Parachute Payload System

[kulwadee]

I am a new coach to this event. In the past, students have attached a plastic tube to the top of their rocket and then placed the ping pong onto the tube. This year's rules do not specify that they can do that. Does that mean that the students cannot attach a long plastic tube to the top anymore? If not, do they need to figure out another way to deploy the parachute? If there is no tube, then how can they place their ping pong on top of the rocket? It says that the nose of the rocket needs to be rounded, so that means that the ping pong can't really sit on top of the nose.

[sciolyperson1]

I am a new coach to this event. In the past, students have attached a plastic tube to the top of their rocket and then placed the ping pong onto the tube. This year's rules do not specify that they can do that. Does that mean that the students cannot attach a long plastic tube to the top anymore? If not, do they need to figure out another way to deploy the parachute? If there is no tube, then how can they place their ping pong on top of the rocket? It says that the nose of the rocket needs to be rounded, so that means that the ping pong can't really sit on top of the nose.

No rules prevent your students from placing a tube on top of the rocket.

[CookiePie1]

I am a new coach to this event. In the past, students have attached a plastic tube to the top of their rocket and then placed the ping pong onto the tube. This year's rules do not specify that they can do that. Does that mean that the students cannot attach a long plastic tube to the top anymore? If not, do they need to figure out another way to deploy the parachute? If there is no tube, then how can they place their ping pong on top of the rocket? It says that the nose of the rocket needs to be rounded, so that means that the ping pong can't really sit on top of the nose.

No rules prevent your students from placing a tube on top of the rocket.

i hate to say it, but the long-tube-that-goes-all-the-way-up-to-the-celing design hasn't worked particularly well in practice, from what I've seen the past two years...

[sciolyperson1]

I am a new coach to this event. In the past, students have attached a plastic tube to the top of their rocket and then placed the ping pong onto the tube. This year's rules do not specify that they can do that. Does that mean that the students cannot attach a long plastic tube to the top anymore? If not, do they need to figure out another way to deploy the parachute? If there is no tube, then how can they place their ping pong on top of the rocket? It says that the nose of the rocket needs to be rounded, so that means that the ping pong can't really sit on top of the nose.

No rules prevent your students from placing a tube on top of the rocket.

i hate to say it, but the long-tube-that-goes-all-the-way-up-to-the-celing design hasn't worked particularly well in practice, from what I've seen the past two years...

Obviously not that tall but something like a 50cm tube is fine.

[Airco2020]

I am a new coach to this event. In the past, students have attached a plastic tube to the top of their rocket and then placed the ping pong onto the tube. This year's rules do not specify that they can do that. Does that mean that the students cannot attach a long plastic tube to the top anymore? If not, do they need to figure out another way to deploy the parachute? If there is no tube, then how can they place their ping pong on top of the rocket? It says that the nose of the rocket needs to be rounded, so that means that the ping pong can't really sit on top of the nose.

No rules prevent your students from placing a tube on top of the rocket.

i hate to say it, but the long-tube-that-goes-all-the-way-up-to-the-celing design hasn't worked particularly well in practice, from what I've seen the past two years...

I think that strategy might be good if the launch is psi limited like 20lbs, but this year you can hit the ceiling in most places so I don't think there is a benefit.

[scienceolympiadams]

As a team is building the ping pong parachute we keep getting stuck on a few things which is a deployment mechanism for the parachute.

Can the payload system has some kind of a nonmetal timer or a rubber band usage to deploy the Ping parachute?

We saw some of the images in the PowerPoint given not sure if those are allowed within the rules. Can The payload system deployment to launch the parachute. Any clarification or help would be appreciated

[sciolyperson1]

As a team is building the ping pong parachute we keep getting stuck on a few things which is a deployment mechanism for the parachute.
Can the payload system has some kind of a nonmetal timer or a rubber band usage to deploy the Ping parachute?

You wouldn't need timers, you just need to design the rocket so that once the rocket starts falling, the parachute deploys. It could potentially be a part of the rocket that falls off, allowing the parachute to fall out and deploy or something similar.

We saw some of the images in the PowerPoint given not sure if those are allowed within the rules. Can The payload system deployment to launch the parachute.

What do you mean by this?

[CookiePie1]

Can the payload system has some kind of a nonmetal timer or a rubber band usage to deploy the Ping parachute?

I'm fairly certain that a rubber band would be considered an elastic flight assist. If anything, it's an alternate source of energy and wouldn't be allowed.

[Micker]

In the rules it says “the ping pong ball attached to the parachute assembly makes up the parachute payload system.” Does this mean that taping things like coins or extra weight onto the ball is not allowed? I’m having in issue where the ping pong ball isn’t heavy enough to drag down the parachute and it ends up flopping on its side. However, when I taped more weight onto the ball, it was much more stable when falling.

[CookiePie1]

you can't use coins because they're metal. but you can try things like clay or stuff as long as it's taped on.