Rocket Lingo (what them words mean) Part 1

I use rocket words as part of my every-day language. You will routinely hear me talking about "lawn-darts, Launch lugs, centering rings, cato's, BARs, etc". These words are so common for me that some-times I forget that some people dont speak rocket so here goes:

CATO: When a rocket fails catastrophically, usually by the motor over pressurizing and exploding, destroying the rocket.

Lawn Dart: when the Parachute fails to deploy and the rocket goes"ballistic", hitting the ground at hundreds of miles an hour. This usually means destruction of the rocket.  Lawn Darts are very dangerous, sometimes hitting or coming close to the flight line.

Launch Lug: A small tube glued to the side of the rocket. The launch Rod slips through this tube

a BAR: Born-Again-Rocketeer: a person who was into the hobby as a child and came back to it as an adult.

Centering Rings: Doughnut shaped rings that center a smaller tube in a larger tube

Rail buttons: Small "buttons" that are screwed into the side of the rocket. These buttons slide down a launch rail. They are a great alternative to launch lugs:

Shock Cord: The cord that ties the Upper section to the lower section, It is usually made of Nylon, Kevlar or elastic.

Motor Retainer: A device that secures the motor to the back of the rocket.

Apogee: The peak of the flight, when you want the parachute to eject.

Shred: When the rocket exceeds the speed in which it can hold together. The air moving around the rocket tears it apart. Shreds are common in large minimum diameter rocket.

3FNC: 3 fins and a Nose Cone. Nothing special about the rocket.  Most of my rockets are 3FNCs

Airframe: The tube on the rocket.

APCP: The common propellant for rocket engines F+. Similar to the propellant Nasa uses.

Zipper: When the Shock Cord tears through the airframe. This happens when the parachute ejects to early or to late

Igniter: An Electrically fired peice of pyrogen that lights the motor.

Fillet: Adhesive that is layed against the corner of joining parts and smoothed. Alex is terrible at making these.

Minimum diameter Rocket: A rocket where the motor tube is the airframe tube. These rockets are meant for speed.

LPR: Low Powered Rocket: A-D motors

MPR: Mid Power Rocket: E-G motors

HPR: High Power Rocket: H-O (and above) Motors

Dual Deployment: One (small) parachute is fired at Apogee. The small parachute brings the rocket down quickly. At a certain altitude (300-1000ft usually) A larger parachute is opened. The larger chute brings the rocket down slowly. 

End Of Part 1

Useful websites

A lot of learning goes on online in rocketry, whether you're just starting building rockets or if you have been in the hobby for a while. Here are my personal favorite rocketry websites. If you just want to research a kit you are thinking of buying, if you dont know how something works or if you just need some build tips.
Here ya go...

EMRR (RocketReviews.com)
Emrr is a website with lots of tool, tips and reviews. With more then 4000 reviews of different rocketry products. Whenever I am deciding what kit to buy, EMRR is the first place I look. Most reviews contain details on how to build the kit, the Pros and Cons, The parts list and if the reviewer thought it would be a good buy. Along with thousand of reviews, They also have a "hints and tips" section, motor information and more. I could spend hours on the EMRR Website.

Thrust Curve
Thrust Curve is an site that has more motor information then a rocketeer could want. Motor info contains thrust curves, total NS, Average NS, Propellant type, Propellant Weight, etc. Along with motor info they have a quick and dirty simulator.

The Rocketry Forum
The rocketry forum is a great place for asking questions, even stupid ones.You'll get all the information you need and more! Eveyone is very friendly and helpfull. Along with asking questions you can explore the galleries or buy or sell something on the yard sale. Having an account is a must.

Info Central
A great place for tips on just about everything.

Apogee Components
Apogee is both a vendor and a place to learn something. They have an extensive collection of newsletter articles that are well worth the read. Along with the newsletter articles, they have a good collection of how to videos.

Rocketry Planet
 Rocketry Planet has tons of articles, builds, news stories, etc.

If you have any more you want me to include, please leave a comment below and I'll include it.