Nibbles, the world famous Astro Cat, will be making another attempt at achieving low-earth orbit in his rocket ship, Space Death!

In previous attempts, Nibbles has reached sub orbital altitudes and is now confident that he can reach orbital speeds and attain his life long dream of being the first cat to power his own rocket to space.

His craft, Space Death, an 11 foot tall, 8" diameter, screaming yellow sportster of a rocket, will be powered by a central M1315.

The M motor will be augmented by four outboard motors, each one of which is harnessing the power of Dilithium crystals for the added boost needed to reach orbit. Weighing in at a svelte 50 pounds, Space Death can easily make earth orbit with power to spare.

Nibbles is currently in training and is unavailable for comment but at his last news conference he challenged Mercury Joe to a space race, saying "Cats were meant to be in space, that's why God gave them fur!" He then went on to make inflammatory comments about hairless apes in general at which time the conference broke up in a wild melee of shouts and curses.

For more information on Nibble's previous adventures visit AstrocatRocketry.com

Inspired by Nibble's exploits, Mercury Joe returns for his fourth XPRS.

After reading the challenge (above) from the pint size pussy (cat) Nibbles, Mercury Joe said  "IT IS ON BIATCH! Let the better man win...oh that's right YOU'RE NOT A MAN!"

Deciding to go with an single M1000, Joe expects to leave Nibbles in the dust. (the student will become the master).

If all goes well Mercury Joe will be doing two flights at XPRS with a victory lap on an L1300.

For more information on Mercury Joe, visit MercuryJoe.com

The Black Brant II has always been a favorite of mine.
 

• 6" diameter
• Fiberglass nosecone
• Kevlar honeycomb/carbon fiber fins
• Approximately 10' tall
• Will be flying on an L or small M (I have not decided yet)
• Using an Altacc 2c with a G-wiz MC for backup
• For more information on Peter's Black Brant visit his web site.

This will be the 15th flight of Starfire!

• Diameter: 7.7 inches
• Length: 12.5 feet
• Weight: 80 lbs (w/ motors)
• Motors: AMW M2200 Skidmark + 4x J350 + 2x J570
• Sequence: M2200 at liftoff
• Air start 4x J350 at 4 sec
• Air start 2x J570 at 7 sec
• Total installed impulse: 11,245 NS (N impulse class)
• Apogee at 9,000 feet.
• Payload: Digital camcorder + two digital still cameras
• Avionics: Two MissileWorks RRC2 altimeters and two MissileWorks PET2 timers.

For more with more photos of Starfire and lots of other stuff visit Vern's web site :

The Extreme Rush, the sustainer is a 4 inch all fiber glass up-scale of the PML Sudden Rush and was Dave's level 3 rocket. The sustainer has been to 14,500 feet on an M1297W-P.

Kurt Gugisberg built the booster from a single 48 inch piece of FG tube and together we will attempt to get the N staged altitude record at XPRS 2006.

• Diameter: 4.025 inches
• Overall Length: 145.5 inches
• Sustainer Length: 95.5 inches
• Weight: 22 pounds w/o motors (47 lift off)
• Motors: 2x AeroTech M1315W-P
• Estimated altitude: 38,000 feet
• Electronics: 3x Mission Control (booster, air start + sustainer main and drogue backup, main and drogue),
• Digital Video Camera, GPS Recorder, 2x Rocket Hunter
• Special Feature: Locking Interstage Coupler w/ pyro release mechanism

For more information on Extreme Rush, visit Dave's web site.

• Built around 5.375"  fiberglassed reinforced phenolic tubes
• Overall height of around 11'.
• On board video camera and GPS tracking in the nose cone section
• AeroTech M1419
• The targeted weight for the rocket is 35 lb with a 15 lb motor.
• Altitude of over 10k' and a maximum velocity of just under Mach 1.

For more information on Zoid, visit Dave's web site.

• Baby Crap is to be launched out of Gary's new **roller tower 

• 54 mm carbon fiber airframe

• An L330 and should send it to about 20K.

• Walston will be on board to aid in recovery.

Baby Crap is the little brother, survivor of Crap Shoot, a 4" rocket which met it's demise at Balls about two years ago. Crap Shoot flew on an EX  full N motor. 

