Full Scale AMRAAM Level 3 Certification Rocket Flight

My NAR Level 3 certification flight from October 27, 2002 on an Aerotech M1315W. Loaded weight is 52 pounds, 12 feet long, 7.5" in diameter. Altitude was 5,610', max velocity was 423 mph in 3.3 seconds flown at the Whitakers, NC launch site. The rocket is 52 pounds with an Aerotech M1315W motor. Recovery was with 2 Olsen Altimeters, a Top Flight 70" parachute and a Rocketman R18, 18 foot parachute. This is my 3rd post of this as the first one was 240p (ugh), the second was 480p but not edited for content. OK 16 years later and I fix it.. Had close to 10k views on the other two postings but oh well.

[@TexasNEV]

Thanks! Hope to get back into the groove this spring and in 1080p.. lol

[@grantv2313]

Great camera work staying on that thing.

[@TexasNEV]

My brother did that.. This was old school Sony Handicam HI-8 sort of thing. :) I'm very grateful he captured it.

[@aerospacematt9147]

Nice! I’ve considered the idea of making a very low class replica of a rocket similar to this! Great flight!

[@TexasNEV]

Thx! Cool! Go for it! My other fav is the AIM-54 Phoenix.

[@SeanHenrichs]

Congrats 🎉

[@TexasNEV]

Thx! That was a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.. :)

[@michaelbozung1794]

Thats quick from an L1 to an L3! Great job! Im hoping for my L2 next spring, then eventually 3. I would like to stay in the L2 range a while first. Congratulations.

[@TexasNEV]

Thanx! Plenty to do w/ L2.. Remember 5, 119 nS is still an "L"... :) That'll still lift 50lbs a mile.

[@michaelbozung1794]

@@TexasNEV Oh I've learned that as I printed out the L2 study guide the day after my L1 cert, lol.. I have to be honest as you said really thats all I will ever need. I would definitely like to and will attempt L3 certification when I feel I'm ready. But yeah, L2 is really more than anyone needs in my personal opinion. But there are guys that care deeply about this and they respect and appreciate that amount of power. Its a wide, wide range, L2. I hadn't planned on getting my L1 this year as I haven't built or launched any in 10 years. But from May on I decided to at least make an L1 attempt by next year at that time. So spent the spring and summer then flying low and mid power as I have since 1990. Its been so much fun, I really enjoy doing this again then getting the L1 cert on 11/4/23. The last 10 years alone the amount of things like the chute release and OpenRocket I just found this year. Its been so cool to see this stuff has been developed over the years I hadn't paid attention to the hobby at all. But I would like to get my L2, then do a few DD L1 rockets, and fly higher impulse L2 successfully for a few years before I think about the L3. But ill be planning it along the way for sure, then when it's time I have a few willing to help that are L3 so it looks good! Very cool again, I'll look for future vidoes!

[@TexasNEV]

@@michaelbozung1794 I just got the L3 back then, just to get it, I very rarely ever flew much L3 sized motors.. It was just the sense of accomplishment, that's all.

[@MinuteRockets]

Really nice flight!

[@finnvankoutrik7131]

Sarcasm😏?

[@d.cypher2920]

Very cool, sir! Easy to say, and talk about. *NOT easy to accomplish.* Hey, you're a rocketeer! 😎🇺🇸💯

[@TexasNEV]

Yessir for sure.. That was my second attempt. :) Eventually they all end up in the garbage but then you get to build more! :)

[@stankakol5195]

Textbook, baby!! Great job.

[@TexasNEV]

second time's a charm.. first attempt failed at LDRS21 in Amarillo TX. It's on the DVD, but the editors of Extreme Rocketry Magazine were kind enough to edit out the carnage.. LOL

[@melplishka5978]

Well done

[@priyanshukhare6652]

Superb!!!

[@TexasNEV]

Thx.. fubared the first attempt at LDRS21.. Didn't end well. :)

[@seancarroll8103]

Nice!

[@joshuabarosin779]

That M1315W had power on-demand, I've never seen a hobby motor come up to operating pressure that fast.

[@TexasNEV]

I was using a big fat mega thermite ignitor. :) Plus if you look at the thrust curve on Aerotech's website, because of that multi throated "medusa" nozzle, there is a big pressure spike at ignition of nearly 600 lbs of thrust. Technically, it's not a "hobby motor" but I get what you are sayin. There's about 6 pounds of propellant up in there. :)

[@bluewaterboof82]

I always thought “hobby motors” were those little BP Estes motors you get at hobby stores. It’s a bit weird to see someone refer to a $400 motor capable of generating hundreds of pounds of thrust as a hobby motor 😂

[@TheExplosiveGuy]

​@@bluewaterboof82 No kidding lol😂, I recently got into HPR and am amazed at the scale of some of these rockets and motors. It's also funny because I'm starting to refer to motors like a 38mm 4-grain I-class motor as small lol. Just a year ago I would have referred to an I motor as gigantic haha😅.

[@bluewaterboof82]

@@TheExplosiveGuy Yep! I remember when I was showing off my little 29mm E motors to my cousin when I was first getting into the hobby. My 54mm K motors are my normal now. Even that is small compared to some of the stuff I see flown at my club.

