THE CACHE IS NOT AT THE ABOVE COORDINATES !!!! It is where the
rocket was launched!
This cache is dedicated to my hobby of High Power Rocketry and
the book "Rocket Boys" by Homer Hickam. I was honored to meet one
of the Rocket Boys, Quentin Wilson, at LDRS (Large Dangerous Rocket
Ships) in Kansas a number of years ago. The book was made into a
movie called "October Sky" which is an anagram of "Rocket
Boys".
As the story goes, the boys launched a rocket that was lost in
the woods. Around the same time, a fire occurred for which the
Rocket Boys were blamed. The only way they could clear their names
was to find the missing rocket by using some known information and
advanced math calculations.
Assuming the rocket, "GeoCaching 1", was launched with a takeoff
weight of 34.16724 lbs on an Aerotech L1120W engine, rocket body of
4.0945 inches in diameter, with a Coefficient of drag (Cd) of 0.61
. The launch angle was 14.24 degrees from vertical and the rocket
flew for 49.3 seconds. The parachute recovery system did not
activate and the rocket came in nose first. It reached a height of
8969.5 feet, a peak speed of 608.0 miles per hour, and had a
maximum acceleration of 9.69 g. Assume the launch altitude and
landing point are at sea level.
There is a rocketry website that predicts altitude that will
make the first part of these calculations much easier. Plug in the
above data and get the distance the rocket flew before becoming a
"lawndart" and sticking into the ground. Other facts such as
maximum speed, altitude, etc, can be used to see if you are on the
correct track. After getting the distance and knowing that it took
off at an angle of 337.5391 Degrees from true north. Use your
mathematics to pinpoint the exact location.
Cache is a cammo'd geocaching micro container about 36 inches
above the ground.
The First to Find prize is a Gift certificate to Outback
Steakhouse.