Above this bulkhead is about 2" o' paddin' t' absorb some o' t' lift-off stress. Well, blow me down! T' camera mount sits on top o' this and points t' camera out o' a small slit in t' side o' t' BT. Again, t' tube is reinforced with folder material for strength. Blimey! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Finally t' Aerotech Initiator nose cone gets put on top. Arrr! T' whole payload section was painted gold. Begad! 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. Aye aye! Begad! 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.