[@vuhuubinh5810]

Incredible

[@TexasNEV]

Thanks! Given it was my second attempt, there was some pucker factor here for sure. One need not look very hard or long on KZbin for something much larger, much more complex and hopefully in 1080p. :) Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kart_irl867]

Nice

[@PeteyDeezWorld]

Perfect

[@TexasNEV]

Thanks! The first attempt at LDRS 21 in Texas didn't go so well.

[@mobiusprolix8454]

Man would that be cool to go through the builds to get to the level 3 certs. I wanted to do this about 10yrs ago. Just never made the time.

[@TexasNEV]

It sucks you in... :) Take the ride, it's worth it..

[@warrenadams2157]

And the Crickets was the only thing we're watching it rocket take off

[@antonwestergaard5211]

haha awesome!

[@TexasNEV]

That was a long time ago in a cow pasture far, far away, before 1080p.. lol

[@frisbee544]

GREAT ROCKET! SUPER FLIGHT!! And thank you so much for NO IDIOTIC MORONIC MUSIC!!! Thanks!!

[@TexasNEV]

Thx! Yeah I don't get the music either. Better to feel the pucker factor by the flier and impending stress of the unknown... LOL

[@warrenadams2157]

They're using an intercom loudspeaker with only two people in the field

[@TexasNEV]

Behind us, not shown on camera is about 50-75 spectators. LOL

[@alexfloresamador8891]

Veri gut

[@TexasNEV]

Thanx, that was a long time ago in a galaxy far far way.

[@MrSuzuki1187]

Why do we never hear the altitude reached on these rocket flights? I watch a lot of these vids and have never heard an altitude..

[@TexasNEV]

Well part of it is that we have to recover the rocket and then collect the flight data after the fact.. :) Performance is in the description section. Given this was a certification flight, I was 100x more focused on it actually working, vs how high it went. I was pretty nervous.

[@hari3556]

Good Flight! Say if a student rocketry team wants your expertise to build and launch high powered rockets, would you be willing to help? Would you be willing to be an L3 certified mentor/flyer of record for a student team that wants to participate in events like Spaceport America Cup?

[@TexasNEV]

How could I say "no" to that?? However as always, the devil is in the details and I'd need to know more about when and where, etc. :)

[@hari3556]

@@TexasNEV Can you kindly offer me ways to contact you other than this comment section? Maybe your email or linkedin?

[@TexasNEV]

@@hari3556 Sure! Go to my website, www.texasnev.com and go to the contact page and then we can go from there. :)

[@lauralauren6432]

Nice. But a camera on it would be Nice. Thanks

[@TexasNEV]

Yeah, given that was 20 years ago, the technology was a little different. :) Mini DV camcorders were big bucks and still used video tape.. Now cheap disposable go pro clones recording in HD are 20 bucks... :)

[@friarrodneyburnap4336]

How much for the Rocket and the M motor. . .?

[@TexasNEV]

Well, a kit that size, with a chute that big with a motor that large, with primary and backup electronics? Hmm, about $1,500..

[@friarrodneyburnap4336]

@@TexasNEV And this is only a Hobby...?????????

[@TexasNEV]

@@friarrodneyburnap4336 Correct, there are many many people in this hobby that spend far far greater amounts of money than this. Just note that this was a "Certification" flight. This is supposed to show that people who pass this "flight" where "everything goes as planned", achieve "Level 3" in our hobby (the highest level). It is not something that you do all the time. Most of the time we fly rockets that are still very large, maybe 4-6 feet tall and maybe a couple hundred bucks, which is still very large compared to "hobby rocketry" and far less expensive than this flight. It was $300 in fuel to fly this one time. You can have a ton of fun with a Level 1 or Level 2 rocket, which is literally a fraction of this expense.

[@nirupashekhar1164]

What was the fuel

[@TexasNEV]

As per the description, it was an Aerotech M1315. This is a 3" diameter motor w/ about 8 pounds of solid rocket propellant (basically the same stuff that is in the SRB's of the now defunct Space Shuttle.

[@jacobvandyk3]

Why are all of these ancient artifacts appearing in my recommended just now?

[@TexasNEV]

Not sure, I guess some things never go out of style. 😁

[@x2malandy]

Because your computer has a virus.

[@dsdy1205]

Reminds me of SLAMRAAMs

[@TexasNEV]

That's what I called the first flight when the parachute didn't deploy.. SLAMM!ram.. lol

[@dsdy1205]

@@TexasNEV now THAT sounds more like AMRGGLD - Advanced Medium-Range Ground-to-Ground Lawn Dart

[@Bahureksa.Jagarekca]

Ini bisa sampai bulan

[@TexasNEV]

My thoughts exactly! lol

[@robertwolfiii8711]

We have laughed are equipment only one two go

[@TexasNEV]

Not sure what you mean. :)

[@robertwolfiii8711]

@@TexasNEV rickets away

[@agentkodeh2476]

yall need certs ? HA

[@TexasNEV]

Yes.. Don't you?

[@agentkodeh2476]

​@@TexasNEV i feel i should answer this carefully I dont want another visit from the ATF So I plead the fifth

[@TexasNEV]

@@agentkodeh2476 LOL yeah but don't go and ruin it for the rest of us please. :-/

[@warrenadams2157]

Take the microphone away from that man and don't let him have it back. He talk's too much !

[@squidgobbler]

Too much wasted footage

[@TexasNEV]

Thank goodness this isn't my day job then! :)

[@seancarroll8103]

Nice!

[@TexasNEV]

Thx.. Ugh.. That was a long time ago.. Wow.