The Albuquerque Rocket Society
An organization dedicated to the pursuit of Model and High Power Rocketry
ARS 2024 Contests
This contest is open to any club member. It follows the TRA rules for commercial altitude record attempts for any motor, with the exception that we will allow any commercial altimeter, and you are not required to turn in the results to TRA. If you do, though, you can try for a TRA record and the club prize at the same time!
The score is the percentage of the national altitude record for a single motor. When records exist for multiple divisions (e.g. NAR records) the adult category will be used. For records where both NRA and TRA have records, the higher of the two will be used. For example, the altitude record for a D motor for NAR division C is 1,071 m. If a club member flies a rocket using a D motor to 900 m, their score is 100*900/1071, or 84.03%. The NAR record for an A motor is 471 m, so a flight to 450 m scores 95.54%, beating the D motor flight to the higher altitude.
Records may change during the year. Final judging will be done using the records in effect at the end of the year, so all results are preliminary until that time.
This contest is open to any club member.
Contest Number One: Highest Altitude Percentage of National Record
This contest is open to any club member. It follows the TRA rules for commercial altitude record attempts for any motor, with the exception that we will allow any commercial altimeter, and you are not required to turn in the results to TRA. If you do, though, you can try for a TRA record and the club prize at the same time!
The score is the percentage of the national altitude record for a single motor. When records exist for multiple divisions (e.g. NAR records) the adult category will be used. For records where both NRA and TRA have records, the higher of the two will be used. For example, the altitude record for a D motor for NAR division C is 1,071 m. If a club member flies a rocket using a D motor to 900 m, their score is 100*900/1071, or 84.03%. The NAR record for an A motor is 471 m, so a flight to 450 m scores 95.54%, beating the D motor flight to the higher altitude.
Records may change during the year. Final judging will be done using the records in effect at the end of the year, so all results are preliminary until that time.
Contest Number Two: Best Altitude with Balsa Fins
This contest is open to any club member.
- Any number of fins is allowed.
- Each fin must be constructed from a single piece of balsa no thinker than 0.125 inches.
- Fillets on the rocket body may extend a maximum of 0.25 inches from the body tube. If the fin is mounted through-the-wall, any adhesives may be used inside the outer body tube.
- No paint or any other treatment of the balsa wood is permitted, other than sanding or cutting the wood to shape.
- The rocket must stay within the Rio Rancho waiver and meet the TRA or NAR safety codes.
- Any rocket design and motor are permitted that use fins as the primary stabilizing feature (i.e. the rocket must need fins to be stable).
ARS Contest Results
Highest Altitude Percentage of National Record
| Date/Location | Flyer/Rocket | Altitude Achieved | National Record | Score | Motor | Altimeter Used |
| 7/13/24 / RR | Wayne Sommars & Steven Nelson / Zippy 3 | 10,093 ft | 10,093 ft (TRA Single G) | 94.93 % | AT G150 | Featherweight GPS |
Best Altitude with Balsa Fins
| Date/Location | Flyer/Rocket | Altitude Achieved | Motor | Altimeter Used |