** The Roller Tower is a special project to debut this year at XPRS. The tower has ball rollers on the vertical sections to allow the rocket to roll through the tower. Conventional towers offer more friction, also they tend to mar the finish of the rocket. I have no idea if using rollers will make much of a difference in the final altitude, but it was fun building it.

Third Times the Charm
 
Gary Vielbaum - TCC

Gary's L3 rocket flown at XPRS 2001

• 75 mm carbon fiber airframe

• Flying on a M1315

• Should do about what it did five years ago which was 21,153 ft. This will be launched off a conventional rail.

• Payload will be a Walston and GPS Flight.

Cactus Jack

Gary Vielbaum - TCC

• 4" carbon airframe
• Approx 12 ft tall 
• It will fly on a James Marino Whimpy Red full N.
• Expect to break 30K.
• Cactus Jack will be using the new roller tower
• Walston and GPS Flight will be on board.

Extreme Performer

Aaron Stanley - LUNAR

• Public Enemy Rockets Extreme Performer
• Aerotech I366 redline.
• 71 inches tall, 4 inches in diameter, weight my estimate is 10 pounds
• Estimated altitude is 2500 feet.
• I upgrade this kit with a LOC electronics bay and a RocketMan R7C main parachute.
• What also makes this project special is that it'll be caring the new Perfect Flite HiAlt45K dual event altimeter as backup.
• The main altimeter will be a Perfect Flite miniAlt/WD logging dual event altimeter.
• I also might make a second test flight with either an I435 Blue Thunder, the new I364 Fast Black, or I600 Redline.

Maggie May
 
Steve Sawyer - AeroPAC

• Maggie May (lyric: It's XPRS late September and I really should be back at school)
• Looks similar to a stretch LOC Magnum 8' tall and 25 lbs
• Diameter: 5.5 inches
• Overall Length: 97 inches
• Weight: 25 pounds w/ motor
• Motor: AMW L700 or AT L850
• Estimated altitude: 8,000 feet
• Electronics: AltAcc2 and PerfectFlite (redundant drogue with main)
• Special Feature: tracking smoke in drogue piston

M 2 K (for lack of a better name)

Richard King - TCC

• The parts are all vintage Dynacom from a design I made up a few years ago. 
• Booster is 4' x 5" (that can take any 98mm)
• Booster will be using the M1939. 
• The transition to 4" is heavy duty and bolts to the booster. 
• Blacksky timer for booster's chute. 
• The upper stage uses the K700 ignited by Adept staging timer. 
• Recovery is Adept Alts-25 dual deploy. 
• May put the Walston in it. 
• Overall length is about 14 feet. 
• Used automotive paint with several clear coats. 
• Can be used as single stage easily.

Little Joe II
 
Dave Randall - WAC

1/12 scale Little Joe II – A-001
XPRS 2006 will be the first flight of Little Joe II.

• Diameter: 12 inches
• Length: 7 feet
• Weight: 28 lbs (w/o motors)
• Motors: CTI J650SS and CTI J280SS x 4
• Sequence: All clustered / firing at liftoff
• Total installed impulse: 4,586 NS (L impulse class)
• Apogee at 5,000 feet.
• Payload (hopeful!): Boostervision
• Avionics: G-Wiz MC2

Thanks to George Gassaway and Tom Beach for the detailed drawings online that I used as the basis for my design. 

My construction photos at: http://rotorhousing.spaces.live.com

Resurrection

Chad Holbrooks - AeroPAC

• Team Moto was a 4" dia. x 105" long scratch built rocket flown at Mudrock 2006.

• I went for my level 2 with it on a K-1100 and the altimeter geeked, resulting a 11 pound lawn dart. not a pretty sight! (Peter and Sue will definitely) remember it.

• It has been resurrected from the dead so 'm naming it the Resurrection

• Built with a 75mm motor mount

• Test flight will be on a K-1100

• If that goes well the next flight will be on an L-850 or L-1150

• Total weight is near 17 pounds.

• It should go near 9000' at about 748mph.

Night Owl

Jamie Clay - AeroPAC

•  NIGHT FLIER 
• Two Radio Shack personal Strobes
• Two Super LED flashing wands
• Super LED light nose cone
• H180 
• Jamie's L1 certification rocket - and his most flown HP bird.