Wednesday 21 May 2014

CANADIAN MAIL ROCKET MAKES FINAL DELIVERY ACROSS WWII AIRFIELD

(left) The Astrobee D IV (D) high powered rocket roars off the launch pad during a short test flight on May 14th. (right) What makes this picture of the Astrobee D IV (D) Main Booster plummeting from the sky so unique. It was taken not by a person but by the second stage of the mail rocket as the two half's descended to the ground. Now that's a selfie.

A 2 ½ stage high powered solid fueled rocket designated the Astrobee D IV (D) made its final delivery of twelve mail covers on May 14th across a World War II era relief airfield in eastern Ontario, Canada. The covers carried commemorative letters as well as 1936 ‘First Canadian Rocket-Flight’ postage stamps originally produced by a German man named Gerhard Zucker.

The seventy-five year old air postage were the first official rocket mail stamps designed to fly in Canada. Zucker however, was arrested by the Nazi Gestapo shortly before his mail flights were to take place. The rocket engineer/businessman was jailed indefinitely and for three quarters of a century the unflown Canadian stamps disappeared into obscurity. In 2011, Canadian rocketeer Wilfred Ashley McIsaac tracked down the stamps and finally delivered them as originally intended, by rocket propulsion.

The Astrobee D IV (D) May 14th flight was an overwhelming success in testing a variety of on board systems for future launches. Although the rocket reached only a minimal altitude of between 400 and 500 feet while landing 1000 feet down range, the 2 ½ stage vehicle successfully followed a precalculated parabolic flight path over the airfield. A flammable liquid plasticizer named pyrogen together with a five and a half pound thrust black powder motor powered the mail carrying upper stage. Emergency back-up systems saved the low flying rocket from crashing.

McIsaac has made five rocket mail flights since the programs inception on October 31st, 2011. In total forty-three covers have been flown on board his rockets including forty-nine ‘Rocket-Flight’ stamps from the 1936 Zucker collection. Following the launches the covers were either mailed or cancelled from the nearest post office in the small town of Gananoque, Ontario.

Several of the mail covers on board last weeks test flight will be sent down to Tulsa, Oklahoma where they will be launched inside an American rocket scheduled to blast off in August.

(left) A photo taken outside the Gananoque Post Office in eastern Ontario where Wilfred Ashley McIsaac cancelled the May 14th rocket mail. (right) Canadian rocket mail cover 2014.

Monday 3 February 2014

Rocket Sky Grid (RSG) ™

Wilfred Ashley McIsaac

Introducing the world’s simplest and most reliable rocket guidance system geared towards almost any amateur rocketeer looking for a precision landing.

(Above) An example of a typical Rocket Sky Grid (RSG) showing where you would aim your rocket in the sky if the wind is blowing from the south/west and if you wanted the rocket to land east of the launch site. The red line indicates the rocket's flight path from (A) to (B) and ultimately the return to point ©. (note: try and picture the sky grid continuing all the way down to the ground and across to the launch pad. This will assist you in locating the proper grids for lift-off and the ever important landing grid.

ROCKETEERS WARNING!!! When experimenting with the Rocket Sky Grid wherever you are, please take precautions in always keeping friends, family, or even casual spectators out of harms way. As any seasoned rocketeer knows, rockets and their recovery systems can be very unpredictable and very dangerous. Stay safe and have fun with your new guidance system.

HOW IT WORKS: Before launching your rocket take a moment while standing at the launch pad and look up at the patch of sky you plan on flying your rocket towards. Imagine a grid placed over the blue back drop similar to an X and O game (see above). Now record the wind direction followed by a meticulous survey of the area where you are searching for the safest place for your rocket to land. Keeping the grid in mind, picture the flight path of your launch vehicle and select a square on the grid that you feel is the most compatible to that flight path and landing site. The next step is to aim the rocket into your proper grid section already predetermined by the wind direction, weather cocking (see above), and of course the preferred landing area mentioned earlier. By applying what you have ascertained at the launch site and dividing the sky into individual sections you’ll find it much easier to predict your rocket's flight path from one area of the grid to the other. This compared to simply looking up at an empty patch of sky with no markers or reference points to assist you.

