Ares — Subsystem
Six two-axis gimbal mounts, each swinging the motor with a pair of servos, from a rectangular prototype built for a foamboard space shuttle to the A5 ‘Compact’ that flew the successful launch. The TVC needs to be strong, precise, small, easy to assemble and, most of all, good looking. Mechanical CAD led by me, with the third mount designed by Matthew Iannitelli.
01 Never flown
Our first TVC. The exterior is rectangular because it was meant for a space shuttle airframe I'd designed out of foamboard, until we realized we should build a simple TVC rocket before adding any aerodynamic challenges. It had about 5° of wiggle, a real problem when it only vectors ±5°, and only fit a 24 mm motor.
02 Never flown
Another prototype that was never tested, but a step in the right direction: a 29 mm motor in a 76 mm body tube. By this point I had pretty much reached the limits of what Tinkercad could do.
03 First static fire
Designed by Matthew Iannitelli in Fusion 360, and the first mount we static-tested. Its more vertical profile fit a 24 mm motor in a 65 mm body tube.
04 Flew launch 1
A breakthrough, and the first mount I designed in Fusion 360. It combined the best of Matthew’s design and mine to fit a 29 mm motor in a 65 mm body tube. A pressure-transfer tube on the motor casing let the F15-4’s own ejection charge push the parachute out.
05 Flew launch 2
The half-ring at the top screws the mount to the e-bay with M3 screws, added when we made the whole rocket modular. Screw-together modules made assembly easier and kept the TVC axes lined up with the gyro’s. Fillets everywhere, and the pressure tube removed once we switched to micro-motor ejection.
06 Flew the successful launch 3
Both servos moved to the top, which made room for the ‘protection’: an aerodynamic shield that deflects launch dust and debris away from the gimbal joints. The charring on top is from forgetting the firewall puck behind the motor.