N-01 - Progress log
Thrust Vector Control Rocket Rig
A model rocket on a pivot stand that holds itself upright by gimballing its engine. Two servos tilt the venturi engine ±10° in pitch and yaw, the same steering idea real rockets use.
Switching to the ESP32
After sleeping on it I decided to build it using the ESP32 instead of the Arduino. So the images on the front page are now outdated. Currently adding supports and making the design 3D printable.
The Start
After going to a UCL HPC and AI day I for some reason got inspired to build something. So now I’m building a small test rig that shows how a real rocket steers itself. (I know, completely unrelated) A rocket body will sit on a pivot stand and two servos tilt its engine a few degrees either way. This is the same idea as thrust vectoring on real vehicles. A motion sensor on an Arduino will feel when the rocket leans, work out the correction and move the servos to bring it upright. Right now I’m designing it in CAD software and showing how the electronics will work in KiCad for me to 3D print a prototype.
Final Idea
The final idea is to create a homemade venturi engine. That is a piece of metal (don’t know which one yet) that narrows to a throat and opens out again. This is the same shape real rockets use to speed up the exhaust and turn it into thrust. The entire engine will sit on a gimbal and pivot at its throat to avoid over-engineering. This means tilting it a few degrees steers the rocket like a real launch vehicle does. Sensors and a microprocessor do the steering on their own.