WHY IT HELPS: When launching a high-powered rocket there are many things to consider before lift-off can occur with safety always number one. At times the countdown to launch becomes extremely stressful. The Rocket Sky Grid or RSG was created to alleviate some of these pre launch jitters and allows you to aim and launch your rocket within minutes. The concept may seem elementary but I’ve tried it several times with uncanny success. Knowing for sure where your rocket is going to land is now one less thing for you to worry about before the big launch.

RSG HAS BEEN TESTED WITH INCREDIBLE SUCCESS: Since 2010 I’ve used the Rocket Sky Grid (RSG) concept on numerous occasions including the launch of the A2-R13 rocket in November of 2010 as well as the ARCAS rocket mail flight on October 31st, 2011. Both flights occurred in eastern Ontario, Canada and have been well documented in the press and on my Facebook page (see below). The main launch was always preceded by a test flight to verify all was working properly with the rocket and to give the RSG experiment a test run. On each occasion (on the second flight after some minor corrections were made) the rocket returned to the precalculated landing area and within only a few feet of the actual launch pad. Not to bad considering the A2-R13 reached over 3000 feet in altitude in a stiff wind before drifting down to the ground directly in front of (but a safe distance from) a crowd of around sixty or more anxious spectators.

During prelaunch discussions of the ARCAS rocket mail test flight in October of 2011 at the Gananoque Airport in eastern Ontario, it was determined that the rocket should land west of the launch pad and onto the much softer grass rather than the hard runway tarmac. This would avoid unnecessary damage to the fragile launch vehicle and the expensive ‘GoPro’ Camera attached to the outside of the payload bay. After applying the Rocket Sky Grid system, the launch and landing were performed flawlessly as the ARCAS rocket slowly drifted to the predetermined landing area under a large 36” canopy. The controlled descent actually crossed county lines before returning with seven mail covers on board including Gerhard Zucker 1936 ‘First Canadian Rocket-Flight’ postage stamps attached. The launch video on YouTube (‘Canadian Rocket Mail Launch’) documents the flight in great detail while providing concrete evidence this unique and uncomplicated guidance system will work for rocketeers looking for precision landings.

ROCKET GOLF: Think of the launch pad as a pin in the center of a thirty to fifty foot diameter golf green on a long par 3 hole. Or if you are landing the vehicle away from the launch pad simply place a marker where you would like the rocket to land. A good shot hit’s the green or around the fringe, an amazing shot actually finds the hole or in the case of a rocket launch, hit’s the launch structure (or marker) on the rockets descent. In other words, if you launched a rocket that reached an altitude of around 3000 feet before deploying its parachutes, and your goal prior to lift-off was to initiate a landing as close to the launch pad (or marker) as possible. If the rocket somehow managed to strike or make contact with the launch pad (or marker) before coming to rest, this would be comparable to hitting a hole-in-one on a 300 yard par 3, not bad. In the case of my ARCAS rocket mail launch on October 31st, 2011 however; it made more sense for the rocket to land west of the launch pad and on the soft grass instead of the harder tarmac where the rocket lifted off from. In keeping with the golfing analogy, this is considered playing it safe. Sometimes in golf playing it safe is the smartest move. In rocketry, it’s the only move.

Keep safe and try the Rocket Sky Grid on your next launch.

It’s as easy as A, B, C.

Wilfred Ashley McIsaac rockets have flown many payloads including Canadian rocket mail, a petition to help save the Canadian Air & Space Museum in Toronto, and commemorative poppies wrapped in a miniature Canadian flag during a Remembrance Day ceremony in 2010, to name just a few.

