Ye Olde Rocket Forum - View Single Post - ECOF Events

These rules are specific to each event…

Event 1 – Crayon Rockets (2009) - (Degree of Difficulty = 6th)
1. Rocket must be built from or designed to appear as a crayon. i.e. Converted crayon
banks are allowed, etc.
2. Scoring (40 points possible)…
Innovation in Design (10 points)
Quality of Build (10 points)
Quality of Flight (10 points)
Quality of Recovery (10 points)

Event 2 – Strap-on Boosters (2010) - (Degree of Difficulty = 2nd)
1. Strap-on boosters must be functional. (i.e. add thrust going up, separate prior to
apogee, recovery safely)
2. Strap-on boosters must match the central rocket theme (open category... and
intentionally vague. you may fly ANYTHING, as long as the boosters match the
rocket.) i.e. if you fly a pyramid rocket, you would need pyramid boosters. or, if a
Barbie Rocket, you would need Barbie boosters. (although I think you could get
away with Ken boosters.)
3. Scoring (100 points possible)…
10 points for innovation of design (theme, unique design features)
10 points for quality of build (finish, transitions, fin fillets, motor retention)
10 points for quality of flight (stability, altitude, duration)
30 points for boost (powered) function of strap-ons
30 points for post-boost (separation and recovery) function of strap-on boosters
(intended separations, individual recovery system deployments, lack of
damage)
10 points for quality of recovery of central rocket (recovery device deployment,
lack of damage)

Event 3 - Legged Landers (2011) - (Degree of Difficulty = 3rd)
1. The rocket, or a significant portion thereof, must land upright using folding,
deployable landing legs. (i.e. the lunar module.)
2. Legs must be functional. (i.e. must support the landing weight of the lander and keep
it upright on landing)
3. Point deductions for a rocket that landed well but tipped over due to crosswinds will
be at discretion of the judge.
4. Legs must fold or stow for boost, and feature some mechanism to deploy for landing.
(Snitch's can fly, but with a full deduction of pre-flight judging points for innovation
in design and degree of difficulty.)
5. Scoring (100 points possible)…
20 points for innovation of design (theme, unique design features, including legs)
10 points for quality of build (finish, smooth transitions, fin fillets, motor
retention)
20 points for degree of difficulty, specifically reserved for legs (folding function,
deploy function)
20 points for quality of flight (stability, altitude, duration)
30 points for quality of recovery (recovery deployment, lack of damage, lander
stayed upright)

Event 4 - Upscale (Downscale) Anything Can Fly (2012) - (Degree of Difficulty = 4th)
1. The logical progression from the WOOSH sod field event of the same (almost) name,
the gist of which is to take anything other than a rocket, and make it fly.
2. The rocket must feature a larger (or smaller) version of a commonly available nonrocketry
item, hereafter referred to as the prototype. Like the crayon banks we flew
in year one (2009), but it doesn't have to be a crayon.
3. If the prototype item is smaller than 3 feet in any dimension, (i.e. a salt shaker),
then the rocket must be an upscaled version of it. Degree of difficulty points will
include the magnitude of upscale. (The upscale is an engineer's challenge.)
4. If any dimension of the prototype item exceeds 3 feet, (i.e. the Eiffel Tower), then
the rocket must be a downscaled version of it. Degree of difficulty points will include
attention to details of the prototype preserved in the downscale. (The downscale is
a modeler's challenge.)
5. Scoring (60 points possible)…
20 points for innovation of design (theme, unique design features, unusual-ness
of rocket)
10 points for degree of difficulty - includes magnitude of upscale (upscale only),
OR attention to details (downscale only)
10 points for quality of build (finish, smooth transitions, fin fillets, motor
retention, overall structural integrity)
10 points for quality of flight (stability, altitude, duration)
10 points for quality of recovery (recovery device deployment, lack of damage)

Event 5 - Secret Payload (2013) - (Degree of Difficulty = 5th)
1. This event was kicked off (a bit prematurely, I might add) by Elon Musk, who
launched the first 'secret payload' - a wheel of cheese - that rode into space aboard
the company's private Dragon spacecraft during a Dec. 8. 2010 test flight. Elon was
eventually disqualified. While he did not reveal the payload prior to his practice
flight, he did not declare the flight as a qualifying flight, and therefore would be
required to fly it again at ECOF in 2015, under rules 2 and 6.
2. The rocket must fly with a payload. The nature of the payload must be kept secret
until after the flight.
3. The payload may be contained within the payload bay through recovery, or may be
ejected to recover under a separate parachute.
4. The payload will be revealed to the judge following the flight. Do not bribe the judge.
5. You may not launch multiple or crushable items. (i.e. Cheerios, glass, etc...)
6. You may not launch something so small you will not find it. (i.e. small diamonds.)
Large diamonds are allowed and would be an exception to Rule 4.
7. If you lose, or completely demolish your payload, you forfeit all Payload Protection
System points. Conversely, even if the rocket suffers a spectacular failure (cato,
etc.), full points for the Payload Protection System will be awarded if the payload
suffers no damage. (launch escape tower, anyone?)
8. Scoring (50 points possible)…
10 points for Quality of Build (finish, smooth transitions, fin fillets, motor
retention, overall structural integrity)
10 points for Quality of Flight (stability, altitude, duration)
10 points for Quality of Recovery (recovery device deployment, lack of damage to
rocket)
10 points for Uniqueness / Novelty of the Payload (wide open category)
10 points for success of Payload Protection System (survival of and lack of
damage to the payload)

Event 6 - Re-launchable Rockets / Sample Return Mission (2014) - (Degree of Difficulty = 1st)
1. To commemorate our first landing on the moon and subsequent return to Earth, we
will be replicating it on the barren surface of the Richard Bong State Recreation Area
in southeastern Wisconsin.
2. The rocket will fly once, safely land, gather a cheese sample, then launch and land
again, simulating a return to Earth. While the rules seem complicated, they are
actually intuitive when applied in context of a real mission.
3. Everything required to fly a second time, (to include launch guidance but NOT
ignition circuitry, and return motor with igniter, must have flown the first time.
Possible ideas would include a dual-purpose rocket (ala Buck Rogers), dedicated
descent and ascent modules (ala Lunar Module), a sky crane (ala Mars Curiosity),
airbags (Mars Spirit and Opportunity), etc. The descent portion of flight #1 must
have, as did the lunar module, the ability to land upright, and it must necessarily
hold itself upright during relaunch of the ascent stage. Reliability of first landing is
clearly a critical design element.
4. The 2nd flight must also be from the active range. Rocket must be picked up from
the 1st landing site, inspected by the event judge, then RSO’d and launched again,
using the rocket’s onboard (flown) launch pad, in normal sequence by the LCO
utilizing the WOOSH controller.
5. You only have what you flew. Nothing can magically appear during the mission after
the first launch. Things may be removed, however, if their functions are no longer
necessary. See “transition event” simulation in rule #6. Rescue missions may be
flown by an additional rocket to bring forgotten supplies necessary for the safe
return of the mission vehicle. The only penalty for this “rescue flight” is loss of the
6 points for “Spares Kit Bonus”.