Sprint Experimental Rocket Launched 6/12/1999 and 7/10/1999
The first and second launches of John Cipolla's nearly finless Sprint experimental rocket were successful. The Sprint high power rocket was powered by the RMS 54/1280 rocket motor with a J415-6W reload. AeroDRAG & Flight Simulation and several other AeroRocket CFD computer programs correctly predicted the vehicle reached 1,076 feet at apogee with a maximum velocity of 226.15 ft/sec at burnout. Dual timers recovered the main booster and the nose cone on separate parachutes in perfect condition. These two launches provided the database required to validate AeroRocket's computational fluid dynamics (CFD) programs AeroDRAG & Flight Simulation, VisualCFD and AeroCFD.

Sprint High Power Rocket Data Vehicle Dimensions Total weight = 24.8 lb (11,249 grams) Empty Weight = 22.165 lb (10,054 grams) Motor Weight = 2.643 lb (1,198.8 grams) Total Length = 75.267 inches Diameter = 12 inches at base, 9 Degree Cone Shape   Computational Results using AeroDRAG and VisualCFD Motor: RMS 54/1280 & J415-6W Reload Maximum Altitude = 1,076 ft Maximum Velocity = 226.15 ft/sec Maximum Acceleration = 4.0 G's Static Margin = 5 inches Cd = 0.23

Liftoff of the Sprint experimental rocket at T = 0.0 seconds

Sprint experimental rocket streaking skyward

Recovery of the Sprint experimental rocket

Sprint Launch Video

Sprint liftoff movie
Requires QuickTime from Apple Computer