(above top left) The A2-R13 rocket takes off from the Aerodrome in Picton, Ontario on November 11th, 2010, before returning minutes later for a precision landing only a few feet away from the launch pad. (above top right) The ARCAS high-powered scale rocket carried Canadian mail on board and actually crossed county lines before gliding back for a perfect landing on October 31st, 2011, in Gananoque, Ontario. ((Below left) The A2-R13 glides in for a landing within only a few feet of the launch pad to the thrill of a small crowd during a rocket launch at a Remembrance Day Ceremony on November 11th, 2010. (Below right) The most compelling evidence supporting the Rocket Sky Grids value is provided by this picture of the ARCAS rocket coming in for a perfect landing after reaching over 2000 feet in altitude on October 31, 2011. Not only did the rocket come back to the launch pad exactly as planned, the delicate launch vehicle also managed to avoid the tarmac with a softer landing on the grass. My videographer James Rychlo (See YouTube video ‘Canadian Rocket Mail Launch’) is seen in the foreground recording the historic moment; the rocket carried covers with Gerhard Zucker 1936 ‘First Canadian Rocket-Flight postage stamps attached which had never been flown in Canada before this flight.

To follow Wilfred Ashley McIsaac’s rocket activities look for him on Facebook at ‘My Own Private Rocket Program’ or contact him at ashleymcisaac233@gmail.com.

Note: The Rocket Sky Grid (RSG) has been successfully tested from a peak altitude of over 3000 feet. With this being said the RSG becomes less effective at higher altitudes where predicting a landing site becomes much more difficult. Recommended for Estes model rockets as well as high powered launch vehicles under fifty pounds of total thrust.

Monday 27 January 2014

ROCKET MAIL PROGRAM LAUNCHES ENTIRE COLLECTION OF 1936 CANADIAN ROCKET-FLIGHT STAMPS: Fifth launch planned for spring 2014

(Above left) The Astrobee D IV high-powered rockets inaugural test flight took place on November 6th, 2012, and flew twelve covers on board. The upper stage as well as the integral side boosters were inert. (Center) One of twelve mail covers to fly inside the second stage of the new and improved Astrobee D IV (D) rocket scheduled to launch in the spring of 2014. (right) A variety of Gerhard Zucker postage stamps from 1936 (photo courtesy Gemada Stamps).

Wilfred Ashley McIsaac

A high-powered rocket mail program that began back in October of 2011 from an airfield in eastern Ontario is preparing its fifth and final rocket launch for the late spring. Wilfred Ashley McIsaac, the rocketeer behind the flights, has already launched and successfully recovered the entire collection of Gerhard Zucker 1936 ‘First Canadian Rocket-Flight’ postage stamps in his four previous flights dating back to 2011.

A variety of launch vehicles and payloads have also been flown in the program including; the ARCAS scale rocket. the Astrobee D scale rocket, and McIsaac’s modified versions the Astrobee D III, and the Astrobee D (IV) series of rockets. The latter being the 2 ½ stage Astrobee D IV (D) now preparing to fly in late March.

Payloads consisted of; mail, flight cameras, science experiments, on board computers, and even a signed petition to ‘Help Save The Canadian Air & Space Museum’ located in Downsview Park, Toronto. The Astrobee D flight on May 11th, 2012, launched the ‘Astrologger 54’ electronics package which housed two on board flight computers, shock resistant liner, and even a cooling system that circulated the air around the module before venting it back outside. The mail was in a separate compartment above the electronics bay.

Of the Four flights already launched and including the one planned for the spring, forty-three covers have or will be flown as well as forty-nine Gerhard Zucker 1936 Canadian Rocket-Flight postage stamps. Some of these Covers can still be purchased online at Gemada Stamps. A large portion of funds collected to date from Internet sales has been contributed to worthy causes such as The Arthritis Foundation while back in 2011 a small donation was made to ‘Help Save The Canadian Air & Space Museum’ on behalf of the program. McIsaac suffers from rheumatoid arthritis as well as a gimpy left ankle following two major reconstructive surgeries.

