Stoodis

Stoodis is a 175cm rocket with a 5.15” outer diameter, built to fly on an Aerotech K535W-14 motor and reach a projected apogee near 4000ft. The airframe leverages advanced manufacturing to balance strength, weight, and cost across the vehicle! The body tube is made of G12 Fibreglass tubing from Wildman Rocketry, while the Nosecone, Avionics Bay, Fincan, and Bulkheads are 3D printed from nylon-composite filaments. Total vehicle mass, with the motor, comes to only 7.81kg with a static stability margin of 3.4 calibers.

The Nosecone follows the Von-Karmann profile with a 6061-T6 machined nosecone tip. Although the thermal loads throughout flight do not warrant a metallic endpoint, we are able to machine threads into this component and run a threaded rod down to the baseplate of the nosecone. This ensures that the forces of recovery are not in tension on the printed piece where it is weakest, and allows us to apply compressive forces when epoxy is curing between the two halves of the cone. The nosecone is 3D Printed from PA612-CF20 filament from Fiberon. This has a low mass and high stiffness; just what we need!

The Fincan integrates the ⅛” thick 6061-T6 fins and radially constrains the motor. It uses a boat-tail design to minimize drag, and the aluminum fins are slotted through the outer shell for reinforcement. This component is also 3D Printed from Fiberon’s PA612-CF20 for the same benefits shared above and our team's experience with these advanced filaments.

The avionics bay sits atop a waterjet 1” 6061-T6 ring that is epoxied to the inner radius of the body tube between the upper and lower recovery control volumes. It houses two independent Blue Raven flight altimeters arranged in a DMR architecture, meaning either altimeter can independently trigger both parachute deployments if the other loses power or misreads the rocket's state. Alongside these two dual-redundant flight computers are two GPS modules to ensure successful tracking from launchpad to touchdown.

Each altimeter fires two 12g Eagle CO2 canisters per parachute: one for the drogue at apogee, and one for the main at around 700 ft. The mains’ values are confirmed on-site depending on drift calculations with live weather. CO2 ejection was chosen for the increased reliability and repeatability compared to black-powder charges.

Each altimeter fires two 12g Eagle CO2 canisters per parachute: one for the drogue at apogee, and Arming is handled entirely through mechanical pull-pin switches rather than wireless or magnetic arming systems. We favour pull-pin switches because they require no power or signal to function, provide a visible physical indication of armed state, and eliminate failure modes tied to software, RF interference, or battery dropout.

Each altimeter fires two 12g Eagle CO2 canisters per parachute: one for the drogue at apogee, and The Avionics Bay is 3D Printed from Fiberons PA6-GF to ensure it doesnt interrupt any communications to our team down below while continuing with our practise of additive manufacturing. An M10 threaded rod runs through the avionics bay, anchoring eye nuts on either end that connect to the parachutes with 1” tubular nylon and Kevlar shock cords, and those parachutes to the bulkheads above and below