Contents

The menu bar

How rockets work

Notes for parents or teachers

How to register this software

Thrust

Weight

Drag


Weight

Heavy rockets need more engine power or thrust to propel them. If two rockets have the same engine power  and the same drag, the lighter one will fly highest.


Thrust

Is the amount of power a rocket engine has. The thrust pushes the rocket along.

If you were given two rockets, both with the same weight and drag factors but each having a different thrust, the one with the most thrust would fly highest.


Drag

When a rocket flies through the air it needs to push that air out of its path. A thin, sharp rocket can cut through the air easily but a fat rocket with a round nose will not.

The force that the air places on a rocket is called drag. If you have two rockets, both with identical weight and thrust, the one with the least drag will fly best.


How rockets work
How rockets work.

Rockets come in two sorts, solid fuel rockets and liquid fuel rockets. Solid fuel rockets have one fuel container which holds a powdered or solid chemical mixture. This mixture will burn on its own and does not need to use air or oxygen in its combustion.  Well known solid fuel rockets include fireworks, most modern toy or model rockets and the boosters on the Space Shuttle. Liquid fuel rockets have two tanks, one for the fuel and one for an oxydizing agent. This oxydizing agent is needed so that the rocket can work in space where there is no atmosphere .

In both cases the rocket motor burns the fuel in a combustion chamber to produce large amounts of very hot gas. This gas escapes from a nozzle under pressure blowing the rocket along in much the same way as a balloon is blown along when you release it without sealing the neck.


Solid fuel rocket

This cutaway drawing shows:

A..the rocket body

B..the solid fuel

C..solid fuel being burned to produce hot gas

D..the hot gas escaping from the rocket

E..the stabilizing fins to make the rocket fly straight


Liquid fuel rocket

A..Rocket body

B..Oxydizing agent tank (liquid oxygen)

C..Fuel tank (alcohol)

D..Electrical fuel pump

E..Electrical oxydizer pump

F..Combustion chamber and motor nozzle

G..Stabilizing fins


Notes for Parents or Teachers

This program has been carefully designed to provide educational information while also providing a source of amusement. Your students learn while they think they are playing a computer game.

Extensive testing of this software has shown that children of all ages (reccommended age range 6-14) enjoy the rocket race and are able to understand the basic physics involved. No attempt has been made to offer specific statistical information or to involve the student in complex mathematical calculations.


How to register this program
How to register this software

This program is shareware. This means that you can try it out, show your friends and even give them a copy if they like it. This software is not however free. We hope that we have provided you with a valuable program and, after you decide to keep it, you should register it.

When you register you will also recieve by return of post instructions on how to turn off this message, and a list of other software products available.

There are three registration options available.

1..If you are a private user and you DO NOT require the printed documentation that goes with this software. In this case a fee of 50 French Francs is all that you pay.

2..if you are a private user and you DO require the printed documentation which comes as a teaching pack then the fee is 120 French Francs.

3..if you represent a school or college then you will require the full teachers pack. This contains a licence for 15 copies of the software (enough for most classes) You will also receive in the teachers pack, photocopy worksheet masters, marking information, a short historical guide to rockets and rocketry, AND a FREE version of the program which has not 3 but 5 rockets in the race, This final option costs 220 French Francs

Anyone who buys option 2 or 3 will also receive a FREE MYSTERY GIFT.

Great!! How do I register?


Registration Form

Send an INTERNATIONAL MONEY ORDER for the correct amount payable to:

C.I. Bureaux de Logiciel

La Basse Roussiere

35640 Eance

FRANCE

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IMPORTANT enclose this information

Name............................................................

House...........................................................

Street............................................................

City...............................................................

County/state.................................................

Country.........................................................

ZIP/Postal code.............................................

I require option (circle one)       1       2       3

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NOTE international language versions are available. please write your language preference  CLEARLY. If it is available then that version will be forwarded to you


The menu bar

The menu bar holds three selections Rocket, View and Help. To find out more select one of these.

Rocket

View

Help


The rocket menu
Rocket

This menu holds three options

Design, will allow you to choose a rocket and then change the way that rocket flies.

First choose one of the rockets. You can use all of them if you are on your own or if you have company let a friend choose one.

After you choose one you can alter the way that the rocket works with this control panel. Move the slider controls to change the weight, drag and thrust of your rocket.

Fly gives you a countdown and then begins the rocket race.

Exit lets you leave the program


View menu

Has two options.

Toolbar lets you turn the toolbar on or off. The toolbar has pushbuttons which perform the same fubctions as Design and Fly in the Rocket menu

Status bar lets you turn the status bar at the bottom of the screen on or off.


Help menu
The help menu

About Rockets shows the current version and coyright notice.

Contents shows the contents page of this help file.

Help on help  gives you information on how to work the Windows help system.