AIM-9/2 Sidewinder!
1/2 SemiScale H Powered AIM-9 Sidewinder High
Powered Rocket Project
Project Overview
The primary objective of this project is to build an durable rocket
suitable for Tripoli/NAR
Level I High Power Classification flights. This requires a rocket capable
of using an H motors with sufficient size and weight to ensure a successful
flight and recovery. Of course, this objective could be accomplished by
building a standard kit, such as the LOC IV or MiniMag, but that would
be too easy.
In researching possible designs for the project, the history of
the AIM-9 Sidewinder
was found at the China Lake
Naval Weapons Center pages. While most know of the Sidewinder air-to-air
missile, its place in the history of rocket weapons technology is not as
well known. It was developed in the early 1950's and was the first infra-red
self-guided air-to-air missile. It remains to this day one of the most prolific
and successful air-to-air missile systems available.
In addition to its rich history, the Sidewinder employs a number
of features that make it attractive for this project. Its size (9 1/2 feet/2.9
meters with a 5 inch / 12.7 cm fuselage) makes a full scale model feasible
(a future project) and a half scale model about the right size for this
project. It simple, aerodynamically stable design is ideally suited to
non-professional rocketry activities. It original design, with forward
guidance fins, provides the opportunity for experiments in stabilization
systems.
A secondary objective of this project is to build a rocket that
is repairable and upgradable. Model and high power rockets are typically
built with a highly integrated structure in which everything is glued to
everything else. This makes for a very strong structure but makes repair
and replacement of parts difficult without taking extreme measures. Unfortunately,
ejection charges don't go off, recovery systems fail, and rockets do crash,
making repair (or retirement) a fact of life. The Sidewinder project should
be big enough and have minimal weight restrictions to allow experimentation
with replaceable components.
Finally, the Sidewinder project should serve as a platform for experimenting
with payloads. In particular, very little has been done in the area of
stabilizing systems (inertial navigation). The Sidewinder's forward control
fins combined with its need for additional nose weight (due to the movement
of the center of pressure caused by the control fins) make it a good
platform for guidance experiments as well as other payloads.
