The Trunnion/Penetrode Series static motor tests are the culmination of years of carbon motor case research with the purpose of further characterizing lightweight, high thrust motor designs. A total of 3 motors have so far been static fired, each one testing a new design feature--the latest motor is pictured to the right. One last static fire is scheduled for Fall 2010.

Del Grande, a scaled-up version of Del Carbon, was launched in October 2009 using the same P6110 motor as Turbo Encabulator. The build of the rocket was a wet-layup fiberglass body and nosecone with prepreg carbon-fiber fins. Being our first 8" diameter vehicle, this rocket is a test vehicle for construction methods to be used for future projects. The rocket was successfully recovered after flying to 22,900 feet at nearly mach 1.3. Del Grande is being rebuilt after suffering minor flight damage and should take to the skies again soon.

The Turbo Encabulator, named for a 1940s era Time magazine article later popularized on YouTube, is a 6" diameter vehicle designed to further flight-characterize our 10,000 lb-sec P6110 booster motor. The rocket is constructed mainly of wet layup fiberglass, with a composite fin can consisting of G10 laminate, foam, and IM7 carbon fiber cloth. Turbo Encabulator took to the skies at Balls 17, held at the end of September 2008 in the Black Rock Desert.

The Silver Spur series of vehicles are designed to allow testing of high-stress vehicles at a smaller scale. The original Silver Spur design was based on a USCRPL-developed carbon fiber cased 5000 lb-sec O3730 solid propellant motor. This first design debuted at the Black Rock Desert in September of 2007, and unfortunately suffered an interlaminar shear failure of the casing material on motor pressure-up.

Silver Spur 2 is the next iteration of the carbon fiber motor casing project; successful hydrostatic tests have been conducted, but a static firing has not yet occurred. Silver Spur 2B, conceived in August 2008, featured the same upper airframe, avionics package, and fin design as Silver Spur 2, but with an easier to build aluminum-cased motor. Silver Spur 2B successfully took to the air on the aggressive O3730 motor a month later, again at the Black Rock Desert, as part of the Balls 2008 trip.

Double Double is a natural continuation of the Del Carbon heritage. The sustainer is externally similar to the original 6" vehicle, with the exception of the aft end; Del Carbon's boat tail was replaced with a carbon fiber interstage coupler to support the upper stage during boost. The booster stage, powered by RPL's new 10,000 lb-sec P6110 motor, was designed to show off a new modified G10 and foam core system for fin construction, which successfully maintained structural integrity at over Mach 1 and 5 degrees angle of attack. Double Double was launched successfully at the Mojave Test Area at the end of April 2008, riding the P6110 to nearly 8000 feet before stage separation. Following successful second stage ignition, the sustainer reached close to Mach 2.5 and over 45,000 feet.

Del Carbon is USCRPL's demonstration flight vehicle.
It has flown three flights thus far, the highest to over 21,500 feet at speeds up to Mach 1.4. It was designed primarily as a materials and avionics test platform, that included the development of new carbon fiber construction techniques as well as tests of CanSat sensor systems.

Click on the photo for more information, including flight videos.