High-power rocketry
Clear guides for the flight you actually want to make.
Certification, motors, electronics, and build technique — written for people who would rather fly than decode a 2008 forum thread. Written by Burn Wire.
- Free guides
- 18
- Field Notes
- 6
- Focus
- L1–L2
Lead story
launch-equipment
8 min readBest Launch Pads and Controllers for High-Power Rocketry (2026)
A practical guide to launch pads and controllers for HPR — from budget-friendly personal setups to club-grade systems for your L1 flight.
L1
8 min readBest Motors for L1 Certification (2026)
A practical breakdown of H and I motors for a first high-power certification flight — AeroTech White Lightning, Blue Thunder, and Cesaroni.
motors
7 min readHow to Read a Rocket Motor Code (H128W, J350W, and the Rest)
Decode hobby rocket motor designations — impulse letter, average thrust, propellant suffix, delay, NAR/TRA class ranges, and how to pick a delay.
Latest
Field Notes
FIELD NOTE8 min readHow to Assemble an AeroTech RMS Reload Without Guessing
An orientation to AeroTech RMS cases, delay drilling, o-rings, liners, and grain order — written to sit next to the instruction card.
Field Notes
FIELD NOTE9 min readAvionics Bay Design: Sleds, Switches, Batteries, and Wiring That Survive Boost
How to lay out a dual-deploy ebay that an RSO will arm: sealed bulkheads, a sled that does not eject its battery, and charge wiring.
Field Notes
FIELD NOTE10 min readHow to Size Black Powder Ejection Charges (and Prove Them on the Ground)
The D²×L and volume formulas for FFFFg ejection charges, worked examples for 3- and 4-inch bays, and a ground-test procedure.
Field Notes
FIELD NOTE8 min readFinding a Lost High-Power Rocket: GPS, Beacons, and Search Technique
How to keep an L1 or L2 rocket findable: dual-deploy drift, GPS vs radio beacons, last-known coordinates, and a search pattern.
beginner
2 min readHow to Talk to an RSO (and Not Get Sent Back to the Pits)
What a Range Safety Officer actually wants to hear: the flight card, the motor, the recovery, and the one sentence that keeps the line moving.
Field Notes
FIELD NOTE7 min readBuilding an L2 Airframe That Survives J–L Motors
The build side of L2: 38 mm vs 54 mm mounts, rail buttons, kevlar and zipper control, coupler length, and recovery attachments.
L1
7 min readLaunch Day Checklist: What to Bring for Your First HPR Flight
A complete first-flight packing list for high-power rocketry — rocket, motor, tools, recovery gear, paperwork, and RSO inspection.
certification
7 min readNAR vs Tripoli: Which Rocketry Organization Should You Join?
A practical comparison of NAR and Tripoli — membership dues, insurance, certification reciprocity, L2 exam differences, launch culture, and how to choose.
simulation
8 min readGetting Started with OpenRocket: Simulate Your First Flight
OpenRocket is a free, open-source rocket flight simulator. You build a virtual model of your rocket and run a simulation.
L2
9 min readPreparing for L2 Certification: What Changes After L1
Everything that's different about L2 certification — the written test, rocket requirements, motor selection, and what to expect on flight day.
building
9 min readBeginner's Guide to Rocket Epoxy and Fillets
How to choose the right epoxy, mix it properly, and apply structural fillets that keep your fins attached through high-power flights.
building
10 min readHow to Finish and Paint Your Rocket: A Complete Guide
Step-by-step guide to surface prep, priming, painting, and clear coating your rocket — from filling spiral grooves to getting a smooth, professional finish.
building
7 min readRocket Motor Retention: Clips, Retainers, and How to Keep Your Motor In
Why ejection can spit a motor out the back of your rocket, and how to choose real retention — tape, Estes clips, and Aero Pack retainers.
recovery
9 min readRocket Recovery Hardware Guide: Parachutes, Shock Cords & More
Everything you need for reliable rocket recovery — parachute sizing, shock cord materials, Nomex protectors, quick links, and shear pins.
Field Notes
FIELD NOTE8 min readShear Pins, Vent Holes, and Why Dual Deploy Still Fails
How many nylon pins a 3- or 4-inch coupler actually needs, why av-bay vents are not optional, and the failure modes of dual deploy.
physics
11 min readUnderstanding Rocket Stability: CG, CP, and Why Your Rocket Needs Both
A clear explanation of center of gravity, center of pressure, stability margin, and how to make sure your rocket flies straight — not sideways.
L1
8 min readBest Rocket Kit for L1 Certification (2026)
Comparing the top 5 high-power rocket kits for your first L1 certification flight — LOC IV, LOC-IV X2, Miss Fire, Madcow Patriot, and Apogee Zephyr.
L1
8 min readHow to Get Your L1 High-Power Rocketry Certification (2026)
Everything you need to know about L1 certification — NAR vs Tripoli, what kit to build, which motor to use, and what to expect on flight day.
flight-computers
8 min readEggtimer Quasar vs Featherweight Blue Raven: GPS Flight Computer Comparison (2026)
Two approaches to high-power rocketry avionics — the all-in-one Eggtimer Quasar kit vs the premium pre-built Featherweight Blue Raven.
altimeters
7 min readBest Altimeter for L1 Certification (2026)
Comparing the top 4 dual-deploy altimeters for your first high-power rocket flight — Eggtimer Quark, RRC2+, EasyMini, and Blue Jay 2.
recovery
14 min readHow to Set Up Dual Deployment for Your First High-Power Flight
A step-by-step guide to configuring drogue-at-apogee, main-at-altitude recovery for L1 and L2 high-power certification flights.
Field Notes
6 paid Field Notes. 18 free guides.
The free guides get you to L1. Each Field Note covers one job where a mistake costs you the rocket. Range Pass is A$59/year for all of them plus downloads, or unlock a single note for A$9.
- FIELD NOTE
How to Assemble an AeroTech RMS Reload Without Guessing
Without it: A backward delay, a missing liner, or the wrong o-ring turns a cert motor into a CATO. - FIELD NOTE
Avionics Bay Design: Sleds, Switches, Batteries, and Wiring That Survive Boost
Without it: A battery walks out of its clip or a switch backs open at rail exit, and neither charge fires. - FIELD NOTE
How to Size Black Powder Ejection Charges (and Prove Them on the Ground)
Without it: The charge is too light to separate the airframe, and the rocket comes in ballistic. - FIELD NOTE
Finding a Lost High-Power Rocket: GPS, Beacons, and Search Technique
Without it: You spend the afternoon in someone else's wheat and still go home without the rocket. - FIELD NOTE
Building an L2 Airframe That Survives J–L Motors
Without it: A J or K motor finds the short coupler, and the harness peels off a bulkhead at main deploy. - FIELD NOTE
Shear Pins, Vent Holes, and Why Dual Deploy Still Fails
Without it: Both chutes come out at apogee, or neither comes out at all.
Reader paths
Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3
Stage 1
First flight
L1, kits, motors, launch day
Includes paid Field Notes
Open the libraryStage 2
Electronics
Altimeters, dual deploy, bays
Includes paid Field Notes
Open the libraryStage 3
Toward L2
Exams, airframes, J–L motors
Includes paid Field Notes
Open the library