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Paul, Jared and
Connor have been competing in TARC
(Team America Rocketry Challenge) since 2011. The competition is open to
groups of 7-12 graders and requires flying model rockets to precisely
targeted altitudes and times. The team has been learning a lot about
planning,
teamwork and communication as well as having a lot of fun flying rockets.
TARC information at:
rocketcontest.org |
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TARC 2015 -
Fairhaven High School TARC team ranks 17th in the 2015 finals
out of 700 teams in the USA - Congratulations!
Nicole, Austin,
Brandon, Robert and Tristan joined
- expanding the team to eight members - and doing great work |
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Nice article about the "FHS Rocketry Team" aka "Gentle Folk in Lab Coats" in
the New Bedford Standard Times
Rocketry Forum thread detailing the team's excellent performance at the TARC
2015 finals
The team produced 5 different rockets and flew
many test flights.
Four rockets with 3D printed fins and one finless rocket that will not be
forgotten by all who witnessed it - or ever flown again.
On March 21st the team drove 100 miles to the launch as light snow was
falling.
Snowfall tapered off during the first hour of the launch window. (second
picture below)
Winds stayed extremely low and the team kept flying.
Three hours into the launch, with only an hour of flying time left, the team
finally got the excellent practice flight they had been looking for. They
immediately flew their three qualification flights with their last 3
engines, flying the last qualification flight 5 minutes before the close of
the launch event.
Their first two qualification flights were only 5 and 13 feet off from the
800 ft goal, and had good recoveries, with scores of 11 and 27. These added
together to a low enough score to get to the 2015 TARC finals. Good Job
team!
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TARC 2013
and 2014
- Fairhaven High School TARC team
Click
on any picture to enlarge
The team
worked hard building and flying rockets, but did not qualify for the finals. |
TARC 2013 efforts pictured here - the
challenge: fly a rocket to 750
feet, flight duration 48-50 seconds, payload one raw egg placed
horizontally,
external diameter of rocket 60+ millimeters, recovery by 15 inch diameter
parachute,
gross liftoff weight of no more than 650 grams, and rocket motor total
impulse limit of 80 N-sec.
 
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TARC 2012
- Hastings Middle School
TARC team - Narrowly missed qualifying
for 2012 finals despite a solid effort |
The 2012 TARC Challenge: fly a rocket to 800
feet, flight duration 43-47 seconds, payload two raw eggs,
gross liftoff weight of no more than 650 grams and rocket motor total
impulse limit of 80 N-sec.
The HMS TARC team did very good work this year, putting in many weekends of
preparation and a solid performance in their attempts to qualify for TARC
2012. They greatly improved the consistency of their flights, with a much
better average flight result than last year, but unfortunately did not have
a repeat of the very lucky qualifying flight that they did in 2011.
In 2011 the cutoff score for TARC finals was just over 15, with over 330
scores submitted.
HMS TARC qualification attempt scores were 38, 110 and 6, and made the
finals.
In 2012 the cutoff score for TARC finals was just over 12, with over 400
scores submitted.
HMS TARC qualification attempt scores were 20 and 17, and did not make the
finals.
The number of teams and the level of competition for TARC 2012 was
impressive.
The HMS TARC team got the best results of any of the 20 teams that flew at
CMASS, they got the respect
of the many CMASS fliers and they got an applause from those CMASS fliers
after their last qualification flight attempt.
I look forward to continuing to work with the boys over the next year in
preparation for TARC 2013.
 
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TARC 2011
- Hastings Middle School
TARC team qualifies for 2011 finals - Congratulations!
Click
on any picture to enlarge |
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Jared, Paul and Connor working with RockSim
on the field
the team recovering a rocket
prepping a flight
liftoff on the flight that made them finalists
The 2011 TARC challenge: build a rocket that
flies a raw egg to 750 feet and back without breaking it,
uses a 15" parachute and takes 40 to 45 seconds to complete the task.
From 48 states 607 teams entered the 2011 TARC
challenge and the best 100 scores were selected as finalists.
Hasting Middle School in Fairhaven, MA was one of only two teams to qualify
in New England.
The vast majority of competing teams are from high schools.
TARC finals are held at the beautiful Great
Meadow in The Plains, VA. The boys did a great job
and finished 38th in the finals with a score of 28, having great time in the
process.
 
They did a lot of work building and tuning their rocket and felt very fortunate to have
had the opportunity to take part in a TARC final.
Thanks to all the great folks at CMASS for providing a fun and supportive
flying environment.
Thank you Howard Greenblatt for sponsoring
RoadRunner motors and loaning us a Fade to Black rail.
On the way home we stopped by the Smithsonian
Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Center
and saw the amazing planes and rockets on display, including an SR-71
Blackbird, Shuttle and Concorde.
 
Howard picking out his next rocket to fly
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