The final launch will fly twelve covers across an old World War II relief airfield located just outside the small town of Gananoque, Ontario, in The Thousand Islands. The Astrobee D IV (D) weighs three and a half pounds and stands five feet, seven inches tall with a 2.5 inch diameter. It is the only multiple stage rocket to fly in the program with the upper stage powered by a one of a kind outboard black powder motor adding 5.4 pounds of extra thrust to the rocket. The first stage and ½ or main booster of the Astrobee D IV (D) is controlled by a single sustainer composite motor along with two integral black powder side boosters programmed to ignite shortly after lift-off. The Three solid fuel motors powering the first stage are the rockets muscle and will combine for over forty pounds of thrust pushing the rocket to an approximate altitude of over 12oo feet.

Electronics Bay #1 (EB1) is the rockets main flight computer and the brains behind the flying machine. It will be secured inside the interior of the nose cone while the mail covers will be placed in a partition near the rear of the upper stage. A test flight of the 1 ½ stage Astrobee D IV mark 3 rocket on October 17th was a resounding success however a variety of modifications have been made to the launch vehicle following the flight, thus accounting for the new (D) designation.

A second flight computer designated Electronics Bay #2 (EB2) is situated inside a small compartment at the aft end of the main booster. Two on board miniature light weight cameras will also be along for the ride recording critical video of the twin side booster ignition in the first stage and the backup ejection charge inside the Recovery Systems Bay in the second stage that will help separate the two halfs at or near apogee.

Gerhard Zucker’s Canadian Rocket Flight Stamps take flight After 75 Years On The Ground

During the early 1930s a German engineer and businessman named Gerhard Zucker became involved in a series of ill-fated rocketmail launches across Europe including England before the Gestapo, under Adolf Hitler's orders, placed him under arrest and jailed Zucker indefinitely.

At the 1936 Third International Philatelic Exhibition in New York City, Zucker (who remained in custody in Germany) relied on a friend, Karl H. Hennig, Sr., to display his stamps, covers, and cachets in booth 77 at the Grand Central Palace on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. The ‘Rocket-Flight’ postage flown years later in Wilfred Ashley McIsaac’s program was among the merchandise at the exhibit.

An interpreter working in the booth at the time later confirmed a launching rack as well as one of Zucker’s rockets were also on public display. The same person admitted Hennig had even attempted to purchase a permit to launch the rocket but simply ran out of time. In the end however the German refused to promote the collection through print or radio out of fear fear of Nazi reprisals and kept a low profile during his stay in the United States. Zucker’s dreams of launching rocket mail on North American soil were never realized while the Canadian Rocket-Flight stamps disappeared into obscurity for three quarters of a century.

No known rocket flights in Canada had ever been successfully flown and recovered using official Canadian rocket mail stamps on board until October 31st, 2011 when McIsaac launched the 1936 Gerhard Zucker ‘First Canadian Rocket-Flight’ postage stamps 75 years after they were created for the New York exhibit. The story has since garnered interest from around the international philatelic community with articles in Stamp Magazine, Canadian Stamp News, and The Canadian Aerophilatelist to name just a few.

The fifth and final launch of Wilfred Ashley McIsaac’s rocket mail program will take place some time in the spring at the Gananoque Airport in eastern Ontario. “The rocketport” as McIsaac calls it, has been home to his four previous rocket mail flights.

Sources:

Canadian Rocketmail Summary 2011-2014, wilfred Ashley McIsaac

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ILJp8yS9heOxPvOyFQyv803dXNAON1tyg7CoPAmXEZs/edit

'My Own Private Rocket Program' Review, 2010-2013, wilfred Ashley McIsaac

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w_2RUq9VMW9yVjlqWbf29HXjGHgOE1F5ATmkxGnn_7Y/edit#heading=h.v16f56w4uda7